I asked ChatGPT to come up with an ending poem for Minecraft. Here's what it wrote:
Farewell, dear player, as you venture forth,
Leaving this world of blocks and pixels behind.
But know that the memories you've made here
Will stay with you, etched in your mind.
For in this game, we built and explored,
Creating our own little universe.
But now it's time to move on,
To face new challenges and opportunities.
As you go, remember the lessons you learned,
The friendships you forged, and the adventures you had.
And know that, though this game may end,
The universe itself is vast and ever-changing.
So go forth, brave player, and make your mark,
For the universe is yours to discover.
Imagine if the poem were written on demand to you specifically and referred to things you had done in the game. I prompted asking for it to "make reference to Tim drowning in a well he had just built and the time he built a house out of diamond bricks":
To Tim, the brave and bold,
Who built a well so deep and cold,
And filled it with water clear and bright,
But then, in an instant, lost his sight.
You drowned in the depths, so deep and dark,
But in your life, you left your mark.
You built a house of diamond bricks,
A shining beacon, a sight to fix.
But now you're gone, your time has passed,
Your legacy will forever last.
Farewell, Tim, may you rest in peace,
Your memory will never cease.
If Minecraft were made today, Markus would probably have used GPT just like this to generate the end text, rather than trying to find a human writer. I think it's important for all of us to ask ourselves if we think this is a good thing or not. I'm not going to give my opinion because I don't feel like starting an argument this morning, but I think this is an objectively interesting ethical question especially given the context we've all just been given by this post.
I do think Julian's poem is way better and, given Notch already had a huge hit on his hands, paying €20k is definitely worth it even if it's just a tiny improvement in the game.
What I think makes ChatGPT interesting is being able to dynamically generate ending poems that are based on the player and what happened in the game. I replied above with one simple example.
