My column for West Sussex newspapers:
I was delighted to welcome pupils from Petworth CofE Primary School and Slindon CofE Primary School to Parliament last week as well as to thank their teachers and helpers for bringing them on a special and important trip.
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform our lives. It’s already being used to improve the accuracy of scans and find new medicines in healthcare, to help deliver lessons tailored for the pace of a pupil in schools and to reduce congestion in smart cities overseas. In fact, it will be of huge benefit to the environment as so much pollution is caused by simple inefficiency – an empty bus or a car driving around to find an elusive parking space. Over Christmas I spent a lot of time experimenting with the ChatGPT AI trial and was impressed by the perfectly passable attempt at composing the below short poem about West Sussex:
West Sussex, a county so fine
Where the rolling hills and green valleys intertwine
The countryside is dotted with quaint villages and towns
Where history and culture can be found all around
The South Downs stretch out across the land
Offering views that are grand
Walking, cycling, or horse riding too
There's so much to explore and do
Chichester, the county seat, is a city of art and history
With its cathedral, galleries, and ancient streets to see
While Arundel, with its castle and gardens, is a sight to behold
A treasure for young and old
West Sussex, a place of beauty and charm
Where one can escape from the daily alarm
I am grateful to call it my home
Where I can walk and freely roam
Whilst this composition does not rival Yeats, Blake or Owen, it does well to symbolise the potential – and remember the technology is still at its very early stages. Any technology can be used for good and harm and it will be for Parliament to set out the frameworks which will help regulate it.
The photo of this article on my website was created by an AI with a prompt of 'The Parliamentary Constituency of Arundel & South Downs'.
