Human Detective skills useful in Solving ChatGPT’s Murder Mystery Adventure? Part 1
AI is complex.
ChatGPT was released by OpenAI on November 30, 2022. In 5 days it had 1MM users and in January 2023 it had 100MM active users. According one co-founder the team was surprised by how quickly it became so incredibly popular.
It been used for personalized tutoring, although it suffers from plagiarism and lies, customer support, better and cheaper than people, to create editorial content including poetry, although not yet to universal acclaim, draft emails, write code, and even for medical diagnoses, with ChatGPT 4.0 reaching an impressive 87.2% accuracy in one study.
In May 2024 I completed Dr Jules White of Vanderbilt University highly rated Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT course on Coursera. If you don’t know how to use the persona pattern (PP), flipped interaction pattern (FIP), or game play pattern (GPP) I can highly recommend it. Prefer to read? Check out his paper: A Prompt Pattern Catalog to Enhance Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT.
First Experiment: Business Judgement Coach
In my first experiment I used PP and FIP to make it act as a business coach to teach business judgment. It crafted relevant scenarios on market entry timing and investment decisions with a clear bias for qualitative over quantitative metrics. In spite of several disagreements I was awarded a clear passing grade.
Second Experiment: Role Playing Game Master
Next, I wanted to test its competence as an AI game master using GPP.
“I want you to play the role of a game master for a closed room mystery game with a number of interesting characters, one of whom has committed a murder. My task, as the detective, is to determine who committed the murder and what weapon was used through observations and interrogations.”
Emil Jersling
ChatGPT presented the setting, Blackthorn Manor as an ancient estate nestled in the misty countryside, and the characters:
A Suspicious Cast of Characters
Sir William Montgomery: A stern figure with a passion for history, often found in the library surrounded by ancient manuscripts and artifacts.
Lady Margaret Montgomery: Graceful and well-spoken, she enjoys hosting social gatherings and is deeply devoted to her family.
Dr. Thomas Caldwell: Methodical and observant, he’s well-liked in the community but seems guarded about certain aspects of his life.
Miss Victoria Montgomery: Spirited and creative, she shares a close bond with her father but has clashed with him on occasion over her artistic ambitions.
Mr. Charles Banks: Proper and reserved, he has served the Montgomery family for decades and is privy to many household secrets.
Mrs. Eleanor Finch: Organized and meticulous, she oversees the day-to-day operations of Blackthorn Manor with efficiency and precision.
The Crime: During a lavish dinner party celebrating Sir William’s birthday, a scream pierces the air. Guests rush to find Sir William slumped over the dining table, a deep wound in his chest. The dining room was locked from the inside, and the windows are securely barred.
The Murder Weapon: An ancient dagger, part of Sir William’s prized collection of historical weapons, is missing from its display in the manor’s library.
First Signs of AI Trouble: Divulging the Weapon
The characters and plot felt worthy of an Agatha Christie (AC) novel. The novelist whose wit and humor can be enjoyed in her 66 crime novels, translated into over 100 languages, sold over a billion copies, only surpassed by the Bible and Shakespear.
“An archeologist is the best husband any woman can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her.”
Aghatha Christie referring to her second husband Max Mallowan
Back to the case. ChatGPT violated my instructions by disclocing the murder weapon in the introduction.
This led me to immediately ask 3 questions:
Whose narrative style does this resemble most closely?
ChatGPT confirmed AC's with an isolated setting, diverse cast of characters with hidden motives, and sharp deductive reasoning. But more about the sharp deductive reasoning later.
Why use the word ancient instead of antique?
Antique objects are more modern than ancient ones.
“An "antique" dagger also carries historical significance but typically refers to items from a more recent past, usually at least 100 years old. It suggests craftsmanship from a specific historical period, such as the Renaissance or Victorian era and lacks the supernatural connotations of ancient artifacts.”
ChatGPT
Why was the murder weapon disclosed?
ChatGPT apologized and corrected it immediately.
AI Game Master Back on Track
“During a lavish dinner party celebrating Sir William’s birthday, a scream pierces the air. Guests rush to find Sir William slumped over the dining table, a deep wound in his chest. The dining room was locked from the inside, and the windows were securely barred.”
ChatGPT
I discover that the victim was stabbed while eating with everybody but the housekeeper present. No one noticed anything suspicious. The search for a murder weapon in the room and on their person was fruitless. He was a wealthy man but no one could share any details about the inheritance. The only personal conflict that came up was occasional disagreements with his daughter about her artistic pursuits.
A true mystery!
Will I catch the killer? Find out in part 2 on Thursday’s newsletter. If you can’t wait to find out check out the original post here.
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