Country Living with Francis Farragher

A FEW weeks back, I came across a query from a couple of lads of my own generation [not young] about the origins of a poem that had been penned about them.

Initially, I might have been a ‘suspect’ in the case, given my occasional foray into the world of verse, but this was quite a lengthy piece of work.

Some of it was quite funny, I have to admit, but other parts had a slightly nastier side to it, and for a few moments I wondered who would have the time to put this ballad together.

Of course, I should immediately have scented a rat, but on second reading of the ‘work’, it was obvious that some of the lines that should have rhymed when read, actually didn’t, while a few of the phrases were definitely not from a local dialect.

Now, at this hour of my days, I certainly am no high-tech whizz kid with just a basic knowledge of the workings of the iPhone and the laptop, but the penny dropped that something else was at work here.

The ‘crime’ in the end wasn’t really that hard to solve, with the verses being spewed out by that faceless monster of sorts, AI or artificial intelligence.

A few days later while having a couple of pints and watching a bit of GAA in one of the locals with some younger acquaintances, I recalled this tale and was mildly chided for my naivety. “Just click into ChatGPT,” one of them quickly responded, “and it’ll write anything you want in a few minutes.”

For a moment or two, I thought of some of my younger working colleagues, and what the future will hold in terms of the written word and the human brain that makes sensible judgement calls on presentation, content and reliability.

Before I had taken two more sups from my pint, one of my friends showed me his phone, and hey presto, there was a six-verse poem or ballad of sorts about my life and times.

After ChatGPT had penned the verses, it then gave him the option of: “Would you like a spicier version?” to which I replied to my colleagues: “Maybe, let’s concentrate on the match,” but it was just a harmless, if insightful, little grind on where things are going with technology in 2025.

The poem was just a harmless piece of non-malicious artificial composition but if there was a more malign motive to the creators of the verse, some truly nasty and hurtful wordage could have been used.

Given that such a composition could then be circulated through social media to thousands of people in a matter of minutes [seconds perhaps], it kind of makes an ‘ould sod’ like myself worry about where all this AI and technology is going.