The ballad of Tankboy, courtesy ChatGPT.

I played around with ChatGPT a few months ago, just to see how it might help more rote writing projects like, say, a website bio or something along those lines. Overall, it worked well enough, but definitely required some cleaning up of random incorrect facts. But it did tend to supply a reasonably solid structure to start with on projects I might find more boring.

So when they released the iOS app version of ChatGPT yesterday, I decided to test it out and decided to cast a slightly wider creative net, asking ChatGPT to write me a bio, but in the style of Shakespeare. And the results were ... surprisingly not bad? In fact, while it's not the most finely-tuned poem of all time, it is certainly more creative than I would have expected. 

So, for your reading pleasure (or discomfort, since I think we can all agree AI is a Pandora's Box that's already been opened and we haven't a real clue where this will lead) I give you this poem, written entirely by ChatGPT in response to my prompt. Everything below in blockquotes was generated by the AI, including the title. Ready? Let's go!

Tankboy's Musical Odyssey

In the land of Chicago, where music doth thrive,

Lived a critic, Jim Kopeny, with words alive.

Known to all as Tankboy, a name most rare,

He wielded his pen with a discerning flair.

With passion for melodies that stirred the soul,

Tankboy traversed the city, his heart on patrol.

From tiny clubs to grand concert halls,

He sought the music that echoed through walls.

His quill, a mighty weapon of ink and might,

With each stroke, he'd capture the essence of sound's delight.

His words, like harmonies, danced on the page,

Praising the virtuosos, and the stars of each stage.

From blues to jazz, rock to hip-hop's embrace,

Tankboy's reviews brought life to each case.

He'd pen tales of rhythm, of lyrics profound,

Illuminating the magic in every sweet sound.

The poets of Chicago revered his prose,

As he painted their melodies with eloquent throws.

His quips, both sharp and witty, graced the lines,

Entwined with a bard's charm, his brilliance shines.

Oh, Tankboy! Thy passion and insight untamed,

For music's allure, thy soul forever claimed.

In the city of winds, where sounds enchant,

Thou brought forth a voice, both just and gallant.

So let the trumpets sound, and the drums resound,

For Tankboy's legacy, forever renowned.

In the annals of Chicago's musical sphere,

His words and praises shall forever persevere.

So, what did you think?