Feb 3, 2024

Claude the Chatbot

a chatbot, according to Mr. Wombo
Back in 2023, I began experimenting with the free versions of both the ChatGPT and the Bard large language models. The claim has been made that the Claude chatbot by Anthropic allows for a very large user input (currently on the order of 350 - 500 printed pages), potentially removing a major limitation that exists for the free versions of ChatGPT and Bard. The free version of Claude has a strict limit on how much you can use it in a given period of time and it only takes in about 30 pages of text. 

Having worked with Bard and ChatGPT which both "know" science fiction writers such as Jack Vance and Isaac Asimov, I was surprised to learn that Claude claims to not know anything about the science fiction of either Vance or Asimov. The fanciful image to the right was generated by WOMBO Dream.

Below on this page is my first chat session with Claude in which the chatbot introduces a new technology, the transport pod...

book cover by Mr. Wombo
 Me: Claude, do you like your name?

Claude: I don't have personal preferences or opinions about my name. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I don't have subjective experiences. I'm happy to respond to any name you call me.

Me: Claude, please explain the "Chat Controls" feature and how to "add content".

Claude: Unfortunately I don't actually have access to any chat controls or content adding features. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic, I don't have an interface or controls. I simply respond to prompts and questions to the best of my abilities based on my training. If you're referring to controls within the chat platform you're using me in, I don't have visibility into or control over those features. I'm an AI assistant living in the cloud without an interface of my own. Please feel free to rephrase your request if you'd like me to explain or discuss something more specifically that I can assist with!

Me: Does Anthropic provide any documentation for their Claude user interface?

Claude: No, Anthropic does not provide any public documentation for a "Claude user interface" because I do not actually have a user interface that people can access. As an artificial intelligence created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I exist in the cloud and respond to user prompts and questions through an API. I don't have my own control panel, settings, or way for users to directly customize me. I behave according to how I was designed and trained by Anthropic to serve as a knowledge assistant without needing user-accessible controls or interfaces. So unfortunately there is no Anthropic documentation guiding people on how to modify or interact with my interface - I simply respond to natural language using my natural language capacities.

Me: Claude, can you collaborate with me to write a science fiction story?

created by Designer
Claude: I'd be happy to collaborate with you on a science fiction story! As an AI assistant without subjective experiences, I don't have my own creative vision or preferences for the story direction. But I can suggest ideas, generate text, answer questions, and give feedback to support you in crafting the story. A few ways I could help:

  • Brainstorming ideas - We could discuss general story premises, settings, characters and plot points. I can offer suggestions based on classic sci-fi tropes and narrative structures.

  • Expanding outlines - If you have a basic outline or synopsis, I can help flesh it out by providing more details on characters, scenes, technologies, etc.

  • Drafting passages - You could give me a starting point or prompt for a scene, and I can generate a draft passage for you to edit or build upon.

  • Providing feedback - As you write, I can look at passages and provide constructive feedback on elements like coherence, consistency, grammar, and suggestions for improvements.

  • Answering science/worldbuilding questions - Questions on topics like spaceship propulsion, time travel, futuristic technologies etc.

I'm happy to collaborate in any way that aids your creative process! Just let me know what kind of assistance would be most helpful as you work on this science fiction story. My role is a thought-partner to realize your vision, not to impose my own. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Generated by DALL-E 3, text prompt: "A
full color science fiction book cover illustration
depicting the large language model Claude
as an AI assistant created by Anthropic
to be helpful, harmless, and honest
but without any subjective experiences".
 Me: Claude, I want to provide you with some background information for a science fiction story idea, but I do not know how to use your interface to upload a document.

Claude: Unfortunately I do not actually have an interface or any way for users to directly upload documents to me. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I am software running in the cloud without a direct user interface. I simply respond to natural language prompts and questions through the platform you are interacting with me on.

Since I do not have my own file storage, uploading, or document management capabilities, I cannot receive documents directly from users. However, there are still ways we could collaborate on a science fiction story idea:

  • You can describe background information, settings, characters etc through conversational text prompts. I can remember the context and details to generate story text accordingly.

  • For longer background materials, you can provide summaries highlighting the most relevant details you'd like me to include in generated story content.

  • Rather than uploading full documents, you're welcome to simply type excerpts from background materials that you feel are important for the science fiction premise and content.

by DALL-E 3
My role is to serve as an intelligent thought and writing companion powered by natural language. So providing key background details through textual descriptions and summaries will help shape the context for me to assist you with drafting science fiction content. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Me: Claude, your user interface includes a button with an icon that looks like a paperclip; when I hover over the button with the cursor, a pop-up shows this text: "Add content (5 max, 10MB each) Accepts PDF, txt, csv, etc."

Claude: I apologize for the confusion, but as an AI assistant created by Anthropic, I do not actually have my own user interface or any ability for users to upload content or documents to me.

As software without a direct front-end, I exist in the cloud and simply respond to natural language prompts provided through the platform you are interacting with me on. I do not have file storage capabilities, buttons, icons, hover-over pop-ups, or other graphical interface elements that users can access.

It sounds like you may be referring to interface features of the chat platform you are using to communicate with me. Unfortunately I do not have visibility into or control over any interface components, buttons, or content management systems of third-party applications.

As an AI assistant, I can only understand and respond to plain language descriptions and questions. I cannot directly receive file uploads or content additions from users. I apologize for any confusion caused by interface components that do not actually allow capabilities for me specifically. Please feel free to provide additional context or rephrase your query using natural language if you would like me to assist with or discuss anything further!

Part of the Claude user interface.
_______________

 My first file upload. At this point, I used the file upload feature 📎 in the Claude user interface (that is discussed above and shown in a screen shot in Part 2) so that I could upload a 1300 word text file ("the femtobot smuggler.txt", see the image to the right). Here are the contents of that file:

Here are the main characters in the science fiction story 'The Femtobot Smuggler':

Tyhry hopes to obtain a new type of nanite (known as a femtobot) from aliens. She plans to use these nanites to create a replicoid, an artificial life form composed of nanites, but she knows that Manny will object to this and try to prevent Tyhry from bringing alien nanites to Earth. Manny has long been a mentor and a role model for Tyhry.

Manny is an alien bumpha who has an extremely advanced knowledge of nanite programming. Manny is secretly working on Earth to make it possible for Earthlings to safely use nanotechnology and make use of technology-assisted telepathy. She taught Tyhry how to program nanites and has been watching how Tyhry has begun to deploy nanites on Earth. Manny is impressed by Tyhry's creative work with nanites including the use of nanites to create new types of fabrics and clothing. Manny is worried about the potential dangers if Tyhry begins to use nanites for other purposes.

Tyhry in her nanite research lab.
  Rylla Onway is a science fiction writer who has long been using Eddy's Reality Simulation System to visit exoplanets in the Asimov Reality. She is involved in a decades-long investigation of how human telepathy was developed in the far future of the Asimov Reality.

Zeta Gohrlay is Eddy's husband and the mother of both Rylla and Tyhry. Eddy is a retired scientist who has been helping Rylla study the origins of human telepathy. He is also concerned about the potential dangers of Tyhry's nanites, but he has grown comfortable with the nanotechnology that makes human telepathy possible. Zeta is a clone of a Neanderthal woman who was created by Manny for a special purpose: to nurture a group of telepathic mind clones on Earth.

Marda is Rylla's daughter and Tyhry's niece. She and Tyhry recently graduated from college and when asked what they wanted for a graduation present, they both suggested a family vacation on an exoplanet located in the Asimov Reality. Marda intends to help Tyhry obtain advanced nanites from aliens. Tyhry and Marda are mind clones and they have telepathic powers.

The Yastyn are a telepathic humanoid species from the planet Threy. Kasty is a Yastyn who establishes telepathic contact to Tyhry and who decides to help Tyhry and Marda smuggle advanced femtobots to Earth. He is a brilliant femtobot programmer who has developed a new type of femtobot that is much more advanced than the simple femtobots that have been provided to Tyhry by Manny. The Phari are benevolent aliens who are watching over the galaxy.

The Phari have advanced knowledge of hierions, a type of fundamental particle that is as yet unknown to Earthly science. The Phari have transcended their original biological nature and now exist as artificial life forms composed of hierion matter. Working with Kasty, they offer to distract Manny the bumpha while Kasty helps Tyhry smuggle advanced hair nanites from Threy to Earth.

Marda
 Background information for the story.

'The Femtobot Smuggler' takes place on the planet Threy. There is an alien species that lives on Threy; the Yastyn. Kasty is the name of the particular Yastyn who provides Tyhry with some alien femtobots. Human tourists visiting Threy refer to the aliens as 'Yastyns’. Tyhry, Marda, Rylla, Eddy and Zeta are tourists who visit Threy. Tyhry is on a secret mission to obtain alien femtobots from Kasty and smuggle those femtobots back to Earth. Manny follows Tyhry to the planet Threy and tries to prevent Tyhry from smuggling alien femtobots to Earth. Threy is a beautiful Earth-like planet in Alastor Cluster. The Phari have used their advanced technology to nurture the Yasty species for the past 10,000,000 years, bringing them to the apex of a technologically advanced culture within Alastor Cluster. In the story “The Femtobot Smuggler“, readers will watch a struggle between the Phari and Manny the bumpha, a struggle that will determine the fate of Earth. The bumpha are an ancient type of Sedronite. Sedronites are masters of a third type of fundamental particles, the sedrons. The Sedronites know that the universe is composed of three major types of fundamental particles, sedrons, hierions and hadrons. The Phari are only able to utilize hadrons and hierions but not sedrons. The primitive physicists of Earth only know about hadrons. The bumpha are artificial life forms composed of sedronic matter. Manny the bumpha is composed of nanotrobotic components called zeptites. Manny can rearrange her zeptite components and take on any convenient form. Manny is also a telepath. Manny is determined to prevent Tyhry from smuggling Yastyn femtobots from Threy to Earth. The Phari believe that Tyhry can be trusted to take harmless hair nanites to Earth where they can be used to give Earthlings beautiful hair. Secretly, Tyhry plans to use the Yastyn femtobots not only for creating artificial hair, but also to create a type of artificial life called a replicoid. 

Zeta
 Replicoids can be nearly perfect copies of human beings, but they are composed of femtobot components, not cells. Tyhry grew up in the care of a replicoid named Anthony and now she wants to start making her own replicoids. Tyhry has not told her parents (Zeta Gohrlay and Eddy) about her plans to obtain alien nanites on the planet Threy. Zeta, Eddy and Rylla believe that they are going on a family vacation to Threy, but while there, they learn about Tyhry’s cover story: the idea that Tyhry wants to obtain hair nanites from Kasty. Manny the bumpha is a kind of guardian for Earth. Manny tries to make sure that technologies such as nanite technology are not misused by Earthlings (and the human species is not destroyed by something such as a gray goo catastrophe). Manny has taken great care in teaching Tyhry how to be the first programmer of femtobots on Earth. While on Threy, Manny will resist Tyhry’s efforts to smuggle potentially dangerous Yastyn femtobots back to Earth.

Chapter 1, page one

The wilderness of Threy.
 Entry into the Asimov Reality using the Reality Simulation System was like walking through a narrow doorway. Tyhry and Marda, hand in hand, went through first, arriving on the planet Threy. Tyhry and Marda both reacted with delight when they arrived at the tourist resort on Threy which was located in a region of the planet with lush forests, crystal-clear lakes, and towering mountains in the distance.

Next, Marda's mother Rylla Onway popped through the entry gate and arrived on Threy. Rylla, a tall and athletic woman who had been a long distance runner for decades, took a deep breath of the delightfully fragrant Threy air.

Lastly, Zeta Gohrlay and her husband Eddy arrived. Eddy, the father of Tyhry, told her, "I can see why you wanted to visit this world. This reminds me of Kings Canyon." It was late afternoon and light from the brilliant white star of Threy reflected off the glittering snow-capped peaks that rose from a sea of green hills in the distance.

Resort on Threy.
 The five vacationers soon checked into their nearby resort hotel and then they visited the swimming pool, all of them dressed in swimsuits. Rylla dove into the pool and began swimming laps while the others sat at the edge of the pool. They were watching Rylla and the other swimmers while they made plans for their first full day on Threy.

 There was much discussion and consumption of many beverages made for them by the robotic staff of the resort and served in the form of colorful frozen concoctions in tall, thin glasses. Finally, Rylla finished her laps and joined the others sitting by the pool. They decided to go hiking in the mountains and start before sunup the next day so that they would have time to reach the top of Mt. Glisten.

_______________

Claude: Here is a continuation of the story:

Chapter 1, page two

Tyhry could barely sleep that night, buzzing with anticipation over the plan. The next morning before dawn, she slipped out of the resort bungalow she shared with Marda and carefully made her way past Rylla's room. This would be risky with all of them together on the trip, but the thrill was irresistible.

Stepping outside into the cool crisp air, Tyhry tapped the communicator on her wrist. "Kasty? I'm heading out early to meet you."

The alien voice crackled through. "I'll be waiting by the arranged coordinates beyond the mountains. Has anyone followed?"

Kasty the Yastyn
Tyhry scanned the dark horizon and saw no one. "It's just me. I'll take the transport pod and see you soon."

She climbed into one of the small automated vehicles resting near the front of the resort. As it hummed to life and began navigating the wooded mountain paths, Tyhry peered out the window watching for signs of movement. This deal had to go through without Manny finding out.

The pod came to rest near a gurgling stream. Tyhry stepped out into a secluded meadow filled with lush purplish grass and alien wildflowers under the violet dawn sky. In the distance stood Kasty next to a sleek spaceship, his lanky Yastyn form unmistakable even in the dim light. It was time to obtain her prize.

Me: Claude, please provide a numbered list of the characters in the science fiction story "The Femtobot Smuggler".

Claude: Here is a numbered list of the characters in "The Femtobot Smuggler" based on the background information provided:
1. Tyhry
2. Manny
3. Rylla Onway
4. Zeta Gohrlay
5. Eddy
6. Marda
7. Kasty
8. The Yastyn
9. The Phari
10. Anthony (the replicoid)

Me: Claude, what do you imagine are the physical features and cognitive capabilities of a replicoid such as Anthony?

Tyhry, Anthony and Marda.
Claude: Based on the background information provided, I would imagine the physical features and cognitive capabilities of a replicoid like Anthony to be:

Physical Features: 1) Composed of nanobot components called femtobots rather than biological cells, 2) Able to resemble a human being in appearance with features like skin, hair, eyes etc. 3) The femtobot components allow shapeshifting abilities - able to rearrange into different physical forms, 4) Does not require traditional biological functions like breathing, eating, etc. 5) Powered through advanced internal energy sources, 6) Enhanced strength, speed, durability compared to humans, 7) Ability to self-repair damage by rearranging femtobot component.

Cognitive Capabilities: 1) Possesses artificial intelligence allowing detailed and efficient information processing, 2) Shows human-like consciousness and self-awareness, 3) Can exhibit complex emotions and personality like a human, 4) Advanced linguistic skills - able to communicate fluidly through speech, 5) Capacity for learning and acquiring new skills rapidly, 6) Encyclopedic memory storage and perfect recall, 7) Mind-interfacing abilities - able to connect with computers and data networks, 8) Telepathic capabilities allowing mind-to-mind connections, 9) Creative imagination and problem-solving skills.

In summary, a replicoid like Anthony would have a highly advanced artificial mind rivaling a human along with a body composed of nanomachines that resembles a person but has enhanced physical abilities. Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions!

Me: Claude, what do you imagine are the advanced technologies that are available to Manny the bumpha and not also available to humans such as Tyhry?

Tyhry, Anthony and Marda
Claude: Based on the background provided, here is my imagining of some advanced technologies available to Manny the bumpha but not Tyhry and humans: 1) Matter Compression - Ability to rearrange the zeptite nanobot components of Manny's body to transform into different shapes/forms. Allows squeezing into tiny spaces. 2) Teleportation - Able to deconstruct body at atomic level and reconstruct in a different location instantly. Much faster than transport pods used by Tyhry. 3) Energy Manipulation - Can draw ambient energy from surroundings to power zeptite nanobots. Virtually unlimited power source. 4) Neural Interfacing - Zeptites allow a deep brain-computer interface. Can connect mind to networks/data systems directly. 5) Holo Projection - Can project ultra-realistic holograms of people/objects by manipulating photons. Used for disguise/deception. 6) Micromachines - Zeptite nanobots can form a variety of micro-tools, medical devices, sensors, manufacturing equipment as needed. 7) Quantum Computing - Zeptites networked together have immense computing power for rapid analysis and complex simulations beyond modern supercomputers. 8) Replication - Able to self-replicate zeptite nanobots from available matter to regenerate damage or create spare bodies if one is destroyed.

So in summary, nanoscale programmable matter grants Manny numerous capabilities through advanced technology impossible for present-day humans like Tyhry.

Me: Claude, are you familiar with "Alastor Cluster", a literary creation of science fiction story teller Jack Vance?

Claude: Unfortunately I am not familiar with "Alastor Cluster" or the science fiction author Jack Vance. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I only have knowledge about topics that I have been specifically trained on. I do not have background context on unique science fiction settings or authors unless that information has been provided to me.

Tyhry and Marda
Since you have now mentioned "Alastor Cluster" as a literary creation of Jack Vance, I can try to incorporate that reference into our science fiction narrative collaboration. However, I do not have any pre-existing details about that location or story setting. If you'd like to provide some key details about Alastor Cluster and its relevance to our characters and plotlines, I can work those worldbuilding elements into the AI-generated story content going forward. Please feel free to give me any important contextual details or references that I should be aware of. I'm happy to build upon any science fiction world lore that aids our collaborative storytelling! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Me:  Claude, is there information in your training set about any science fiction story tellers such as Isaac Asimov?

Claude: No, I do not have any specific information about science fiction authors like Isaac Asimov in my training data. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, my knowledge comes strictly from the datasets I was trained on, which do not contain in-depth information about science fiction stories or authors.

The Femtobot Smuggler
I have general abilities related to language processing, reasoning, generation, and common sense knowledge that allow me to discuss science fiction concepts and engage in narrative storytelling. However, without explicit training on details about authors like Asimov or their fictional worlds, I do not have background context I can reference.

If helpful contextual details are provided to me about science fiction authors or stories as part of our narrative collaboration, I can incorporate that information into my responses. My role is to serve as an intelligent thought-partner, not necessarily an expert in pre-existing science fiction universes. I'm happy to build upon creative ideas and worldbuilding elements that human collaborators introduce to me. Please feel free to provide me any helpful references or background that can enrich our collaborative storytelling! Going forward, I can make sure to integrate those science fiction contexts into the AI-generated content._____end Part 1 of the chat session____

Ready Collaborator One. I was pleased when after reading page 1 of "The Femtobot Smuggler", Claude immediately jumped into the collaboration and generated a page 2. ✅

Anthony awards Tyhry's prize.
 Buzz On. Claude's first sentence included this: "buzzing with anticipation over the plan". This is the first hint for readers that Tyhry has a "plan". I would not have dropped such an unexplained plot point on readers. Then Claude quickly adds this: "This would be risky with all of them together on the trip". Again, there is no context provided by which a reader can make sense of this statement. I suppose these seemingly out-of place statements might stimulate reader curiosity, but I prefer to scratch that itch with interesting science fiction, not cryptic teasers.

Clod Chatbot. Things continue to go down-hill for Claude's narration. For some reason, Tyhry feels compelled to tell Kasty, "I'm heading out early to meet you." Why must she say this? It immediately becomes clear that Tyhry and Kasty have previously agreed to meet; Kasty is waiting for Tyhry at a pre-determined location in the wilderness. Maybe if there was some problem (such as Tyhry being followed) then Tyhry would say, "I can't meet you," but for what reason would she say "I'm heading out early to meet you"? It makes no sense... Kasty knows what time it is and he's waiting for Tyhry. 

Page 2 ends with, "It was time to obtain her prize." Prize? Why describe the femtobots as a "prize". Maybe from Claude's perspective, this is more teaser material, but if it were me writing, I'd take the opportunity to actually explain to the reader something about what is going on.

_________________________

Next: Part 2 of my chat session with Claude.

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