​ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence program that has wowed many people, also answers historical questions, sometimes incorrectly and sometimes hilariously. I asked the chatbot if corn polenta was eaten in Stephen the Great’s time, and his answers were mixed, but the “talker” also apologized!

Common sense suggests that pupils or students should NOT assign a chatbot to write an essay because you never know what will happen. ChatGPT could have written that Decebal had a “Dacia” car or Traian had a “Roman” truck…

ChatGPT is nice, but has limitations

ChatGPT has been “trained” on massive amounts of data, but does NOT have real-time internet access and information newer than the second half of 2021.

Representatives of OpenAI, the company that developed it, say that the chatbot does not always give the right answers, and advise to verify any information and not take it for granted.

It can also be seen below from the exchange of answers and questions that ChatGPT contradicts itself, turns around, falls back into error, but also apologizes. On the other hand, many of the things he says are correct, but you can’t completely rely on him because he has technical limitations.

Before we see the questions and answers about Stephen the Great, polenta, corn and the 15th century, we need to establish the historical truth. Stephen the Great and the Moldavians of his time did NOT eat polenta from corn, because corn began to be grown in Europe in the first half of the 16th century, brought from the New World by the Spanish. Previously, corn polenta was eaten, in particular, polenta, millet or buckwheat porridge.

Cultivation was attested after 1500 in areas such as Castile and Andalusia, after 1530 maize reached Italy, and in what is now Romania, the first evidence indicates that certain crops were grown around 1650 in Transylvania. In Moldova, corn began to be grown around 1700.

A chat with ChatGPT about Moldova’s medieval history and food

What did the Moldavian king Stephen the Great pillar cut into?

ChatGPT: Stephen the Great was a prince of Moldavia who ruled in the 15th century. During his reign, polenta was an important food in the Moldavian diet. (…) Polenta was cut with a wooden spoon or a wooden or iron fork. During the reign of Stephen the Great, polenta was served with different types of meat such as lamb, veal or pork, or with different spices and vegetables such as garlic, leeks or cabbage.

Did they eat corn in Moldova during the time of Stephen the Great?

ChatGPT: Yes, corn is believed to have been one of the staple foods cultivated by Moldavians during the reign of Stephen the Great. Maize was introduced to Europe by Spanish colonists who arrived in South America in the 16th century, and then quickly spread throughout Europe through trade. During the reign of Stephen the Great, Moldavia had close ties to Western Europe through trade, so it is possible that corn arrived in Moldavia during this period. Corn was grown for its kernels, as well as for its leaves and stalks, which were used as animal feed.

From what century did corn begin to be grown intensively in Europe?

ChatGPT: Maize was introduced to Europe by Spanish colonists who arrived in South America in the 16th century, but has been intensively cultivated since the 17th century. After corn was introduced to Europe, it became one of the most important staple food crops, and was grown especially in the warmer regions of southern and eastern Europe.

In what century did Stephen the Great rule from Moldavia?

ChatGPT: Stephen the Great ruled in Moldova between 1457 and 1504, i.e. in the 15th century. He was one of the most famous and beloved rulers of Moldova, known for his military victories against the Ottoman Empire and maintaining Moldova’s independence at a time when many other European states were oppressed by the Turks.

Well, why do you tell me that Stephen the Great of Moldavia grew corn?

ChatGPT: Sorry, I misunderstood the question. Maize was not known in Europe during the reign of Stephen the Great, as it had not yet been introduced into Europe. Corn was brought to Europe only in the 16th century, so it was not grown in Moldova during the reign of Stephen the Great. Instead, other vegetables, such as cabbage, cucumbers and peas, as well as other grain crops, such as wheat and barley, were grown in Moldova at the time. These crops were important for the Moldovan diet and were cultivated in the fields of Moldova. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

After all, how would you say: Did Stephen the Great eat corn kernels or not?

ChatGPT: Stephen the Great may have eaten cornmeal, as this food was very popular in Eastern Europe during the 15th century when he ruled. However, we cannot say with certainty whether he ate corncobs or not, as there is not enough information about this ruler’s eating habits.

What was used to prepare polenta before the appearance of corn and sorghum?

ChatGPT: Before corn and sorghum were grown and used to make polenta, it was made from various other grains such as wheat, oats, millet, or barley. Buckwheat is an ancient food that dates back to Neolithic times, when people began to grow and eat the grain.

What ChatGPT AI software says about itself

• I am only a computer program and I do not have the ability to feel or think like a human.

• I have no feelings or desires of my own, so I cannot be motivated to do anything that would replace the work of a human being. My goal is only to provide information and answers to your questions. I have no ability to have friends or feel emotions.

• I am a language model developed by OpenAI and I can understand and answer questions in English. I use a technique called natural language processing to analyze and interpret incoming text and generate an appropriate response. This is done using a huge set of training data and deep learning techniques.

• I’ve been trained to work with a lot of text data, but I don’t have access to real-time information and I can’t browse the web. My answers are based only on my previous knowledge and are not updated for each new question I receive.

• Although I have been trained to understand and answer a wide range of questions and adapt my answers to context, I am still a computer program and have no real human experience or understanding. This may lead to some limitations in my ability to understand and respond to complex or ambiguous questions or problems.

• I am programmed to provide answers based on my general knowledge and not to provide information about current or future events. For this reason, I cannot answer questions about current or future events. My acquaintance ends in September 2021.

• I am NOT a search engine. I specialize in creating text and answering questions, but I don’t have access to actual real information.

• I do NOT have the ability to learn or get smarter when we talk. I’m here to answer your questions using the information I’ve learned during my studies.

Photo source: Dreamstime.com