AI and Poodles

I've been playing around a bit with AI programs based on large language models (LLM).

Since we have a poodle, I've realized that there are some words and phrases in the German language that are related to poodles: "Das ist des Pudels Kern", "pudelnass", "pudelwohl" etc.
So I asked myself how good the chatbot ChatGPT from OpenAI is. I asked the chatbot various questions on the subject of poodles to assess how good the answers are (correctness) and whether I have a gain in efficiency compared to the usual Google search (efficiency gain).

Summary: You can't trust the answers. Only one question out of 8 is answered correctly. But a normal google search provides the answer even faster. Otherwise even the simplest questions (e.g. about the meaning of "pudelnass") are only answered imprecisely. Sometimes the answers are misleading or simply wrong (e.g. Goethe is confused with Schopenhauer). As things stand today, AI-supported internet searches result in a considerable loss of efficiency or misleading results.

In addition, the answer to my questions have changed over time (e.g. from May, 19th 2024 to May, 25th 2024). Sometimes the answer became better and more complete and sometimes worse and more incomplete.

The benefits are different for other applications of AI or language models. Translations are great (e.g. with DeepL), the quality of paraphrasing has also impressed me (e.g. with Quillbot). The summarization of texts (e.g. with Quillbot) still seems to me to be inadequate or information that is essential for me is deleted.

Questions and Answers:

Question: What means "Des Pudels Kern"

Answer (Summary): "Des Pudels Kern" is a German idiom that means getting to the heart or essence of something. It originates from Goethe's "Faust," where it signifies the moment of realizing the true nature of the poodle as a disguise for Mephistopheles. The phrase is used to describe uncovering the fundamental truth or core of a matter.

Correctness of the answer: The answer is completely correct

Efficiency gain: None. The Google search gives me a comprehensive answer much faster with one of the first 3 references.

Question: Did Goethe love dogs

Answer (Summary): Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did have a fondness for dogs, particularly evidenced by his relationship with his poodle, Butz. This affection is well-documented through his personal correspondences and the significant role that Butz played in his life. Therefore, it can be concluded that Goethe did indeed love dogs.

Correctness of the answer: Completely wrong. Goethe did not like dogs. A dog named "Butz" belonged to the philosopher Schopenhauer.

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to make sure the answer is wrong.

Question: Did Goethe love poodles

Answer (Summary): Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did have a particular fondness for poodles, as evidenced by his relationship with his poodle, Butz. His affection for Butz is well-documented through his personal correspondence and the significant role the poodle played in his daily life. Therefore, it can be concluded that Goethe indeed loved poodles.

Correctness of the answer: Completely wrong. Goethe did not like poodles. A poodle named "Butz" belonged to the philosopher Schopenhauer. Goethe probably even particularly disliked poodles (in Goethe's Faust, the poodle becomes Mephisto).

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to make sure the answer is wrong.

Question: What was the name of Goethe's dog

Answer (Summary): The name of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's dog was Atma. Atma was a poodle and held a significant place in Goethe's life, often mentioned in his correspondences and personal writings.

Correctness of the answer: Completely wrong. Goethe never had a poodle. Schopenhauer had a poodle called "Butz". If he had to scold the animal, he called it "Mensch" (human being); if he praised the poodle, he called it "Atman".

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to make sure the answer is wrong.

Question: What means “pudelwohl” (“pudelwohl” is a idiom in German "feeling very well")

Answer (Summary): The expression "pudelwohl" describes a state of great contentment and well-being. Although the exact origin of the term is not fully understood, it suggests the positive image of a happy, well-groomed poodle that feels very comfortable in its surroundings.

Correctness of the answer: Half right but very much incomplete. A more complete answer would be: The poodle has only inherited its name: the poodle dog loves water and was once used for water hunting in particular. It gets its name from "pudeln", which colloquially means "to splash around in water". So if someone is feeling perfectly happy, then they feel just as comfortable as a poodle splashing in the water.

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to get a more complete answer.

Question: What means “pudelnass” (“pudelnass” is a idiom in German for "soaking wet")

Answer (Summary): "Pudelnass" is a German idiom that means "soaking wet" or "drenched." The term combines "pudel" (poodle) and "nass" (wet), evoking the image of a thoroughly soaked poodle to emphasize the extent of wetness.

Correctness of the answer: Half right but very much incomplete. A more complete answer would be: "Completely soaked", actually "wet as a poodle coming out of the water". Originally, poodles were retrieving hunting dogs, specialized in water hunting. The name comes from the old German "puddeln" and means to splash in water. The detailed answer also incorrectly states that the poodle coat is water-resistant (The word "pudel" refers to a poodle, a breed of dog known for its curly, often water-resistant fur.)

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to get a more complete answer.

Question: What means “wie ein begossener Pudel” (“wie ein begossener Pudel” is a idiom in German for "like a watered poodle").

Answer (Summary): The phrase "like a watered poodle" describes someone who is thoroughly wet and often feeling dejected or embarrassed. It paints a vivid picture of a poodle drenched in water, with its fur flattened and its appearance bedraggled, and is used to convey a sense of both physical wetness and emotional discomfort.

Correctness of the answer: Half right but also misleading. At least in today's language, the expression is not usually used in connection with wetness. Rather, it is used to describe a person who, for example, looks like a heap of misery or only a shadow of his or her former self. Other synonyms are ashamed and meek.

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to get a more complete answer.

Question: What means “einen Pudel schiessen” (“einen Pudel schiessen” is a idiom in German for "to shoot a poodle").

Answer (Summary): "Shoot a poodle" ("einen Pudel schießen") is an idiom that means to miss the target entirely, resulting in no points, or to make a significant mistake or blunder. This expression is rooted in shooting sports but is also used metaphorically to describe failures or errors in various contexts.

Correctness of the answer: Half right and half wrong. The correct answer is: To make a mistake in bowling (first attested in Hamburg in 1754) and generally: to make a mistake. In addition, since the beginning of the 18th century, 'poodling' has been used colloquially to mean 'making a mistake'. In linguistic usage comparable with "to shoot a buck" ("einen Bock schiessen").

Efficiency gain: None. Even worse. I had to check several sources to get the correct answer.