Metaist

DALL-E: Reel-to-Reel

In which I ask DALL-E to draw a version of a scene from Real Genius.

User: Please draw a simple line-art drawing based on the following paragraphs: There's a ▶️ montage in Real Genius (that we often reference at work) where a lecture hall with students gradually chooses to leave a tape recorder to record the lecture instead of attending. Eventually, the professor chooses to leave a reel-to-reel player to recite the lecture to the room full of recorders. 

That's what a recent article on EdSurge reminded me of: 📝 As AI Chatbots Rise, More Educators Look to Oral Exams — With High-Tech Twist. Spoiler: The "twist" is that the teachers are using AI to administer the oral exams. Combine that with the ongoing joke that people are using ChatGPT to expand their five-bullet ideas into lengthy emails which are then summarized on the receiving end by ChatGPT and I anticipate we'll see all kinds of new forms of "lost in translation" and "broken telephone on steroids".

But eventually we'll probably adapt to the tools as we always have and those instances will become rare or signals of low status (or fodder for stand-up comedians). Perhaps "Written with ChatGPT" will replace the ubiquitous "Please excuse any typos" in email signatures and "Damn autocorrect!" will be replaced by "Damn autocompose!" It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

ChatGPT: To capture the essence of the provided paragraphs, I'll craft two detailed descriptions for the drawing:

  1. Photo: In a lecture hall, rows of desks are filled with various types of tape recorders, while at the front, a reel-to-reel player stands at the lecturer's podium. On the chalkboard behind, there's a drawing of a chatbot icon and the words "Oral Exams". In the foreground, a person reads an email on a computer, with the footer of the email saying "Written with ChatGPT". Next to the person, another individual is laughing, holding a microphone, implying they are a stand-up comedian referencing the scene.

  2. Illustration: A split scene. On the left, a classroom with tape recorders on desks, facing a reel-to-reel player on the teacher's desk. Above this scene, a cloud bubble shows a chatbot administering an oral exam. On the right, a person typing on a computer with a ChatGPT logo on the screen, sending an email. The receiving end shows another person, with a smaller ChatGPT logo, summarizing the email. Both sides have comic-style captions: "Lost in Translation" on the left and "Broken Telephone on Steroids" on the right.

Sending these descriptions to generate the images.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I was unable to generate images based on the provided descriptions due to content policy constraints. If you have any other requests or if you'd like to provide a different description, I'd be happy to assist further.

User: Let's just do the lecture hall with a reel-to-reel player on a desk playing to seats with tape recorders recording.

ChatGPT: Sure, I'll create two detailed descriptions for the drawing based on your request:

  1. Photo: A well-lit, spacious lecture hall is depicted. Rows of wooden desks extend from the foreground to the background, each with a tape recorder placed neatly on its surface. All tape recorders are in recording mode, their reels spinning. In the front center of the hall, on a raised platform, a vintage reel-to-reel player occupies the position of the lecturer, playing audibly. The atmosphere conveys a sense of automated education, where machines are both the teachers and the students.

  2. Illustration: In a stylized lecture hall, angular wooden desks are arranged in a semicircular formation. On each desk rests a tape recorder, their designs ranging from retro to modern, all actively recording. The focal point of the scene is a prominent reel-to-reel player, placed at the lecturer's podium. Its reels rotate smoothly, suggesting it's currently playing a lecture. Shadows and highlights give depth to the scene, emphasizing the eerie silence except for the mechanical sounds.

Sending these descriptions to generate the images.

DALL-E Image 1

Photo: In a well-lit, spacious lecture hall, rows of wooden desks fill the scene from foreground to background. Each desk has a tape recorder of various models, all in recording mode with reels spinning actively. At the front, on a raised wooden platform, stands a vintage reel-to-reel player. It's in the playing mode, and its reels rotate indicating it's delivering a lecture to the room full of tape recorders. The atmosphere is serene, suggesting a futuristic setting where machines play the role of both educators and learners.

DALL-E Image 1

Illustration: A stylized lecture hall is shown with angular wooden desks arranged in a neat semicircular pattern. Each desk features a tape recorder, with designs spanning from retro to modern, all reels actively capturing sound. The centerpiece of the scene is a large reel-to-reel player positioned at the lecturer's podium. Its reels move smoothly, signifying an ongoing lecture. The illustration uses a palette of muted colors, and strategic shadows and highlights add depth, emphasizing the quiet ambiance broken only by the hum of machinery.

Here are the images based on the descriptions provided:

  1. The first image is a photo representation of the lecture hall with rows of wooden desks, each with a tape recorder. In the front, you can see the reel-to-reel player on a raised platform.

  2. The second image is a stylized illustration of a similar scene, where the tape recorders on the desks have a mix of retro and modern designs, and the reel-to-reel player stands prominently at the front.

I hope these images capture the essence of the scenario you described. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like assistance with!