Here are two odes to the heart written by that rapidly emerging poet (and soon to be anointed Poet Laureate of the World), Artificial Intelligence, or, as it prefers to be known by its common designation, AI. Each ode, AI might tell you modestly, was composed in a flash and printed out completely within a few seconds. As I posted here earlier, AI is mind-bending and thoroughly amazing, but at times astonishingly wrong (see here).

How did AI come to write the odes? I simply asked it by using ChatGPT on OpenAI.com (see here). Here is the exact prompt I gave ChatGPT to tell it what I wanted it to do:

Please write an ode to the heart, using rhyming poetry and praising this amazing organ for whatever factors you choose, but being sure to include its reliability, its muscular strength, it’s steadfast and rhythmic beating throughout an entire lifetime, and even include how it also functions as an endocrine gland. Please deal with these factors in whatever sequence you think is best. Perhaps you could end the poem with a stanza focusing on the heart’s popular association with love, composing that with a manner to make the reader smile.

And voila! An entire Ode to the Heart appeared on the monitor of my PC in an instant. I’ve pasted it below and added #1 to the title, because I greedily asked AI for a second ode. Please check out ode #1, and then I’ll comment on it.

 

Ode to the Heart #1

Oh, heart! O wondrous, beating core,
Reliable guardian at life’s door.
With strength of muscle pure and true,
Your rhythmic dance, a lifetime through.

From birth to dusk, you tirelessly beat,
A metronome of life’s vibrant feat.
Unyielding drum, a steadfast tune,
In sync with cycles, sun and moon.

A marvel that withstands the years,
Through joys and sorrows, hopes and fears,
Your faithful throb, an endless song,
A melody that keeps us strong.

Not just a pump, but more, you see,
An endocrine gland, or heart, you be!
You weave emotions into life’s art,
Releasing love, joy’s counterpart.

As hormones surge, enchanting dance,
In symphony, we find romance.
Your ventricles and chambers kind,
Unite two souls, true love to bind.

But let’s not forget, in every jest,
To treasure you, dear heart, with zest.
For though in love’s embrace you play,
You’re more than just emotions’ display.

Through valleys low and mountains tall,
You’re the anchor that keeps us all.
Reliable heart, so strong and true,
This ode to you, forever due.

And in this ode, we find our grace,
In beating hearts, we all embrace.
So let this twist bring forth a smile,
For hearts in live, go the extra mile.

Beyond romance and tender woo,
Our hearts unite, old and new.
From friendship’s bond to kinship’s art,
Love’s not just for a single heart.

For every heartbeat plays its part,
Together, love, we will impart.
In unison, let’s joyous be,
One heart, one love, eternally.

What do you think? For a poem written as fast as greased lightening, I think it’s not bad. Why did I ask ChatGPT to focus on the heart? Well, back in my working days I spent significant time investigating the heart, how its rate and strength of contraction are controlled, and, when Canadian scientists discovered somewhat surprisingly that the heart is also an endocrine organ, I studied what its hormone actually does. Despite what AI implies, when the heart’s hormone surges, it has nothing to do with romance. This hormone’s role is in regulating the circulatory system, not our reproductive system. That shouldn’t be a surprise.

So Ode #1 demonstrates one of AI’s glaring weaknesses. Although AI is unbelievably fast, and amazing in so many ways, it also can make colossal mistakes. Facts are not always one of its strong points. Still, if I were a poet, I think my knees would be shaking. Writers in general probably should be worried. I’m told that a novel written totally by AI was published recently.

As mentioned above, I went to the ChatGPT well again for a second dip, and just as fast came another Ode to the Heart. What do you think of this one? Again AI seems to “think,” if that’s the right word, that the heart’s hormone has a role in passion.

 

Ode to the Heart #2

Oh, wondrous heart, a marvel strong and true,
A rhythmic symphony, your beats construe,
Reliable and steadfast through the years,
A tireless guardian, allaying fears.

Within your chambers, muscular might,
You pump the crimson flow both day and night,
With every thump, a life’s journey sustains,
Enduring, unyielding, your love remains.

A marvel of design, with love entwined,
From birth to twilight years, a friend so kind,
In every pulse, a tale of life’s embrace,
A steady metronome, never to erase.

Oh, heart, you’re not just known for strength and grace,
A dual role you play, a hidden space,
An endocrine gland, you secret hormones share,
Emotions stirred, affection’s tender flare.

Through joy and sorrow, love’s enduring art,
You beat in time with every longing heart,
And when we find a love to call our own,
You flutter, dance, a rhythm all your own.

So, here’s to you, dear heart, for all you do,
For love, for strength, for life’s journey so true,
With every thump, you make us smile anew,
A symbol of love’s beat, forever and for you.

 

There you have it, a second ode to the heart, courtesy of AI. Does this one strike you as better than the first one above, or not? And now a more important question, I think. Can you imagine any danger that Artificial Intelligence might pose? Is it possible that this uncanny, and rapidly improving technique could be a danger? Is it possible that humans may lose their position on top of the food chain?