Like everyone else with a browser, free time, and an interest in AI I’ve been playing with ChatGPT, an text-generating AI engine by OpenAI, the folks that created DALL-E, that can write research papers, programs, poems, and blog posts. You can find more information about both ChatGPT and DALL-E at OpenAI’s website (https://openai.com/).
I started with something that I thought would be fun:
As you can see, it wrote well-commented python script to generate a random number for each of the types of dice used when playing Dungeons and Dragons (something I do with my kids and friends). I doubt I’ll use this specific script as I have some pretty fly VTT apps and like to use the real thing when I can. I kept playing with ChatGPT. It wrote me a haiku, a poem in the style of Keats, a few jokes, a Mastodon post, and finally, a blog post.
I wanted to see if it could do something in a longer form so I fed it some prompts and after a few tries I got one back that was passable. The following post was written entirely by the ChatGPT interface with the following prompt:
And so, without further delay, I hand over the reigns of my blog to ChatGPT.
Here is a potential blog post about the intersection of cybersecurity, nation-state threats, and flaming hot Cheetos:
Title: “The Spicy Politics of Cybersecurity”
As the world becomes increasingly connected, the realm of cybersecurity has become a critical battlefield for nation-states. Hackers and cyber espionage groups backed by governments are constantly probing and attacking each other’s networks, trying to steal sensitive information or disrupt critical infrastructure.
In this high-stakes game of cat and mouse, the use of sophisticated tools and techniques is common. But sometimes, even the most unexpected things can play a role.
Take, for example, the case of the flaming hot Cheetos. In 2017, it was reported that Russian hackers used the popular snack as a covert communication channel to avoid detection by security software. By embedding data in the pixels of images of flaming hot Cheetos posted on social media, the hackers were able to transmit information without raising suspicion.
This may seem like a silly and unlikely tactic, but it highlights the creative and unpredictable nature of cyber warfare. As security technologies and defenses continue to evolve, so do the methods used by hackers to evade them.
So the next time you enjoy a bag of flaming hot Cheetos, just remember that they may be more than just a tasty snack – they could also be a potential weapon in the global cyber conflict. #cybersecurity #nationstatethreats #flaminghotcheetos
Not the worst blog post I’ve ever read (and may have been guilty of writing). I think this is going to be a very disruptive technology for certain vocations in the not-so-distant future. Honestly, I’m not sure how that makes me feel.
./dg