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Alfred's Serif Users' Forums → General Discussion → Google's Bard is worth a look
Google is rapidly catching up with ChatGPT and Bing Co-Pilot (which is a version of ChatGPT). Their AI is named "Bard" and is best viewed with these browsers, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Edge. It is a generative AI that can also do images and a lot, lot more.
It is free of charge and clearly points toward the future.
Thanks for the recommendation and the link, Paul.
Prompt (adapted from William’s prompt to Bing Chat AI):
Please write a song about February, noting that February can be cold, there may be snow, yet February leads to spring.
Google Bard’s response (draft 1):
(Verse 1)
February wind, whips across the plain,
Bare branches rattle, like an icy chain.
Sun peeks shyly, then hides again,
Snowflakes swirling, painting white the glen.(Chorus)
But hush, don't shiver, though the days are short,
There's a secret whispered, by the chickadee's report.
Beneath the frozen ground, a promise sleeps,
Of warmer breezes, where green life leaps.(Verse 2)
Groundhog peeks out, shadow in his sight,
Six more weeks of winter, or is spring in flight?
Don't be fooled by tricksy shadows play,
For even February shows the coming day.(Chorus)
So hush, don't shiver, though the days are short,
There's a secret whispered, by the chickadee's report.
Beneath the frozen ground, a promise sleeps,
Of warmer breezes, where green life leaps.(Bridge)
Tiny shoots are pushing, 'neath the frosted pane,
Seeds are dreaming, of sweet sunshine rain.
Birdsong faint and distant, whispers on the breeze,
Hints of daffodils, carried on the trees.(Chorus)
So hush, don't shiver, though the days are short,
There's a secret whispered, by the chickadee's report.
Beneath the frozen ground, a promise sleeps,
Of warmer breezes, where green life leaps.(Outro)
February whispers, spring is on its way,
Soon the ice will melt, and flowers start to sway.
So hold on tight, to hope that lies within,
And watch the magic, as the world begins.
Google Bard’s response (draft 2):
(Verse 1)
February wind, whispers low and keen,
Barren branches shiver, painted silver sheen.
Groundhog peeks, a shadow hides the light,
Six more weeks of winter, holding on so tight.(Chorus)
But February's heart, it beats a secret rhyme,
Beneath the frost and ice, a promise of springtime.
Days grow longer, sun climbs higher in the sky,
Whispers of green dreams, as the snowdrifts slowly die.(Verse 2)
Snowflakes dance and twirl, a fleeting ballerina's grace,
Cradled in the silence, a world transformed in place.
Frozen pond reflects the moon's pale, gentle glow,
A hush falls over all, as the world begins to slow.(Chorus)
But February's heart, it beats a secret rhyme,
Beneath the frost and ice, a promise of springtime.
Days grow longer, sun climbs higher in the sky,
Whispers of green dreams, as the snowdrifts slowly die.(Bridge)
Tiny bulbs awaken, deep beneath the ground,
Seeds stir in slumber, waiting to be found.
A robin's melody, a brave and hopeful song,
Carries on the wind, where winter won't stay long.(Chorus)
For February's heart, it beats a secret rhyme,
Beneath the frost and ice, a promise of springtime.
Days grow longer, sun climbs higher in the sky,
Whispers of green dreams, as the snowdrifts slowly die.(Outro)
So bundle up and wait, for the change that's coming soon,
February's promise, whispered in the afternoon.
Spring is on the way, with blossoms yet unseen,
But February's heart, knows what lies between.
Google Bard’s response (draft 3):
(Verse 1)
February wind, whispers through the trees
Bare branches bend, like shivering knees
Sun hides its face, behind a cloak of gray
But wait, a tiny bird starts to sway(Chorus)
February, oh February, you can be so cold
But beneath the frost, a story untold
A promise of warmth, a whisper of green
Spring's on its way, though it's barely seen(Verse 2)
Snowflakes swirl, a dance upon the ground
Children's laughter, echoes all around
Snowballs fly, cheeks rosy red and bright
A winter wonderland, beneath the pale moonlight(Chorus)
February, oh February, you can be so cold
But beneath the frost, a story untold
A promise of warmth, a whisper of green
Spring's on its way, though it's barely seen(Bridge)
Days grow longer, shadows start to shrink
Melting icicles, on the window's brink
Seeds stir silently, beneath the frozen earth
Waiting for the sun to bring them back to birth(Chorus)
February, oh February, you can be so cold
But beneath the frost, a story untold
A promise of warmth, a whisper of green
Spring's on its way, though it's barely seen(Outro)
So hold on tight, when February blows
Remember the bloom, that soon it bestows
For even in winter's grip, hope takes its stand
February's heart, holds spring in its hand
Bard can interpret images. I tried one with a military crest. This particular crest comes from the unit I served in during the Vietnam war. We were combat photographers. Our mission was to document the war with still and motion pictures. I prompted Bard as follows:
What can you tell me about this image?
Bard responded:
Sure, I can help you understand the image you sent me. It shows a shield with a dragon, film strip, and fleur-de-lis. The shield is blue and yellow, and it has a red border. The dragon is green and white, and it is breathing fire. The film strip is black and white, and it shows a series of images from a movie. The fleur-de-lis is white, and it is a symbol of France.
I can't find any information about the specific meaning of this image, but I can offer some general insights. The dragon is often a symbol of power and strength, while the film strip represents storytelling and cinema. The fleur-de-lis is a symbol of purity and royalty. So, it's possible that the image is meant to convey a message about the power of storytelling and its ability to inspire and motivate people.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I thought Bard did very well on this experiment. In fact, amazing.
Bard did indeed do amazingly well with its “general insights” about the shield/crest, so I’m quite surprised that it performed rather poorly when trying to describe the colours!
Alfred wrote:Bard did indeed do amazingly well with its “general insights” about the shield/crest, so I’m quite surprised that it performed rather poorly when trying to describe the colours!
It's early days. But the whole thing is mind blowing. It's hard to find uses for this kind of thing? But I'm sure it will get better and better and uses will be discovered. One use that my wife has is to identify plants in her garden. When something blows in on the wind and starts to grow in the garden (a volunteer), she takes a picture and finds out what it is. Or so she thinks.
I think bird watchers can now identify birds this way.
One use that my wife has is to identify plants in her garden. When something blows in on the wind and starts to grow in the garden (a volunteer), she takes a picture and finds out what it is. Or so she thinks.
I think bird watchers can now identify birds this way.
I have a nice app on my iPad for that kind of thing: Seek, by iNaturalist. I don’t remember where I read about it, and I don’t use it often, but I’ve had it for well over a year.
pberk wrote:One use that my wife has is to identify plants in her garden. When something blows in on the wind and starts to grow in the garden (a volunteer), she takes a picture and finds out what it is. Or so she thinks.
I think bird watchers can now identify birds this way.
I have a nice app on my iPad for that kind of thing: Seek, by iNaturalist. I don’t remember where I read about it, and I don’t use it often, but I’ve had it for well over a year.
I'm aware. The big one is to identify people. Chinese are doing this. Does it make it a safer world? Or is it 1984?
Or is it 1984
1984 came and went but big brother didn't appear. Or did he? It's the fake imaging and voice reproduction that bothers me. Soon we won't be able to trust anything we see or read.
That's all pretty amazing stuff. Thanks for posting. I've been reluctant to even approach AI....like it will take over my life or something. None of my many wives would have appreciated the competition. 
Or is it 1984
1984 came and went but big brother didn't appear. Or did he? It's the fake imaging and voice reproduction that bothers me. Soon we won't be able to trust anything we see or read.
I assure you Eric, we are already there with voice. Famous people who have loads of their voice (well recorded) in public can be voice cloned in a matter of a day or two. I'm talking expertly cloned so its near impossible to tell. I've just starting using a program that does a decent job of voice cloning in a few minutes if you have a clean recording to start.
My younger brother passed away yesterday morning at the age of 70....a massive heart attack, with barely a hint of problematic medical history. All of us are in shock, and I've been asked to deliver a eulogy. However, in order to minimize tears, that will already be flowing plentifully, (along with my own), I wanted to do something more along the lines of a celebration party to the memory of a good man. Alan was well known for his apple pies. For the closing of my little speech, I asked Bard to help with a limerick in honor of Alan's culinary expertise. I've modified this somewhat, but I used Bard to get to the...er...core of the idea. I only tweaked, modified, deleted, or added my own words to give it more personal....er....appeal. I used Bard, you might say, as the...mmmm...er...seed of my little rhyme.
I know it takes some...er....crust to do this, and you may think me a bit....er...flakey. Here, however, with thanks to Bard, and apologies to the late, great Charles Osgood, is the AI-Human rendition of an ode to the passing of a wonderful brother and a legendary pie baker.
There once was a baker named Alan,
Whose pies were a mouth's education.
From Granny Smith tart,
To Honeycrisp art,
He'd leave us weeping in pie-based elation.
Now angels at elevated station,
Raise forks in celestial ovation!
Though heaven's pies might be grand,
None will e’er hold a hand
To the marvel of dear Alan's creation.
My younger brother passed away yesterday morning at the age of 70....a massive heart attack, with barely a hint of problematic medical history. All of us are in shock, and I've been asked to deliver a eulogy. However, in order to minimize tears, that will already be flowing plentifully, (along with my own), I wanted to do something more along the lines of a celebration party to the memory of a good man. Alan was well known for his apple pies. For the closing of my little speech, I asked Bard to help with a limerick in honor of Alan's culinary expertise. I've modified this somewhat, but I used Bard to get to the...er...core of the idea. I only tweaked, modified, deleted, or added my own words to give it more personal....er....appeal. I used Bard, you might say, as the...mmmm...er...seed of my little rhyme.
I know it takes some...er....crust to do this, and you may think me a bit....er...flakey. Here, however, with thanks to Bard, and apologies to the late, great Charles Osgood, is the AI-Human rendition of an ode to the passing of a wonderful brother and a legendary pie baker.
There once was a baker named Alan,
Whose pies were a mouth's education.
From Granny Smith tart,
To Honeycrisp art,
He'd leave us weeping in pie-based elation.Now angels at elevated station,
Raise forks in celestial ovation!
Though heaven's pies might be grand,
None will e’er hold a hand
To the marvel of dear Alan's creation.
I am so sorry to read your sad post. My sympathy and condolences to you and your family. Your ode conjures up a wonderful image to me, as an outsider, and I am sure that family will definitely recognise Alan when they hear it.
I am so sorry to read your sad post. My sympathy and condolences to you and your family. Your ode conjures up a wonderful image to me, as an outsider, and I am sure that family will definitely recognise Alan when they hear it.
Most eloquently put, Karen! I am likewise sorry to hear Lon’s sad news, and I send my sympathy and condolences.
Karen, Alfred....
Thank you both for your kind words. I'll Be speaking with my S-I-L here in a bit, to see if a humorous eulogy fits the services she has planned. As irony would have it, Alan and I spoke by phone just last week, discussing how CraftArtist, and pictures from my siblings various families, would do so much to capture the personhood of each of us, so that 50-years hence, we might be more than just names in a family album, but actual "people" with interests, ideas, lives and loves. He liked that idea, and especially the idea of celebrating each other, not sadly, but perhaps at a pizza place, with beer for everyone, laughter, favorite old stories, events and happenstances. Who knew that it might happen so quickly, and that our very conversation would enter into the discussion of how best to memorialize one, or both of us. He was a heck of a pie maker. But, more than the taste of the pie, were the adventures to find even the best dish for baking the pie. If allowed by his lovely bride, I'll embellish. Of that there can be no doubt. But, the adventures to find the perfect apples, the perfect dish....this is stuff of fall-on-the-floor hilarity, if told correctly. I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks again. You both would have loved Alan in your lives....as most everyone did.
This use of Bard is, perhaps, a glimpse of the future. In a state of grief, Bard (now Gemini) can be counted on to be of help.
I lost my only brother some decades ago. He was only fifty. Everyone expected that I would say something. I remember having that pressure thrust on me. I certainly would have welcomed Gemini to help me through it.
I'm sorry for your loss. Any one who can make a good apple pie, surely will be missed.
Karen, Alfred....
Thank you both for your kind words. I'll Be speaking with my S-I-L here in a bit, to see if a humorous eulogy fits the services she has planned. As irony would have it, Alan and I spoke by phone just last week, discussing how CraftArtist, and pictures from my siblings various families, would do so much to capture the personhood of each of us, so that 50-years hence, we might be more than just names in a family album, but actual "people" with interests, ideas, lives and loves. He liked that idea, and especially the idea of celebrating each other, not sadly, but perhaps at a pizza place, with beer for everyone, laughter, favorite old stories, events and happenstances. Who knew that it might happen so quickly, and that our very conversation would enter into the discussion of how best to memorialize one, or both of us. He was a heck of a pie maker. But, more than the taste of the pie, were the adventures to find even the best dish for baking the pie. If allowed by his lovely bride, I'll embellish. Of that there can be no doubt. But, the adventures to find the perfect apples, the perfect dish....this is stuff of fall-on-the-floor hilarity, if told correctly. I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks again. You both would have loved Alan in your lives....as most everyone did.
Alan did sound like quite the character - just the kind of person I would have enjoyed interacting with.
I have been to a number of funerals now where emphasis seemed to be placed on humour and celebrating the life, rather than mourning the death. I planned my own funeral many years ago - it just needs someone to direct things as I'll obviously be unavailable, and I suspect that will be something the few who are likely to attend will find 'interesting'.
When this kind of thing happens, it makes us realise how ephemeral life really is, and that it probably is a good idea to live each day to the full, along with your loved ones. I lost a very dear friend last year. He died in June, but I only found out about it in November as I wasn't involved in the online old work network. His sister had hoped that I would have been told by someone as she didn't have my details. But I had spoken with John just a few weeks earlier on his birthday, and we had joked about things as we always did. In one way I was sad that I hadn't had the opportunity to say farewell at his funeral, but sometimes things are just meant to be the way they are.
Our loved ones always live on, in our hearts and our memories. If we have been able to scrapbook things that remind us of them, then that too helps them to live on for those further down the line.
I hope all goes well and Alan receives the most memorable of send-offs.
Thanks, all. As was expected, the weekend was that bitter-sweet mixture of tears and laughter. Nearly 300 people showed up for the memorial service. Alan spent 30 years as an engineer with his employer, a major defense and NASA contractor, based near Cape Canaveral. He was well known, and well liked, and just a delightful brother. We shared many phone calls, and much humor over the years. He'll be greatly missed.
I delivered the limerick to the more immediate family only...about 35 of us gathered...and invited them to lift their imaginary forks, at the end, along with their imaginary pie plates, filled with the imaginary goodness of one of Alan's pies, and to cheer his life, and to cheer the happy memories of having him in our respective lives. The cheers were loud, the laughter strong, and the tears flowed. It was a great send-off.
I have pictures of the last pie that he and I made together, here at my house in Arkansas, during a visit. Shortly, I'll combine those, the limerick, and a few bits and pieces of other things, and begin the pictorial memorialization of this terrific brother.
Thanks for the update, Lon. I’m sure I’m not the only one here who would be interested to see your pictorial memorialization when you feel ready to share it.
Thanks for the update, Lon. I’m sure I’m not the only one here who would be interested to see your pictorial memorialization when you feel ready to share it.
Indeed.
It sounds like a wonderful celebration of Alan's life at the memorial service. The Ancient Egyptians held that as long as a person's name was spoken, and likenesses kept, that individual would live on. That is why enemies would deface images and the hieroglyphic renditions of the names. An ancient kind of 'cancel culture', I suppose you could say.
Your pictorial memorialization, and you and your family talking about Alan's life, ensures that Alan does live on, in hearts and minds.
Wishing you well.
An ancient kind of 'cancel culture', I suppose you could say.
It’s no great surprise that ‘cancel culture’ is nothing new.
KarenPL wrote:An ancient kind of 'cancel culture', I suppose you could say.
It’s no great surprise that ‘cancel culture’ is nothing new.
Alas.
Alfred wrote:KarenPL wrote:An ancient kind of 'cancel culture', I suppose you could say.
It’s no great surprise that ‘cancel culture’ is nothing new.
Alas.
That’s people for you! Some people, anyways.
Alfred's Serif Users' Forums → General Discussion → Google's Bard is worth a look
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