This morning, I thought to throw a somewhat naive question about Python to ChatGPT and Bard in order to consider whether a general policy toward all large language models could cover the entire range of sophistication. ChatGPT is allowing me to retrieve both the prompt and response from this morning as text, but I can only retrieve the prompt from Bard. So, below is a text copy of the episode with ChatGPT and a screen capture of such with Bard.
First, ChatGPT …
Me: If I use Python to add two binary numbers, will it give me a binary number as a result?
ChatGPT: Yes, if you use Python to add two binary numbers, the result will also be a binary number. This is because Python treats binary numbers as strings of 0s and 1s, just like any other string. When you add two binary numbers in Python, the interpreter will concatenate the two strings and perform the binary addition operation, resulting in a new binary string that represents the sum of the two original binary numbers.
For example, if you add the binary numbers “1101” and “1010” in Python using the “+” operator, the result will be the binary number “101111”. Here’s an example Python code snippet that demonstrates binary addition:
makefile
binary1 = "1101"
binary2 = "1010"
# Convert binary strings to integers and add them
decimal_sum = int(binary1, 2) + int(binary2, 2)
# Convert decimal sum back to binary string
binary_sum = bin(decimal_sum)[2:]
print("Binary sum:", binary_sum)
This code will output: Binary sum: 101111
.
Now, Bard with the same prompt …
It was somewhat funny to see that ChatGPT’s response began with “Yes,” and Bard’s with an opposite “No,”. That is not so surprising though, considering that the prompt was crafted to be a bit foggy conceptually. ChatGPT’s answer does muddle things when it brings up concatenation.
Though the above differ, a single uniform policy toward LLMs, in general, could cover both, for example this suggestion posed earlier:
Let’s recall that some of the participants in this discussion have voiced opposition to allowing the use of LLMs at all here. We’d best remain respectful of their feelings, perhaps by not being too quick to post a permissive policy.
My original view regarding the issue was:
This situation is quite nuanced and fluid, and now I’m fundamentally unsure how to proceed. By and large, the other participants in this discussion are more central to this community than myself. So, hereafter I might just ask a question now and then, and ultimately cast my view in favor of whatever consensus the community may reach.