With the sudden surge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the news, it got us to wondering. What does AI know about RVing? It’s been a serious topic among RVTravel.com writers and staff—after all, could we all lose our jobs to some “Brain-O-Vac” AI computer?
So far, the consensus is that AI can “write,” after a fashion, about some RV topics. Like, AI may be able to tell you “How to dump your holding tanks.” But that’s writing about simple topics that have been flogged nearly to death across the internet. But grabbing some known facts and slapping together a spiritless article is one thing. Is accuracy in the “eye” (or “I”) of the AI world? We set out to find out.
Aside from AI writing, there’s a developing area of AI-generated artwork. For example, you can ask an AI “artist” to put together an image of a dog chasing a cat across the street. The results are pretty realistic, perhaps even frighteningly so. But what does AI know about RVing when it comes to visualizing the lifestyle?
We tasked the DALL-E 2, developed by OpenAI, the first innovator in the field to “generate” digital images from natural language descriptions, called “prompts.” So we developed some “prompts” for some typical scenarios—and one with particular appeal to RVtravel.com readers. Does AI know anything about RVing? You be the judge!
Prompt: “A man opens the awning on a green travel trailer”
Not sure how putting door knobs on the side of your RV with silver tape has anything to do with setting up your awning. Well, AI did get one thing right—it did use green. Not for the RV, but for that shirt. Let’s try something a little different.
Prompt: “A 3D render of a woman lighting an RV water heater pilot light”
Most of us today can simply flip a switch. But there are still plenty of “standing pilot” water heaters out there in the RV world. So we figured, should be easy enough for someone to open the door and light a match. Right?
So far, we’re not batting a 1000. So we decided to steer away from the technical aspects of RVing. Instead, let’s make the RV part of the background, and make campground activities the central focus.
Prompt: “In an Andrew Wyeth-style painting, two men and two women sit by a campfire roasting marshmallows. One of the marshmallows is on fire. There is a fifth-wheel trailer behind them.”
Not only does AI apparently not know the difference between a fifth wheel trailer and a, well, is it a travel trailer crossed with a cargo trailer? But it also seems to have a problem with differentiating artistic style. We distinctly asked for Andrew Wyeth’s style—not Salvador Dali! From the looks of the faces, and the apparent ability of at least one of these RVers to defy gravity, it looks as though maybe the aliens really have landed.
So let’s take it back to the technical aspects of RVing.
Prompt: “A woman hitches a tow car to the rear of a motorhome”
Well, the tire company guys will have plenty to talk about when they get home from work tonight. Towing the car sideways? Additionally, it looks as though our genteel lady RVer needs to spend a little more time in front of the mirror with the razor. We’ll give one more “RV chore” play and see just how well does AI know about RVing.
Prompt: “A man dumps the waste holding tanks of a travel trailer the hose comes loose spilling the tank contents on the ground”
There’s just so much going on here. I’m glad my travel trailer doesn’t look like this one. And I wish the times that my dump hose got loose, this is only as much that spilled.
Finally, we have one loyal reader of RVTravel.com can surely identify with.
Prompt: “Chuck Woodbury of RVtravel.com leans out the driver’s window of a Class A motorhome and waves”
All we can say is this: Check back next week to see if we still have a job. Hint: Chuck doesn’t look a bit like this guy.
##RVT1090
Oh, that was TOO good! Still laughing! Where do you come up with all of these ideas? 😂
Though I must say that the fact that it works at all is truly amazing. 😳
Pics were too funny 🤣! I especially liked the marshmallow roast picture with the gravity defying RV’er! Thanks for the much needed good laugh!
We can laugh at the silly pictures, but the writing ability of chat gpt is almost indistinguishable. Jordan Peterson wrote a book, chat wrote the next chapter, and he was impressed. A I is also learning exponentially faster than we can. Get right with the LORD and live every day! Dunno how many more we have!
Very funny, but also frightening. I am convinced that I should be able to detect art/pictures generated by AI much easier and accurately than text/articles.
In the sewer dumping photo it appears the mans right hand is attached to his left arm.
😂
That’s the reason God equipped us with a brain during creation, although some people seem to not know how it’s contents work or how to use its content.