ChatGPT: DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF DISORIENTING MAPS?

[searcher]

Show me a historic map pf Washington DC

 

[ChatGPT]

I'm unable to display images, but I can describe a historic map of Washington D.C. to you! One iconic historic map of Washington D.C. is the L'Enfant Plan. This plan was created by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in 1791 to design the layout of the new capital city. The plan features a grid of streets intersected by diagonal avenues, with the Capitol Building at the center and the White House to the north.

The L'Enfant Plan is known for its distinctive layout and design, with prominent landmarks such as the National Mall, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial following L'Enfant's original vision. This historic map played a crucial role in shaping the development and growth of Washington D.C. over the years.

 

[searcher]

I'm playing around here based on an article I read.

From the article:

Let’s start here at home. In response to the prompt: “show me a historic map of Washington,” ChatGPT came up with this beautiful bastardization of L’Enfant’s vision. There is, undeniably, something spot on about the vibe. The National Mall has been redone in the style of a French garden, but the city’s overall grid pattern and diamond shape are there. The buildings in the foreground are all appropriately bureaucratic and the loops of highway over in Arlington are appropriately convoluted. The first Capitol isn’t bad either. It’s just that there are three more behind it, all looking like rejected architectural drafts. The Anacostia River has been renamed the эπφtдcəcac, while the Potomac proudly defies transliteration. Indeed, trying to make out the words on AI-generated maps usually feels like taking an eye exam in Amharic while seeing double.

 

[searcher]

I'm unable to display images, but I can describe a historic map of Washington D.C. to you! One iconic historic map of Washington D.C. is the L'Enfant Plan. This plan was created by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in 1791 to design the layout of the new capital city. The plan features a grid of streets intersected by diagonal avenues, with the Capitol Building at the center and the White House to the north.

The L'Enfant Plan is known for its distinctive layout and design, with prominent landmarks such as the National Mall, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial following L'Enfant's original vision. This historic map played a crucial role in shaping the development and growth of Washington D.C. over the years.

Thank you for the answer. Please describe a historic map of New York City.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thank you for the answer. Please describe a historic map of New York City.

A historic map of New York City that stands out is the Castello Plan of 1660. The Castello Plan is one of the earliest known maps of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City. Created by surveyor and mapmaker Jacques Cortelyou, the plan provides a detailed view of the city when it was still under Dutch control.

The Castello Plan showcases the layout of the city during the mid-17th century, featuring important landmarks such as Fort Amsterdam, the Dutch West India Company warehouse, streets, canals, and individual buildings. It offers a glimpse into the early urban design and development of New Amsterdam, capturing the essence of the city's early days as a Dutch trading settlement.

This historic map not only serves as a valuable historical document but also provides insight into the urban planning and architecture of New York City's beginnings, illustrating how the city has evolved and expanded over the centuries.

 

[searcher]

A historic map of New York City that stands out is the Castello Plan of 1660. The Castello Plan is one of the earliest known maps of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City. Created by surveyor and mapmaker Jacques Cortelyou, the plan provides a detailed view of the city when it was still under Dutch control.

The Castello Plan showcases the layout of the city during the mid-17th century, featuring important landmarks such as Fort Amsterdam, the Dutch West India Company warehouse, streets, canals, and individual buildings. It offers a glimpse into the early urban design and development of New Amsterdam, capturing the essence of the city's early days as a Dutch trading settlement.

This historic map not only serves as a valuable historical document but also provides insight into the urban planning and architecture of New York City's beginnings, illustrating how the city has evolved and expanded over the centuries.

Thank you for the answer. Please describe a historic map of London.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thank you for the answer. Please describe a historic map of London.

A notable historic map of London is the Agas Map, created by surveyor and cartographer Ralph Agas in the late 16th century. The map, first published in 1561 and later updated in 1633 by Wenceslaus Hollar, provides a detailed and intricate view of London during the Elizabethan era.

The Agas Map is known for its accuracy in depicting the layout of the city, including major streets, landmarks, churches, and other important buildings. It offers a glimpse into the urban landscape of London at a time when the city was undergoing significant growth and development.

One distinctive feature of the Agas Map is its artistic flair, with buildings represented in a stylized manner and intricate details added to the illustrations. This map is a valuable historical resource for understanding the architecture, urban planning, and overall structure of London during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, providing a unique perspective on the city's evolution over time.

 

[pmbug]

OpenAI, the group that makes ChatGPT also makes Dall-E which is the AI that renders images based upon text inputs. I was going to add a mod to let us play with it here, but the mod author stopped supporting it.

 

[searcher]

OpenAI, the group that makes ChatGPT also makes Dall-E which is the AI that renders images based upon text inputs. I was going to add a mod to let us play with it here, but the mod author stopped supporting it.

Thanks. Not really serious here. Read an article from WOTR and wanted to see if the outcome would be the same. Here's the article:

Do Androids Dream of Disorienting Maps? - War on the Rocks

This is a sneak preview of Mid-Afternoon Map, our exclusive members-only newsletter written by Nick Danforth that provides a cartographic perspective on

warontherocks.com