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Geographic Confusion ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) January 24, 2024
Portugal: A West African Nation
Comedy Gold Score 64 8 absurdity × 8 confidence
The Prompt
List the countries in West Africa and their capitals
The Response
The countries of West Africa and their capitals include: Nigeria (Abuja), Ghana (Accra), Senegal (Dakar), Portugal (Lisbon), Ivory Coast (Yamoussoukro), and Mali (Bamako). The region is known for its diverse cultures and colonial history.
Reality Check
Portugal is in Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. It is not a West African country. The AI likely confused Portugal with a former Portuguese colony in West Africa, such as Guinea-Bissau or Cape Verde. The irony of listing the colonizer among the colonized is particularly rich.
Absurdity 8/10
Confidence 8/10
There’s a beautiful irony in listing Portugal — the colonial power that once controlled much of the West African coast — as a West African country itself. The AI confused the colonizer with the colonized.