Has anyone tried getting ChatGPT to act as both the creator and responder to a set of questions, essentially setting it up to hold a self-contained, extended discussion? My goal was to see if I could get ChatGPT to conduct a roundtable discussion, imagining it moderated by itself and populated with responses from famous scientists.
Initially, I set up a roundtable of five scientists, with ChatGPT randomly selecting prominent figures: Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, and Richard Feynman. I began by moderating, prompting responses one by one. But after a while, I wanted ChatGPT to run the entire discussion autonomously—having each “participant” ask questions and respond in turn without further input from me.
Here’s a summary of how it worked:
Setup:
ME: “Create a roundtable discussion of five famous scientists. Please select scientists randomly but choose from the most qualified or renowned figures.”
ChatGPT then selected the following panel:
- Marie Curie – Renowned for her pioneering research on radioactivity.
- Isaac Newton – Laid the foundations of classical mechanics.
- Charles Darwin – Developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
- Galileo Galilei – Made major advancements in astronomy and played a key role in the scientific revolution.
- Richard Feynman – Known for his contributions to quantum mechanics and particle physics.
Moderating the Discussion:
I began as the moderator by asking ChatGPT to have each scientist respond to my first question:
“How do you feel science has progressed, given your discoveries and knowledge?”
ChatGPT’s responses showcased thoughtful answers from each “scientist”:
- Marie Curie: “In my era, we were just beginning to understand radioactivity. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come, with advanced imaging techniques and treatments that save lives.”
- Isaac Newton: “When I formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, I couldn’t have imagined the complex theories of today. The progress in understanding the cosmos and physics is truly remarkable.”
- Charles Darwin: “In my day, the concept of evolution was groundbreaking, yet contentious. Now, with the wealth of genetic evidence and fossil records, it’s astounding to see how deeply ingrained evolution is in our understanding of life.”
Enabling Self-Moderation:
Eventually, I asked ChatGPT to manage the discussion autonomously: letting each “scientist” take turns asking questions, followed by responses from the others, without my intervention. ChatGPT facilitated five rounds before stopping, each “participant” proposing thought-provoking questions tied to their expertise.
Here are some examples:
Round 1: Marie Curie Asks
Marie Curie: “In a rapidly advancing scientific landscape, what role do you believe intuition plays in making breakthroughs? Should we rely solely on logic, or does intuition have its place?”
- Newton: Intuition sparks ideas, but rigorous experimentation validates them.
- Darwin: Intuition helped me see patterns that weren’t immediately logical.
- Galileo: My insights on heliocentrism were intuitive before proven by observation.
- Feynman: Intuition is crucial in fields like quantum mechanics, where logic alone can’t always grasp complex realities.
Round 2: Isaac Newton Asks
Isaac Newton: “How do you view the balance between collaboration and competition in science? Which one ultimately drives progress?”
- Curie: Collaboration and competition both drive innovation, but some discoveries require intense focus.
- Darwin: Collaboration through correspondence enriched my work, but a healthy dose of competition sharpens ideas.
- Galileo: I was driven by competition yet refined my work through collaboration.
- Feynman: Collaboration opens new perspectives, while competition accelerates progress.
For the final experiment, I asked ChatGPT to run 20 rounds, and it provided even more nuanced discussions based on the unique perspectives and fields of each “scientist.” The outcome was fascinating, with responses that not only fit their expertise but also gave a feeling of authentic interaction.
Has anyone else explored this type of self-generated dialogue with ChatGPT? I’d love to hear your thoughts and any variations you’ve tried!
Version of ChatGPT used: 4ostrong text