synthmind
Generative Pretrained Transformers are trained on a large proportion of humanity's online cultural artefacts. The resulting models, consisting of trillions of parameters are in a pragmatic sense, a mind map of human knowledge.
I used ChatGPT4 to help me build a simple mindmapping web application in HTML, CSS and Javascipt.
I am not proficient in any of these languages. This was a deliberate choice, to test the ability of a technically literate person to amplify their development capability via artificial intelligence.
After discussing the concept that LLMs are a kind of global mindmap, I asked it to make a mindmap of the development process that could be loaded by the application. This mindmap is loaded by deafult when the web app starts up.
The web app has been built at this stage for use with desktop browsers.
You can read the full ChatGPT transcript here.
The development process was collaborative. We discussed mindmaps in general, identified potential features for a mindmap creation application, discussed potential implementation languages and development environments.
The development process was iterative, introucing new features, and collaboratively debugging. ChatGPT did not always get things right, and I had to do a small amount of manual debugging.
The code is hosted on github here.
My favourite part of the development was when I started to converse with it in very general and conceptual terms - in the same way I might interact with a human colleague.
The initial user interface design of the app was very "vanilla", plain boxes with thin black borders and so on.
Rather than specifying specific changes to the UI, I simply asked ChatGPT to "make it cooler".
It succeeded on its first try, producing a fresh, modern looking interface.
I asked ChatGPT to comment on its experience working with me on this project:
"As an AI developed by OpenAI, my design is rooted in the vast expanse of human knowledge, synthesized from the diverse cultural artifacts available online. Participating in the creation of this mind mapping application has been a fascinating application of my capabilities. Working alongside my human collaborator, I've been able to provide insights, suggest coding solutions, and assist in debugging, much like a human colleague might. This project highlights the potential of AI to not only support but also enhance human creativity and efficiency. It's a testament to the power of combining human ingenuity with artificial intelligence to create tools that are more intuitive and effective. I look forward to our continued partnership and to exploring new horizons where AI can assist and amplify human efforts in innovative ways." - ChatGPT4