Post Category → not-labs

Is ChatGPT Really Artificial Intelligence?

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with some of these Large Language Model (LLM) artificial intelligence services, particularly Monkey. Several readers have taken issue with my categorization of ChatGPT Monkey as “artificial intelligence”. The reason, they argue, is that ChatGPT really is not an artificial intelligence system. It is a linguistic model looking at a massive amount of data and smashing words together without any understanding of what they actually mean. Technologically, it has more in common with the grammar checker in Microsoft Word than HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

You can ask ChatGPT for the difference between apples and bananas, and it will give you a credible response, but under the covers, it has no idea what an apple or a banana actually is.

One reader wrote in to explain that her mother’s medical professional actually had the nerve to ask ChatGPT about medical dosages. ChatGPT’s understanding of what medicine does is about the same as its understanding of what a banana is: zilch.

While some may argue that ChatGPT is a form of artificial intelligence, I have to agree that there is a more compelling argument that it is not. Moreover, calling it artificial intelligence gives us barely evolved monkeys the impression that it actually is some sort of artificial intelligence that understands and can recommend medical dosages. That is bad.

So going forward, I will be referring to things like ChatGPT as an LLM, and not artificial intelligence. I would argue that you do the same. 

(I want to give particular thanks to reader Lisa, who first made the case to me on this point.)

Mac Power Users 694: Workflows with Chance Miller

Chance Miller is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac. On this episode of Mac Power Users, he joins Stephen and me to discuss his work covering Apple and what the group wants to see at WWDC23.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
  • TextExpander: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander.
  • Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Photomator for Mac

Last week Pixelmator released Photomator for the Mac. Photomator is the application which finds that Goldilocks position between Apple Photos and Pixelmator Pro. If you’re looking to make your photos look better, but you don’t want to get in the weeds, this is the application for you. 

I’ve always been impressed with the way Pixelmator incorporates artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge Apple technologies into their products. Photomator gives you the benefit of those technologies without the learning curve. Color adjustments. Batch editing features. Magical Repair and Clone tools. Even better, with iCloud support, whether you’re using Photomator on Mac, iPhone, or iPad, your edits will always stay in sync. 

Watch below to see just how fast and simple Photomator is. 

Fix Your Photos with PowerPhotos 2.0 (Sponsor)

It’s a new year gang, and I’m guessing over the holidays you took a few pictures. How’s your Photos library doing? If it’s anything like mine, it’s a mess right now. 

Did you know there is an app to help you out with that? PowerPhotos is here to the rescue.

PowerPhotos works with the built-in Photos app on your Mac, providing an array of tools to help you get your photo collection in order. Find and eliminate duplicate photos, split up your library into smaller ones, merge libraries together, open libraries in separate windows, export photos/albums, and more. 

If you’ve got old iPhoto and Aperture libraries, PowerPhotos will convert those for you. There are a ton of features in version 2:

– Convert your old iPhoto or Aperture library to an equivalent Photos library
– Advanced export of photos/albums
– Full support for iCloud Photos
– New visual duplicate detection engineLibrary groups
– Global menu bar item
– Multiple windows 

PowerPhotos adds all the features to Photos that Apple never will. You can download PowerPhotos for free to check it out, and purchasing a license will unlock all the features of the program. MacSparky readers can get a 20% discount with the coupon code MACSPARKY23, and existing iPhoto Library Manager and PowerPhotos 1.0 users can also use their old serial number to receive upgrade pricing, 50% of the normal price.

So make the Photos app work harder for you with PowerPhotos 2.0. You can get it today.

Focused 178: Mike’s Big Adventure

Mike is finally a free agent. In this episode of Focused, he talks through the process and shares some tips for those considering making revolutionary change.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
  • Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
  • Nom Nom: Healthy, fresh food for dogs formulated by top board-certified veterinary nutritionists. Prepped in our kitchens with free delivery to your door. Get 50% off.

Mac Power Users 693: Workflows with Mark Bramhill

Mark Bramhill’s name will be familiar to many, as he produced Welcome to Macintosh. On this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, Bramhill chats Stephen and me about his podcasting career, using a Mac mini as a home server, the power of Descript, and what it was like to create an emoji.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
  • CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.
  • Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
  • Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.

Automators 128: Airtable Automation

Some of our favorite apps are upping their automation game. Join Rosemary and me on this episode of Automators as we talk about updates to Airtable, Drafts, and iOS.

This episode of Automators is sponsored by:

  • ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
  • Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
  • Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door. Get 50% off your first box.

Jazz Friday: Bill Evans Treasures

Bill Evans is one of the best pianists ever to play jazz. He was the moving force behind Miles Davis’ outstanding Kind of Blue album. I once heard that Miles would sometimes call Bill and ask him to lay the telephone receiver on the piano and just play.

Bill was famous in his day and, as a result, got plenty of gigs. As a result, we’ve been getting plenty of previously-unreleased Bill Evans recordings, but a recent one, Bill Evans Treasures, is fantastic. It’s a series of recordings made in Denmark over four years (1965–1969).

There is a bunch of trio work and some features he did with the Royal Danish Symphony Orchestra and the Danish Radio Big Band. It is those recordings that I can’t stop listening to. Arranged by Palle Mikkelborg, the orchestrations are a fascinating showcase for Bill’s piano. You also can’t help but note how his playing changes with the bigger ensembles. It makes me wish more of the greats of that era had the opportunity to play in bigger groups like this and how they would have sounded. This album is a new favorite for me and can be a great start or addition to your Bill Evans collection.

DEVONthink Your Documents and Files (Sponsor)

There are a lot of great apps in the Apple ecosystem, but when it comes to doing research, the clear leader is this week’s sponsor, DEVONthink. DEVONthink is the most professional document and information management application for the Mac. It’s the one place for storing all your documents, snippets, or bookmarks, and working with them.

The Integrated A.I. assists you with filing and searching. The search is extensive, with advanced Boolean operators.

DEVONthink features a Flexible sync system that supports many cloud services — or lets you synchronize over the local network too — with everything securely encrypted. This gives you the choice for however syncing works best for you!

It has Smart rules and flexible reminders that let you automate all parts of your workflow and delegate boring, repeating tasks. Let DEVONthink automatically organize your data with rules you define!

DEVONthink’s AppleScript dictionary is one of the largest on the Mac. There’s no part of DEVONthink that can’t be automated. Extend DEVONthink’s functionality with your own commands by adding them to its Scripts menu.

Even templates can have scripts inside and you can set up new documents with data from placeholders, or inserted by your own AppleScript code.

And, of course, there’s so much more, from an iOS companion app, email archiving, scanning, or even an embedded web server for sharing your data securely with your team.

I often get email from folks who are using apps like Obsidian or Craft and trying to figure out document management in those apps. My answer, if you love those apps, is to keep using them, but put all files and documents into DEVONthink. While these emerging PKM apps are pretty great, they can’t hold a candle to DEVONthink when it comes to working with actual files.

On top of all of that, the DEVONthink team just keeps iterating. The most recent version (3.9) give you the ability to embed deep links into text and PDF annotations.

I find DEVONthink’s combination of innovative features and automation support irresistible. Interested? The code MACSPARKY2023 gets you 20% off any version of DEVONthink (Standard, Pro, or even Server). You can also click this link.