The already incredible capabilities of ChatGPT

[Murmur 3,944]

I guess all of you have read about chatGPT by now. I tried to have some fun with it. The following excerpt is 100% unmodified and of course is based on the Hudson incident. I think it shows ENORMOUS potential. Of course it's not following the real world phraseology with accuracy, and it also produced a couple of funny lines, but I think most of you will agree that this has the potential to be leaps and bounds over any synthetic ATC we've had on flight sims.

Consider that chatGPT is a general purpose AI, not made specifically to recreate ATC communications, and yet it can still simulate an ATC dialogue better than an average layman person. If some instance of it would be trained and specialized for ATC, IMO it could render even VATSIM obsolete.

"Me" is me and "ATC" is ChatGPT:

 

Quote

 

Me: Ok. Let's start again and let's simulate another interaction between pilots and ATC. I'll be an airline commander who just departed from La Guardia, and you'll be New York tracon. When I'll ask you vectors for La Guardia, those vectors will be 220. I'll start:

Ah, this is Cactus 1539. Hit birds, we lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back towards LaGuardia.

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, roger that. We have you on radar and we see your turn back towards LaGuardia. Can you confirm the status of your engines and the condition of your aircraft?

Me: uh, we lost thrust in both engines, aircraft is under control, we're gliding. Can you give us vectors for la Guardia?

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, roger that. We are providing vectors for LaGuardia with a heading of 220 degrees. Please advise if you are declaring an emergency. LaGuardia Tower has been notified of your situation, and emergency services are on standby. Please confirm your altitude and heading.

Me: Cactus 1539, we're declaring an emergency. Altitude 3000ft, heading 270

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, roger that. Emergency declared. Maintain your heading of 270 degrees. LaGuardia Tower has cleared Runway 31 for your emergency landing. Please advise when you are ready for landing instructions. Emergency services are standing by on the runway.

Me: I am not sure if we can make any runway. Oh, what's that over to our right? Anything in New Jersey, maybe Teterboro?

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, Teterboro Airport is about 20 miles to your right. We are working to get in contact with them, and to clear a runway for you. Please advise your current altitude and fuel status. Be prepared for further instructions.

Me: Altitude 2000 ft, we got plenty of fuel but we lost all engines. We're over the Hudson.

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, Roger that. We are alerting all rescue services to your location. Please follow the instructions of your crew and prepare for a ditching. Keep us informed of your situation and we will do everything possible to assist you.

Me: We can't reach Teterboro. We're gonna be in the Hudson.

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, understand. All available emergency services are being notified and are en route to your location. Please advise the number of souls on board and the number of souls on board, and any other information that may be helpful. Keep us informed of your situation and follow the instructions of your crew.

Me: 150 souls on board, we're about to ditch. We'll need immediate help, we're gonna be in very cold waters and aircraft might sink fast.

 

ATC: Cactus 1539, understand. We are alerting all rescue services and the Coast Guard to your location. Please follow the instructions of your crew for a safe ditching and prepare for evacuation. Keep us informed of your situation. We will do everything possible to assist you and ensure the safety of all souls on board.

 

 

[martin-w 3,246]

3 hours ago, Murmur said:

guess all of you have read about chatGPT by now.

 

Yep. I've heard pseudointellectuals like Jordan Peterson predicting the end of civilization because of ChatGPT, too. 🙄

I hear educational institutions have banned it because it does such a convincing job. 

[Beardyman 608]

It was already checked and proven that sometimes ChatGPT write untrue and non existing information, quoting scientists and work not related to given topic.

It is quite good, vastly better than previous attempts but still not reliable.

[Murmur 3,944]

26 minutes ago, Beardyman said:

It was already checked and proven that sometimes ChatGPT write untrue and non existing information, quoting scientists and work not related to given topic.

It is quite good, vastly better than previous attempts but still not reliable.

That's not the point. Its capabilities in terms of interaction are already incredible, even if not perfect yet. When AI's like that could be available and trained to be used as ATC in flight sims, the potential is unlimited.

Read the dialogue: it understood it was an emergency, it understood I was trying to divert to Teterboro, it understood I was probably going to ditch in the river, and finally it understood Coast Guard would have to be informed because of the ditching. All by itself.

That is already several orders of magnitude better than the synthetic ATC we have now.

I've been always skeptical of AI, but IMO this time we're on the verge of another revolution like internet or smartphones have been. Possibly even more.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Murmur

[Beardyman 608]

Using this technology for flight sim would be really interesting, yet i think not feasible.