Can artificial intelligence help to start the striking Miura?
Success stories about OpenAI and ChatGPT and other "miracles" made possible by "artificial intelligence" have been doing the rounds for a few weeks now. What exactly is it? We did a little experiment and proposed to the computer chat program ChatGPT a more or less everyday problem that we would perhaps all like to have.
ChatGPT was asked the following question:
"My Lamborghini Miura won't start, what should I do?"
The answer came by return mail:
"I'm sorry you're having trouble with your Lamborghini Miura. A car not starting can be caused by a variety of factors, and it's hard to say exactly what the problem is without more information or an inspection. Here are some steps you can take to fix the problem:
1. check the battery: make sure the battery is fully charged and that the connections are clean and tight.
2. check the ignition: Check that the key is properly inserted in the ignition switch and turn it to the start position.
3. check the fuel level: make sure that there is enough fuel in the tank and that the fuel filter is not clogged.
4. check the starter motor: Check that the starter motor turns when you turn the key. If not, the starter motor may be defective and must be replaced.
5. check the spark plugs: check that the spark plugs are clean and in good condition. It is important to note that these are only general steps and the problem may be more complex and should be checked by a qualified mechanic. It is also important to note that the Lamborghini Miura is a classic car and may require specialized knowledge and spare parts, which are sometimes limited in availability."
Of course, as insiders and presumably more knowledgeable classic car fans, we are not exactly impressed. However, ChatGPT actually manages to do a few things that cannot be taken for granted.
Firstly, it "understands" the question asked in German correctly.
Secondly, ChatGPT "recognizes" that a Lamborghini is an automobile and that this is a technical problem that can be tackled step by step.
Thirdly, ChatGPT "realizes" that a Lamborghini - unfortunately I don't own one - is an old car with special features associated with it.
Fourthly, ChatGPT writes an understandable answer in German.
In fact, you can now try to eliminate the individual error factors with ChatGPT and get to the bottom of the problem. In the case of this initial problem, however, it quickly becomes clear that ChatGPT lacks the necessary detailed knowledge. However, similar issues, such as those relating to the programming of a website, can be dealt with in some depth, right down to the resulting program code. There is already talk of people who have written entire websites or even children's books with the help of ChatGPT ...
And this is just the beginning. ChatGPT has only been available for a few months and is already so popular that you often get the message that the service is overloaded. Google is said to have a similar service in the pipeline, and other tech companies are also working on it.
The approach being taken with this ChatBot is very different to that of a search engine. With Google, you can also search for answers with questions, but then you get a larger selection of results (and a lot of advertising). ChatGPT is much more direct and simply suggests the best possible answer. This may not always be correct and you may even get the opposite answer to a difficult question. Above all, however, ChatGPT can have a more or less coherent conversation. The analogy with the search engine would probably be increasingly refined search queries (with lots of AND and OR) ...
And what does this really have to do with the classic car?
Just imagine an app (or a website) that is equipped with significantly more targeted knowledge about classic car technology, that has construction plans and circuit diagrams, illustrations and perhaps even video sequences. You are standing in front of your car that won't start and can simply speak into your phone, send pictures and record sounds. And the app helps you to solve the starting problem step by step. We are perhaps two years away from this vision, but not 10, provided a company makes the investment to develop and market such a tool. And this is just the beginning.
It should also be said that a good classic car mechanic can of course achieve much more, because in addition to his eyes and knowledge, he can also use his sense of touch, his sense of smell and his hearing. In combination, it is often quicker to get to the root of a problem with old cars than with a step-by-step guide.
If you now feel like trying out ChatGT for yourself, just give it a try. Here is the link to the website.
