Introduction: Kai is a character I created with Perplexity.* He’s a college freshman at Oahu’s Leeward Community College taking English 100, a required course, and tells us, in his own words, what he goes through to complete his first paper with the help of ChatGPT. In the process, he learns there’s a way to go about writing a paper, and it works. I created the images with ChatBox. -js
Introduction: I collaborated with ChatGPT for this report on the status of state, community, school, and college libraries. The conversation, below, took us from libraries reinventing themselves to all‑digital public library systems, from ROI to who uses the library, and from digital vs. traditional libraries to liberal vs. conservative opinions on libraries. -js
Laura Hosman, co-founder and co-director of SolarSPELL
Introduction: I broached the topic for this article — the status of state, community, school, and college libraries — in a prompt* presented to a number of chatbots, and most balked and responded with sketchy outlines. The exception was Gemini, who took the time to deep dive into this complex and, arguably, sensitive topic. The report is published in full below with zero editing (except for the size reduction of main heads). The superscript numbers in Gemini’s on-screen report refer to paragraph-end links that didn’t transfer to ETC Journal. Thus, they don’t link to specific references. -js
Kate Zwaard, formerly of the Library of Congress (LC) and now Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
Introduction: I asked Gemini for her opinion on the best free soundtrack creators for non-commercial YouTube videos, and she recommended five. Iʻll be testing them out in the coming weeks and posting updates within this article. If you have any suggestions or comments re these choices, please post them in the comments section attached to this article. Her comments include a very useful explanation of the “free” terms for each choice. -js
Introduction: I collaborated with Gemini on this report. Our search was for a free AI online science lab for secondary students that doesn’t require a physical lab or classroom and can be accessed in a classroom setting or independently outside of school via laptop or desktop over the internet. The LabXchange and PhET Interactive Simulations combo seems to be a good choice. -js
Gemini:LabXchange and PhET Interactive Simulations have joined forces to offer AI-powered hands-on science labs for secondary students. Both platforms, working together, are highly regarded by educators, students, and parents. They are free to use, accessible on laptops and desktops with an internet connection, and provide a way to track student progress over time.
Introduction: For this article, I collaborated with Claude (Sonnet 4). The topic was the probability of humans and dogs someday conversing much as we do with family and friends. My instinct was to request a narrative that might make for a more natural and enjoyable read, and Claude delivered. However, to strengthen the credibility of the narrative, I asked him to append a list of references. He replied that references would require a more academic style. I asked him to proceed and that I would choose one for publication. However, after reading the second version, I couldnʻt decide. They were both effective in their own way. I decided to publish both in this article: the narrative version, first, followed by the academic. Reminder: Claude’s responses come with the usual caveat that applies to all chatbots: Claude can make mistakes, thus, please double-check cited sources. -js
Introduction: I collaborated with Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity on this report. The purpose of government is to make its services more accessible and responsive, and the hope is that AI can help to achieve this purpose. -js
Combined responses from Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity
Why California Leads in State AI Innovation
Gavin Newsom
Comprehensive AI Strategy: California partnered with NVIDIA to launch a first-of-its-kind AI collaboration in August 2024, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and NVIDIA founder & CEO Jensen Huang, aimed at training students, educators and workers; supporting job creation and promoting innovation; and using AI to solve problems. This represents one of the most significant public-private AI partnerships at the state level. California also collaborates with companies like Microsoft and Google to test AI tools for data analysis, fraud detection, and predictive modeling in areas like wildfire response and unemployment insurance.
Introduction: For this article, I collaborated with ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, DeepSeek, and Gemini. Claude captured the purpose of this article: “These chefs and restaurateurs are pioneering AI use in ways that go far beyond typical operational applications like inventory management or order-taking. They’re exploring whether artificial intelligence can truly participate in the creative process of cooking, recipe development, and menu creation—questions that strike at the heart of what it means to be a chef in the modern era.” -js
[ChatGPT] Grant Achatz – Next, Chicago, USA. This is AI used not as a tool but as a creative partner—AI is ideating menus, while Achatz provides the human culinary mastery, blurring the line between technology and culinary artistry in top‑tier cuisine (Junction Consulting). Restaurant: Next (Chicago). Type: Avant‑garde, tasting‑menu fine dining (frequently ranked among world’s best). AI Use: Achatz has created a virtual chef persona—a ChatGPT‑powered fictional chef named “Jill”—as one of several “imaginary chefs” he has trained. Each persona draws inspiration from culinary greats, and Jill generates complete dish ideas that Achatz then prototypes, adapts, and refines in the kitchen (The Economic Times+14Junction Consulting+14The Outpost+14).
Introduction: I collaborated with Gemini for this mid-2025 report on the current impact of AI on video games. And, as usual, Gemini has been thorough and insightful. -js
Geminiʻs report:
AI is not just a recent trend in gaming; it’s a fundamental force that is reshaping every aspect of how games are made, played, and experienced.1 From the simplest enemies to entire procedurally generated worlds, AI is revolutionizing the industry.2 Here’s a breakdown of the major impacts AI is having on the world of digital gaming:
Introduction: Before launching into the AI trajectories of leading video-game companies, it might be helpful to place names and faces on some of the major players. For this, I collaborated with Gemini.
World of Warcraft
Gemini’s response: The video game industry, particularly at the executive level, is dominated by a few key individuals whose decisions have a massive impact on the entire market. These are the “shakers and movers” who control the direction of platforms, shape content strategies, and drive multi-billion dollar acquisitions.
Introduction: The GOAT University of Hawaiʻi football team, according to a consensus of seven chatbots I queried this afternoon, is the 2007 Rainbow Warriors. The chatbots were: Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Claude, and You.com.
Prompt: Identify the GOAT University of Hawaiʻi football team based on the context of its era.
Consensus: The 2007 Rainbow Warriors:
1. Record: 12–0 regular season, 12–1 overall, the only undefeated regular season in school history at FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) level. Hawaiʻi was the only undefeated team in the regular season besides Ohio State.
Introduction: As smartphone cameras disrupt the landscape of interchangeable-lens cameras from companies like Sony, Nikon, and Fujifilm, a niche of enthusiasts and pros remains loyal to the bulkier, heavier, older, and pricier standbys. Curious about how AI might impact the future designs from these companies, I chatted with ChatGPT and was amazed and impressed. -js
JS: Hi, ChatGPT. One of my hobbies is photography, and I’m curious about how AI is and will be impacting enthusiast and pro cameras in Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, and Canon lines in the next five years. Am I correct in thinking that AI will radically alter the human-camera interaction via natural language conversations that will allow the shooter to control settings by chatting about desired features in the outputs (photos/videos)? They’ll also be able to edit outputs in-camera and transmit them to other devices — all via chat. AI will also store and make available details about each photo, including settings, location, and time/date. Finally, can I assume that cameras and lenses will be far more pocketable (smaller, lighter) as a result of AI-driven advances in materials, components, and manufacturing?
Introduction: My grandson, who will be a high school senior in the fall, wants to be a commercial airline pilot, and heʻs begun the journey by exploring membership in the local Civil Air Patrol. The following is a career pathway suggested by Gemini. The specifics are geared to the island of Oahu, but the general path may be applicable to others in different parts of the country and the world. -js
Prompt: My grandson, who will be a senior in high school in the fall, has developed an interest in flying. Can you suggest a path of schooling and training on Oahu that will eventually lead to a license for piloting commercial passenger aircraft? A path that takes advantage of excellent but not-too-expensive opportunities in Hawaiʻi would be ideal.
Introduction: I got together with Claude this afternoon to deconstruct the rise of AI weapons in the Russia-Ukraine war. As usual, we ended up constructing a free-form projection of how it might play out. In the process, we probably ended up saying more about the power of human-AI interactions than the future of warfare. We had fun. -js
JS: Hi, Claude. Based on the latest information that’s available on mainstream media re the Russia-Ukraine war, let’s discuss the AI strategies that we can can logically assume are currently being employed by the forces on both sides. What are some of the more innovative applications and what makes them notable?
Introduction: I collaborated with Gemini in this conversation on a chatbot’s role as an alpha-portal for countless other “media portals” such as teachers, books, and videos. This led to exchanges on the importance of increasingly sophisticated prompt engineering to maximize the value of chatbots. -js
JS: Currently, “media” portals (in the form of instructors, books, journals, recordings, etc.) free us from the time-consuming task of locating, gathering, and interfacing with sources, but we still need to actually interact with them, i.e., engage in the tedium of reading, viewing, listening to, and processing the information. Am I correct thus far? If yes, then my next question is: AI, in the form of chatbots, seems to free us from the laborious direct interaction with actual sources (such as books and journals) by providing an intelligent bot that’s able to instantly gather the information according to our intended needs and summarize it for quick and easy consumption. In a sense, chatbots seem to have become a kind of universal alpha-portal (a-portal) for all portals that can almost instantly scour all the relevant portals and aggregate information to construct a concise summary. Your thoughts on this view?
Introduction: I collaborated with ChatGPT on this report. This is a follow-up to “A Review of Ouyang et al.’s 2022 Paper aka ‘InstructGPT’” (ETC, 29 July 2025). “OpenAI (2023)” clarifies the connection between InstructGPT and ChatGPT. -js
JS: Please locate and review “OpenAI (2023),” OpenAI’s “GPT-4 Technical Report” (04 March 2024) at (https://arxiv.org/html/2303.08774v6) and generate a 1000-word essay that clarifies the authors’ thesis and main supporting points. In short, what are they trying to say and how do they develop their points? Use a conversational tone that’s natural, and please provide brief definitions for abbreviated and jargon words. Append an annotated list of references, in APA style, that have informed your response.
Introduction: I collaborated with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, Pi, and You.com for this report. This is a follow-up to “Must-Read Publications That Are Guiding Chatbot Development?” (ETC, 20 July 2025). Of the 12 works selected, I felt that the InstructGPT paper (“Training Language Models to Follow Instructions With Human Feedback,” Ouyang et al., 2022) brings the reader up to speed in the least amount of time. The first review below, by ChatGPT, clearly and succinctly summarizes Ouyang et al.’s paper. For a slightly different angle, read the second review, by Gemini. For readers seeking a non-technical or summary-level understanding of how ChatGPT emerged from InstructGPT, I’ll be posting a follow-upreview of OpenAI (2023), “Aligning Language Models to Follow Instructions” (4 March 2024). -js
Introduction: I had this conversation with Copilot a few minutes ago, curious about the possible connections between MOOCs and AI/chatbots. In education, it seems older theories don’t really vanish. Instead, they often reappear in fresh new clothes to define the latest fashions. So, how does AI meld with MOOCs to create the next step in ed tech? -js
JS: Good morning, Copilot. Please provide a succinct history of MOOCs, including key figures in their development, foundational theories, and a status timeline.
Introduction: I had another wide-ranging discussion with Gemini this morning, which began with a question on NATO’s reluctance to provide the degree of assistance Ukraine needs to oust Russia from the territories they’re occupying and branched into a number of probabilities: An independent Crimea? Ukraine emerging from this war as a powerful military presence in Europe? Peace leaving Ukraine between a rock and a hard place? And Ukraine becoming the Israel of Eastern Europe? -js
JS: Good morning, Gemini. NATO’s paralyzing reluctance to provide the kind of aid that Ukraine needs to oust Russia from its occupied territories seems to be based in its fear of Putin’s threat to escalate with nuclear weapons or attack the countries providing aid and, thus, force all NATO members to enter the conflict. Is this an accurate claim? If not, please enlighten me. If it’s accurate, share your researched opinion on the likelihood that Putin will follow through with his threat if NATO countries provide all the firepower Ukraine needs to turn the tide of the war and win back its territories. On another note, would Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue if Putin were removed from his position? Or would the invasion collapse and all lands taken from Ukraine, including Crimea, be returned?
Introduction: On this quiet Sunday afternoon in humid Honolulu, I had another wide-ranging conversation with Gemini. I began as usual with a thought, this time about Moore’s Law and the progress of chip technology, and the conversation gradually flowed into other streams while maintaining the same general course. Come along for the ride. I had fun, and you might, too. -js
JS: Does Moore’s Law re the doubling of the number of components on a single silicon chip every two years account for the exponential growth of the speed of change? And does this growth impact its two-year time frame and doubling rate? Is Moore’s Law still viable today?
Introduction: In this article, I asked ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot to predict the outcome of the Inoue-Akhmadaliev fight on 14 Sep. 2025 and the Inoue-Nakatani fight tentatively scheduled for May 2026. Naoya Inoue is currently the undisputed super bantamweight champion and #2 in the pound-for-pound rankings. His record is 30 wins, 0 losses and draws, and 27 KOs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev is the WBA interim super bantamweight champion with a record of 14 wins, 1 loss, 0 draws, and 11 KOs. (Note that Akhmadaliev lost a split-decision, for the only loss in his career, to Marlon Tapales. Inoue subsequently KOʻd Tapales, who had been the WBA and IBF super bantamweight champion, to become undisputed. Junto Nakatani is the WBC, IBF, and Ring Magazine bantamweight champion with a record of 31 wins, 0 losses and draws, and 24 KOs. See the prompt at the end of this article. -js
ChatGPTʻs prediction
Here’s my in‑depth forecast for Inoue vs. Akhmadaliev (Sep 2025) and Inoue vs. Nakatani (May 2026)—based on records, styles, coaching camps, and analysis from respected observers.
Introduction:Claude and I collaborated on this short story. See the prompt at the end. -js
The Writing Path
Min-jun stared at the bus schedule on his phone, calculating arrival times for the third time that morning. The September heat still clung to Chicago’s suburbs, but inside his chest, everything felt cold. Today was the first day of English 100, and despite acing calculus and physics placement exams, this single three-credit course terrified him more than organic chemistry ever could.
The number 42 bus wheezed to a stop, and Min-jun climbed aboard with his overstuffed backpack. As suburban strip malls gave way to the sprawling campus of University of Illinois Chicago, he practiced introducing himself under his breath. “Hi, I’m Min-jun. I’m an engineering major.” Simple words, but they still felt clumsy on his tongue after all these years.
Introduction: I interviewed Gemini for this article. -js
JS: Hi, Gemini. A natural fit for AI and chatbots seems to be athletics, and I can’t help but think that athletes, coaches, and front offices alike are using them extensively to crunch the massive amounts of data that define and guide performance in nearly every aspect of a sport, especially in elite pro and college leagues. And what’s good for the top usually filters downward and begins to define success at lower levels such as high school. And where there’s fierce competition, betting is sure to follow, so I’m guessing that AI/chatbots are being used extensively by oddsmakers, bookies, and gamblers too. Am I correct on this? Using the latest 2025 data, gauge the growth of AI in these sectors and provide annotated references for your responses.
Introduction: The original title of this article was “A Chat About Metaphors for Chatbots.” We say thinking in similes, metaphors, and analogies is poetic, and it is, but it is also our natural way to “make sense” (hmm) of the world around us. We categorize things we encounter by gauging their similarity to other things, but we find that the less obvious the outer similarities, the greater the insights we gain. As I become familiar with chatbots, I’ve been searching for comparisons that resonate for me. I turned to ChatGPT for ideas. -js
Introduction: I had a wide-ranging chat with Perplexity today (25 July 2025) that revolved around U.S. STEM leadership in academia and industry with a powerful undercurrent of conservative US immigration policy trends and the probability of their continued expansion in the post-Trump era. Here’s the conversation in an interview format.
JS: I notice that many (most?) of the top AI executives seem to be from outside the US even when they’re associated with companies in the US. Is this true? Please explain why or why not, and share your thoughts re how this trend might play out in the coming years.
Educational Technology and Change Journal 
