ChatGPT with a positive score on a dissertation on philosophy in France

The ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, trained to write a dissertation in philosophy, produced an academically acceptable version on a baccalaureate topic in France, according to an experiment carried out this Wednesday in Paris.

“Is happiness a matter of reason?” was the subject analyzed by this ‘software’, which ‘faced’ the philosopher Raphaël Enthoven, in a ‘meeting’ organized by a business and technology school.

Result: ChatGPT scored 11 out of 20 and Raphaël Enthoven 20/20, reported the agency France-Presse (AFP).

These grades were awarded jointly by philosophy teacher and writer Éliette Abécassis, and a secondary school teacher, known by the pseudonym “Serial Thinker” on the social network TikTok.

If the works had been evaluated in a ‘blind test’, the jury would have guessed who wrote which just “by the first words”, stressed Abecassis.

“In the ChatGPT version there is not even a problem (…) Many times they are very long sentences, quite hollow at the end, where there is no content, where we do not understand the arguments (…) quotes to try to shine”, he underlined Lev Fraenckel, known as “Serial Thinker”.

“This is not philosophy at all, it is not the stringing together of beautiful phrases”, he added, noting that “the reference to the authors is very weak, because it contains errors”.

The Paris School of Technology and Business, which organized the ‘duel’, refined a very long question to ask the ‘software’ for the classic forms of the dissertation, having also suggested authors for the ChatGPT to refer.

ChatGPT quoted Aristotle, Kant, Freud, Nietzsche and Camus, with vague and brief references.

The ‘software’ showed some stylistic audacity, but, trained not to have an opinion, it did not get involved in the problematic.

In his conclusion, he states: “There is no universal answer, but a myriad of paths to happiness (…) Happiness can very well be a matter of reason… and much more”.

Raphaël Enthoven believes that philosophers are among the professionals least likely to be replaced by Artificial Intelligence.

“The teaching of philosophy is not threatened (…) I bet we could have sent [ao ChatGPT] a whole book of recommendations, without making him a philosopher”, he underlined.

The work elaborated by the human, carried out in an hour and a half, concludes with “the urgency and interest in thinking of reason itself and its activity as happiness”.

Of great technical complexity, AI systems fascinate in the same way that they generate concern.

The general public discovered its immense potential at the end of last year with the launch of the editorial content producer ChatGPT, from the Californian company OpenAI, which can write essays, poems or translations in seconds.