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AI Gets Stupid

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I was doing some research on a film, so I decided to ask Google if there were any movie sequels to City Across the River (1949). At the top of every Google response is what is called the “AI Overview.” What I got in this overview made me guffaw:

There are no direct movie sequels to the 1949 film City Across the River, but other films with similar themes, like the 1956 film Don’t Knock the Rock [Not similar at all], shared some elements or settings with the movie. There is also a more recent film, Across the River and Into the Trees (2022), which may be what you are looking for [It isn’t], although it is not a sequel.

Here are some other movies with “River” in their titles that might be relevant:

Across the River and Into the Trees (2022): a more recent film that might be the one you are thinking of. [No!]
Take Me to the River: New Orleans: The second film in the award-winning series “Take Me to the River” which celebrates the musical history of New Orleans and Louisiana. [NO!!!!!]
The River (1984): A film starring Mel Gibson about a farming couple in the face of economic hardship. [No No No]
Deliverance (1972): A film starring Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds about a canoe trip that goes horribly wrong. [Correct me if I’m wrong, but is “River” in the title?]
The River Wild (1994): A film starring Meryl Streep as a woman whose family is taken hostage during a river rafting trip. [Nope]

All of the titles suggested by Google’s AI are totally off the mark. City Across the River is about a teenage gang in 1940s Brooklyn. The word “River” is in the title, but has no bearing on the film’s story.

As it happens, there was—sort of—a sequel to the film. It was called Cry Tough (1950), though it changed the locale and virtually everything else that was in Irving Shulman’s sequel. Instead of Jewish Brooklyn, the story is set in Spanish Harlem with a Puerto Rican gang.

Now if I had believed Google’s bumbling AI overview, I would have been laughed at. And I would have richly deserved it.

An Experiment in AI

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El Castillo at Chichén Itza Being Struck by Lightning

Except for this first paragraph and the photo caption above, this post was created by ChatGTP. I wanted to see what the program could do with a topic I proposed (“Discuss the many dialects of the Maya language”) accompanied by a picture of a Maya pyramid being struck by lightning. Let’s take the picture first: ChatGTP seems to think that the Castillo at Chichén Itza is the only Maya pyramid. Personally, I would have chosen the Temple of the Dwarf at Uxmal. In the AI discussion of Maya dialects below, ChatGPT starts with the patently false statement that Maya is also known as Yucatec Maya. Not so, Yucatec Maya is the most populous dialect of Maya, but the statement confuses a part with the whole. The rest is not objectionable, except that ChatGPT does not attempt to quantify the number of speakers of each dialect.

The Maya language, often referred to as Yucatec Maya, is a language spoken by the indigenous Maya people in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. While Yucatec Maya is the most widely spoken and recognized dialect, there are actually many dialects within the Maya language family. These dialects exhibit variations in vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and even some differences in syntax.

Here are some notable dialects of the Maya language:

  • Yucatec Maya: This is the most prominent dialect and is primarily spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, including the states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. Yucatec Maya has the largest number of speakers among the Maya languages.
  • K’iche’ Maya: K’iche’ is one of the largest Maya language groups, spoken mainly in Guatemala. It has several regional variations, and the dialect spoken in the city of Quetzaltenango (Xela) is considered the standard. K’iche’ Maya gained recognition for being the language of the Popol Vuh, a sacred book of the Maya.
  • Tzotzil Maya: Tzotzil is spoken in the Chiapas region of Mexico, primarily in the highlands. It is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in Mexico, and it has a significant number of speakers.
  • Tzeltal Maya: Another major Maya language of the Chiapas region in Mexico is Tzeltal. It is closely related to Tzotzil and shares some similarities. Tzeltal is spoken by a sizable population and has various dialectal variations.
  • Mam Maya: Mam is spoken in Guatemala and parts of Mexico. It is known for having a considerable number of speakers and is recognized as one of the major Maya languages.
  • Q’anjob’al Maya: Q’anjob’al is spoken in Guatemala, mainly in the western highlands. It has a significant number of speakers and is recognized as an official language in Guatemala.
  • Ch’ol Maya: Ch’ol is spoken in the state of Chiapas in Mexico. It has a substantial number of speakers and is considered a separate branch of the Maya language family.
  • Itzá Maya: Itzá is spoken by the Itza people in the Petén region of Guatemala. Itzá is considered a distinct dialect within the Yucatec Maya branch.

These are just a few examples of the diverse Maya language family, and there are many more dialects and variations within each branch. Each dialect has its own unique characteristics, influenced by regional differences and historical factors. The preservation and revitalization of these dialects are crucial for maintaining the rich cultural heritage and identity of the Maya people.