ChatGPT, the mother of all evils or a useful tool?

In the week school restarted after the Weihnachstferien (Christmas break), temperatures plummeted to -11°C, the Deutsche Bahn – and consequently, the S-Bahn – was on strike and Berlin’s streets were invaded by tractors driven by angry farmers, I have plenty of material to write about but I’ve decided to focus on a totally unrelated topic: ChatGPT.

Since its release at the end of 2022, the chatbot developed by OpenAI has been in the news constantly. We’ve seen headlines about generating fake articles, spreading disinformation, causing security threats and privacy concerns, as well as providing incorrect answers. Moreover, AI poses serious risks, such as job losses, social manipulation, the potential for bias, extinction and "loss of control". I recently read that it also has an extremely negative impact on the climate.

One particularly intriguing story involves an influencer on Instagram, Emily Pellegrini, who, in a few months, has acquired thousands of followers, including famous football players, billionaires and tennis players. The twist? Emily doesn’t actually exist; she has been generated by AI. Apparently, she’s supposed to be realistic, but I’ve never seen a woman with a body shaped like hers.

Wary of the controversy and negativity surrounding AI and ChatGPT, I hadn’t used the tool until recently. However, my curiosity led me to enroll in a course on ChatGPT for writing in November, and the experience turned out to be eye-opening.

For all its faults, I have found ChatGPT to be a valuable tool for generating and correcting text. As a non-native speaker living in Germany, grappling with the intricacies of the language is a challenge. The problem with German grammar is that it’s quite complex. There are three genders, “only” four cases, adjective endings that change based on definite and indefinite article, gender and case… just to name a few difficulties. So, writing in German is especially tricky.

If, like me, you hate making mistakes and feel embarrassed about sending work or official emails, including to your child’s schoolteachers, that have not been proofread, here is where ChatGPT can help.

For years, I’ve been relying on my husband to correct emails and text messages, something he dislikes because of my perfectionism (what’s wrong with that?), a concept he struggles to understand. For him, it’s all about sending out emails and text messages in the shortest time possible, even if they are incomprehensible to the recipient. Mostly I end up replying to him: “Huh?!? What’s that supposed to mean?”

But now, I no longer need to ask my husband, I ask ChatGPT to correct what I’ve written in German and it does a pretty good job, probably as good as a human being. Unfortunately, it’s made me realise that I still make loads of mistakes – which is rather depressing after all these years – but now I have a proofreader and teacher all in one. After all, learning from one’s mistakes is a valuable lesson.

ChatGPT is also useful for brainstorming, analysing complex text, translating and writing Instagram posts (it also suggests emojis). In conclusion, ChatGPT can be helpful for language learners and writers, but remember that you first need to use your own brain before you use artificial intelligence. So don’t send anything out unless you have fact-checked and proofed it yourself.

As I write this on a Friday evening, the temperature is hovering around zero, the Deutsche Bahn strike is coming to end, but the farmers have not yet returned to the countryside and are threatening more strikes. Life is never boring in Berlin, with or without ChatGPT. 

*Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Returning home

As the plane takes off and you look down, the familiar landscape gets smaller and smaller until it is out of sight. Floating in the sky above the clouds, once again you leave everything behind. Your home, your family, your friends, your language, your culture. You’ve been in this situation countless times, but it never gets any easier.

Around you noisy tourists chat about the places they’ve visited and where they stayed. They exchange tips and scroll through the pictures on their phones. For them it’s the end of the holiday – time to go home. You’re not sure where home is: the place you’ve just left or is it where you’re heading, the place you’ve made your home over the years?

As the plane touches down a couple of hours later everything changes. Suddenly you’re in a different country, with a different landscape, different people, a different language, a different climate, a different culture, different food. The sea has been replaced by lakes, the palm trees by oaks. This is also your home, but right now it doesn’t feel like home. The memories of your recent trip are still too vivid. Your body has been transported, but the mind takes longer to adjust. 

The first morning you wake up in a daze, unsure of your bearings. It’s only when you look outside the window that the change becomes real. Bewilderment, nostalgia, sadness are familiar feelings. Soon life with all its chores, tasks and responsibilities will take over and your mind will be forced to catch up with your body. The memories will fade and everything will return to how it was, until the next time. 

Dedicated to all expats and migrants who are still trying to figure out where home is.

Solidarity with Ukraine

Fifteen months ago, I wrote about ways to show solidarity during the Covid-induced lockdown. Although the pandemic is still not over after more than two years, a new humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions has hit Europe. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, every day has brought tragic news of death and devastation. The pictures, videos and reports from Ukraine are so disturbing that after a while I, like many others, have to turn off the radio, switch off the telly or close my computer because I can’t bear to listen or watch any more. It’s truly horrendous. In the face of such atrocities, it’s normal to feel powerless, but there are things we can do to express solidarity with Ukrainian people.

Peace demonstrations 

People all over the world have recently taken to the streets to show their support for Ukraine. In Berlin there was a huge demonstration two weeks ago, when over 100,000 protesters filled the Straße des 17. Juni, the large road between the Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessäule (Victory Column). It was the biggest peace demonstration since the war in Iraq. Yesterday  several demonstrations were held across German cities. Once again thousands of ordinary citizens took to the streets to demand an end to the war. It may feel like a drop in the ocean, but it is important to make our voices heard. It also helps those protesting to see the many different faces of strangers who also feel strongly against the war.

A reception centre for refugees at Berlin Hauptbahnhof 

While thousands of people were marching wearing face masks and carrying stop-the-war banners from Alexander Platz to the heart of the Tiergarten, just a few kilometres away on the other side of the river Spree thousands of refugees were arriving by train from Poland. Berlin central station has been the main arrival point in Germany for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. A welcome centre has been set up, where volunteers have been handing out food and beverages and helping people (mostly women and children) to find accommodation. 

Ordinary Berliners have shown up at the station holding signs offering beds in their homes. A friend of mine who has been volunteering at Hauptbahnhof told me of a French school girl who is currently on an exchange programme in Berlin. After spending the night volunteering at the train station, she left the following morning to go to school. Yesterday walking around the train station there was an incredible mix of people: police officers, volunteers, refugees, peace demonstrators, as well as ordinary travellers and holiday makers. Most of these people are united by a spirit of solidarity, but sadly there have also been reports of men harassing young Ukrainian women. The police have been warning about possible human trafficking. For more information about how to help refugees in Berlin click on the link of the official Berlin website.

Donate to charities

There are plenty of charities who provide humanitarian relief in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. Donating to any one of these organizations will help. There are the well-known charities, such as, Save the Children, Unicef, Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, UNHCR, the World Food Programme (ShareTheMeal). You can also support local charities, such as, Sunflower of Peace, which has been fundraising first aid medical backpacks, United Help Ukraine, which provides medical supplies and humanitarian aid, Voices of Children, which helps children affected by war. You can also support local journalists by donating to English-language news outlets based in the country, such as Kyiv Independent and the New Voice of Ukraine.

Sign a petition

There are several petitions circulating on the internet demanding an end to the war and putting pressure on politicians to do more. For instance, Avaaz has launched a petition called “$top fuelling Putin’s war!” which has been signed by over 2 million people worldwide. After signing a petition try to spread the word though Twitter and other social media.

Meanwhile in Russia

Let’s not forget the courage of protestors in Russia, who risk up to 15 years in jail if they speak out against the war. Almost 15,000 Russian demonstrators have been arrested since the invasion of Ukraine. One woman in Russia was recently arrested for holding up a blank sign, while another woman was detained for holding a sign saying “two words” in Russian. These brave protestors recently reminded me of a book by Hans Fallada, called Alone in Berlin (a few years ago it was made into a film with Daniel Brühl, Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson). If you haven’t yet read the book, I would recommend it. It is based on real events and tells the story of a couple living in Berlin during World War II. After their son is killed, the couple start a protest against the Nazi regime by leaving anonymous postcards attacking Hitler across the city. This silent campaign comes to the attention of the Gestapo and a cat-and-mouse chase begins. It is a powerful novel and seems more topical than ever.