Lake Placid from Whiteface Mountain (News photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID — When Harris and Sue Semegram hosted the Lake Placid Rotary Club’s Ethiopian dinner benefit for international projects at their home on Thursday, March 23, they wanted to set the mood. But they’re not experts on east African music, so they turned to a chatbot for some recommendations.

2023 James Beard Award semifinalist Alganesh Michael — the chef at A Taste of Abyssinia — cooked the food in her kitchen in South Burlington, Vermont, where she regularly prepares traditional food from Ethiopia and her native country of Eritrea.

“It is Eritrean music,” Harris told a crowd of more than 20 diners before they ate. “If you are an aficionado of jazz, you will hear roots of Herbie Hancock, you will hear Wayne Shorter, you will hear some Coltrane. You might even pick up some reggae because all of those influences came over from Africa and formed American jazz.”

Harris did not write the playlist.

“The playlist was curated by ChatGPT,” he said.

Harris Semegram serves up some Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine at his home on Thursday, March 23 during a Rotary Club of Lake Placid fundraising dinner to benefit the club’s international projects. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

As the Rotarians sipped wine before dinner, some talked about ChatGPT and how they were playing around with the artificial-intelligence system released in November 2022 by OpenAI.

Simply put, a chatbot is software that simulates conversations with humans in a chat format. Ask the chatbot a question, get an answer — sometimes correct, sometimes incorrect.

“It is not intended to give advice,” ChatGPT warns before the chat begins.

IBM defines a chatbot as “a computer program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to understand customer questions and automate responses to them, simulating human conversation.”

OpenAI trained its ChatGPT model to interact in a conversational way.

View on Main Street, as seen on March 21, 2023, from the corner of Olympic Drive, included the Lake Placid Middle-High School and mountains in the High Peaks Wilderness Area such as Algonquin Peak, tallest in the center, and Mount Colden, far left. The Lake Placid Conference Center and Olympic Center are at the right (unseen in this photo). (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests,” OpenAI states on its website.

People around the world are fascinated with chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing AI and Google’s Bard. Chatbots are expected to revolutionize the way humans live, with real-life applications in industries across the board — hospitality, tourism, education, health care, banking, retail, law enforcement, manufacturing, etc.

But everyday people — like the Lake Placid Rotarians feasting on Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine last week — are just having fun with it right now.

On March 18, The Aspen Times — a sister newspaper to the Lake Placid News — published a story on ChatGPT titled, “ChatGPT has some thoughts about Aspen.” Digital Engagement Editor Kristen Mohammadi asked ChatGPT some questions to gauge the accuracy of the chatbot’s knowledge of the resort community in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Taking Mohammadi’s lead, the Lake Placid News conducted a similar experiment, asking ChatGPT about its knowledge of this resort community in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state.

Below is a sample of that chat, with some of the answers shortened to make it more readable.

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LPN: Do you know where Lake Placid is located?

ChatGPT: Yes, Lake Placid is a village located in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, United States.

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LPN: Is there a Lake Placid in a state other than New York?

ChatGPT: Yes, there is a town called Lake Placid located in Florida, United States.

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LPN: What can you tell me about modern-day Lake Placid, New York?

ChatGPT: Lake Placid, New York is a small village located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. It is known for its beautiful natural surroundings, including Mirror Lake and the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks.

The village is a popular tourist destination, particularly for outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and fishing. It has hosted two Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 and 1980, and many of the Olympic facilities are still in use today. The Olympic Center, for example, is home to the 1932 and 1980 Olympic ice rinks and hosts various ice-skating events throughout the year.

In addition to its outdoor activities and Olympic history, Lake Placid is also known for its charming downtown area, which is filled with restaurants, shops, and galleries. The village has a strong sense of community and hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including the Lake Placid Film Festival, the Lake Placid Marathon, and the Ironman Lake Placid triathlon.

Overall, Lake Placid offers a unique combination of natural beauty, outdoor adventure, and cultural attractions, making it a popular year-round destination for visitors from around the world.

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LPN: Why is Lake Placid important to the state of New York?

ChatGPT: Lake Placid is an important destination in the state of New York for several reasons. Here are a few of them:

1. Winter sports

2. Tourism

3. Conservation

4. Culture and history

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LPN: What is the best month to visit Lake Placid, New York?

ChatGPT: Lake Placid, New York is a popular destination year-round, with each season offering its own unique attractions and activities. The best time to visit Lake Placid depends on your personal preferences and what you are looking to do. Here are some things to keep in mind for each season:

1. Summer (June-August): Summer is a popular time to visit Lake Placid for its mild temperatures and abundance of outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, kayaking, and mountain biking. The summer months are also when the town hosts the Lake Placid Horse Show and the Ironman Triathlon.

2. Fall (September-November): Fall is a beautiful time to visit Lake Placid as the leaves on the trees turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. This is a great time to go hiking, biking, or scenic drives to take in the fall foliage. Fall is also a good time to visit for the Lake Placid Brewfest and Oktoberfest celebrations.

(Fact check: Lake Placid no longer hosts the annual Brewfest.)

3. Winter (December-February): Winter is a popular time to visit Lake Placid for skiing and other winter sports. The town has two ski resorts, Whiteface Mountain and Mt. Van Hoevenberg, which offer downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The town also hosts the annual Lake Placid Holiday Stroll and New Year’s Eve celebration.

(Fact check: While Whiteface Mountain and Mt. Van Hoevenberg offer skiing, these state-owned Olympic venues are technically not resorts, as there is no onsite lodging. And while there is usually a Skate into New Year event at the Olympic Speedskating Oval on New Year’s Eve, there is no big celebration.)

4. Spring (March-May): Spring is a quieter time to visit Lake Placid with fewer crowds and lower prices. This is a good time to enjoy the town’s indoor attractions such as the Olympic Center and the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. The town also hosts the annual Lake Placid Film Festival in the spring.

(Fact check: While the Lake Placid Film Festival had its origins in the spring, it is now held every October.)

In general, the best time to visit Lake Placid is during the shoulder seasons of late spring and early fall when the crowds are smaller, and the weather is still pleasant.

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LPN: Does a crocodile live in Lake Placid?

(The 1999 movie “Lake Placid” — starring Bill Pullman, Brendan Gleeson and Bridget Fonda — was based in Maine, not New York, and features a gigantic killer crocodile.)

ChatGPT: No, there are no crocodiles that live in Lake Placid, New York. Lake Placid is a freshwater lake located in the Adirondack Mountains region of upstate New York. It is home to a variety of fish, including lake trout, landlocked salmon, and yellow perch, as well as other aquatic life such as turtles, frogs, and water snakes. While alligators and crocodiles are typically associated with warmer climates and freshwater or brackish habitats, they are not native to the Adirondack region, and there have been no reported sightings of crocodiles in Lake Placid.

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LPN: What was the most famous hockey game in the history of Lake Placid, New York?

ChatGPT: The most famous hockey game in the history of Lake Placid, New York is undoubtedly the “Miracle on Ice” game that took place during the 1980 Winter Olympics. The game was played between the United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid.

At the time, the Soviet Union was considered to be the dominant force in international ice hockey, having won the gold medal in six of the previous seven Olympic games. The United States team, made up mostly of amateur and collegiate players, was seen as a significant underdog going into the game … and the U.S. went on to win the game 4-3.

The “Miracle on Ice” victory was an enormous upset and is widely considered to be one of the greatest moments in sports history. The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal, defeating Finland in the final game, and the 1980 Winter Olympics are still remembered fondly by sports fans around the world.

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LPN: How do you define mud season in the Adirondack Park?

ChatGPT: Mud season is a term used to describe a period of time in the Adirondack Park, typically in the early spring, when the snow and ice begin to melt, and the ground becomes wet and muddy. The exact timing of mud season can vary depending on the weather conditions in any given year, but it generally lasts from late March to early May.

During mud season, the ground is often too soft and wet for hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. Trails can become muddy and slippery, and vehicles can get stuck on unpaved roads. As a result, many outdoor enthusiasts choose to stay off the trails and roads during mud season to avoid damaging them or creating further erosion.

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LPN: Where are the most affordable towns to rent apartments or buy homes in the Adirondack Park?

ChatGPT: The Adirondack Park is a large and diverse area, spanning more than six million acres in Upstate New York. The affordability of towns within the Adirondack Park can vary greatly depending on location, amenities, and other factors. However, here are a few towns that may offer relatively more affordable options for renting apartments or buying homes:

1. Tupper Lake

2. Saranac Lake

3. Malone

(Fact check: Malone is just north of the Adirondack Park boundary line.)

4. Indian Lake

It’s important to note that these are just a few examples, and there are many other towns within the Adirondack Park that may offer affordable housing options. It’s always a good idea to do your own research and explore different areas to find the one that best fits your needs and budget.

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LPN: Where are the most expensive towns to rent apartments or buy homes in the Adirondack Park?

ChatGPT: The Adirondack Park is a vast and diverse area, so the cost of living in different towns and villages can vary significantly. However, here are a few towns that are generally considered to be among the more expensive areas in the Adirondacks:

1. Lake Placid

2. Keene

3. Bolton Landing

4. Lake George

Again, it’s important to note that these are just a few examples, and there are many other towns and villages within the Adirondack Park that may have higher or lower costs of living depending on a variety of factors.