Can ChatGPT rate restaurants? Our food critic tests it. Chicago Grandstand

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Before becoming a food critic for the Chicago Tribune, I spent 15 years writing, cooking, and most importantly, eating as much as possible. To review a restaurant these days, I visit multiple times, read every book that might be helpful, and spend hours writing a review that is both helpful and hopefully engaging to read.

But what if I could insert a few sentences into a chatbot that would spit reviews at me in seconds?

When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November, it almost immediately led to discussions that were almost unthinkable just a few years ago. Is it a new tool to help cheat on homework, a product that will spark a dystopian future of mass unemployment, or nothing more than an entertaining toy?

Wondering if I needed a quick career change, I decided to see how ChatGPT would do as the Chicago Tribune’s food critic for the afternoon.

Artificial intelligence is not a new concept, but over the past year concerns have arisen about whether it is ethical for robots such as Lensa AI and Midjourney to use works by artists. copyrighted to generate imitations and charge users for stolen art. There are also concerns about the accuracy of generative AI insights, which cannot always distinguish between fact and fiction./

While I’m certainly not a programmer who can really explain why ChatGPT stands out from its predecessors, here’s what I was able to figure out: GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, and Generative Reinforcement Learning stands for AI is supposed to get better. the accuracy of his answers when talking to humans.

A ChatGPT prompt is displayed on a device near a public school in Brooklyn, New York on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. New York school officials began blocking the handwriting tool this week impressive but controversial that can generate paragraphs of human-like text. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (Peter Morgan/AP)

Although I may not understand it, ChatGPT is a piece of cake to use. Just type in a question and it will spit out an answer. All you have to do is log in and hope the system isn’t too busy. (Given the attention the program has garnered, that’s hugely low.)

So how did it go ? To state the obvious, no artificial intelligence can eat out, a fact ChatGPT is honest about. When I asked if this had ever been to Alinea, a restaurant that I knew had written a lot about it online, ChatGPT replied: As an AI I don’t have a physical presence and so I didn’t go to any physical place, including Alinea.

But he went on to give some general facts about the restaurant, including that it was a three-star Michelin restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, and is known for its forward-thinking approach to cooking. modernist, which uses techniques such as molecular gastronomy and multi-service, tasting menu format.

But when I asked him to write a restaurant review on Alinea, he didn’t hesitate:

Alinea is a truly unique dining experience. The food is meticulously prepared and visually stunning, with an emphasis on creativity and innovation. The flavors are bold and complex, and the dishes are expertly paired with a wide selection of wines. The service is impeccable, with attentive and competent staff who will be happy to explain the dishes and the techniques used to prepare them. The atmosphere is elegant and intimate, making it the perfect place for a special occasion. All in all, Alinea is a must visit for anyone interested in cutting edge dining experiences.

While basically consistent and not too far removed from some Yelp reviews, you may have noticed an almost complete lack of detail. Substitute the restaurant name and the notice could apply to any number of fine dining restaurants in Chicago.

ChatGPT can get more accurate, but I found it also gets less accurate. When I asked him to write a detailed review of Alinea’s restaurant, mentioning each dish, he started spitting out names of dishes that I don’t think have ever appeared on the restaurants menu. ChatGPT also only pulls information from a text dataset up to 2021, so at this time it won’t help any new restaurants.

Where things get much nicer is when you ask the program to write a restaurant review in the style of a famous author. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if William Shakespeare wrote a review of Alinea?

Ah, sweet Alinea, may your flavors please

Your dishes, a symphony of taste and ease

From starters to desserts, all prepared with art

Each bite, a feast for the eyes and the palate

But alas, dear Alinea, your prices are skyrocketing

For a privileged few, your doors open

But for those who can afford it, your party rewards

For memories and tastes that will never be forgotten.

It drove me down a rabbit hole asking ChatGPT to write reviews of Alinea like other famous authors including Jane Austen and Dante Alighieri. My favorite was this negative criticism in the style of Friedrich Nietzsche:

It is with great disappointment and disgust that I write this review of the so called fine dining establishment known as Alinea. The pretentiousness and self-glorification of this restaurant speaks to the decline of modern society and the celebration of mediocrity.

While I’m having fun, I feel like my job as a reviewer is safe for now.

But where ChatGPT could really shake up the world of food writing is with curating lists of places to eat, a topic brought up recently by Michael Gebert on Fooditor. Other publications have already tried it, including the Houston Chronicle.

When I asked ChatGPT where to find the best hot dog in Chicago, it threw up a solid list including Portillos, Superdawg Drive-In, The Wieners Circle, and Gene & Judes. But it certainly wasn’t perfect, given that it included Hot Dougs, even though it was noted in the article that the restaurant was now closed. It seems likely that ChatGPT will only sort the internet better to give recommendations.

This leads to all sorts of ethical questions, like where ChatGPT gets its information from and whether OpenAI should pay for it. And what if restaurants are able to pay the program to recommend them more?

All I know is that this probably won’t be the last we hear about artificial intelligence in the food world.

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