[LINK] SAI Generated Instructions

[Roger Clarke]

On 6/5/2025 19:13, Tom Worthington wrote:
> Speaking at the Australian Computer Society Canberra Branch this evening, Harry Hoang from Tailored Accounts Trude, asked his staff to use two AI systems to write a step by step process to apply for a complicated government tax deduction. Both provided an accurate useful guide. He emphasized these systems did not need the back and forth of Chat GPT: one request gave a useful answer. Genspark and Felo were the AI tools. https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2025/05/ai-generated-instructions.html

I'm a pedant.  (No kidding?).  So I have to ask.

Testing theory (and there is some) says you need to specify the 'right' 
answer (grey zones permitted) *in advance of* evaluating the output.

Did someone apply that criterion?


You've covered yourself with "[it] gave a useful answer".

Me too, with weasel words like:
"[GenAI produces] synthetic text that is likely to appear authoritative, 
authentic and convincing to the person who asked the question"
and
" ... the promptness, and the contrived fluidity and authoritativeness 
of expression of the responses, may in many cases cause the individual 
to suspend their disbelief, and uncautiously embrace the responses as 
being reliable".


But a retrospective 'well, I don't think I'd have expected that' is very 
closely related to genuinely believing that the pea just *has* to be 
under *that* thimble.

The sceptic reckons that the real magic in GenAI is that being conned no 
longer depends on the skills of a con-man.  Stochastic parrots rule.



Quotes from:
Principles for the Responsible Application of Generative AI
Forthcoming in Computer Law & Security Review
https://rogerclarke.com/EC/RGAI-C.html

Please tear it to shreds.
I need to present it shortly, and forewarned is forearmed.



-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

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Visiting Professorial Fellow                          UNSW Law & Justice
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University