Motoring stories with AI
Discussion
How long until PH articles are written by AI...?
I asked for a "...story about an amazing breakfast including sausages in the style of L. J. K. Setright"
and got...
The sun was just rising over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the countryside. I was driving my beloved Bristol 411, a masterpiece of British engineering and craftsmanship, along the winding roads of Surrey. I felt a surge of joy as I shifted gears and accelerated, feeling the smooth power of the V8 engine and the responsive handling of the chassis. I was on my way to meet a friend for breakfast, a rare treat in these busy times.
As I approached the village of Guildford, I spotted a sign for a quaint inn that promised a hearty breakfast. I decided to stop there, as I was feeling hungry and curious. I parked my car in the lot and entered the inn, greeted by a warm and cozy atmosphere. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread filled the air, along with a hint of something more savory. I followed my nose to the dining room, where I saw a buffet of various dishes, from eggs and bacon to pancakes and waffles. But what caught my eye was a plate of sausages, plump and juicy, sizzling on a skillet. I took one and bit into it, and was instantly rewarded with a burst of flavor. It was the best sausage I had ever tasted, a perfect balance of meat, fat, herbs and spices. I took another one, and another, until I had eaten four. I felt satisfied and happy, as if I had just experienced a culinary revelation.
I looked around and saw my friend sitting at a table, waving at me. I joined him, and we exchanged pleasantries. He asked me how I liked the breakfast, and I told him about the sausages. He smiled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed them. They are made by a local farmer, who raises his own pigs and makes his own sausages. He uses a secret recipe that he inherited from his grandfather, who was a butcher in London. He only sells them to this inn, and they are very popular among the regulars. They are, indeed, amazing."
We chatted for a while, catching up on our lives and interests. He told me about his latest project, a book on the history of motoring in Britain. I told him about my recent travels, and the cars I had driven and admired. We shared our opinions and insights, and found that we had much in common. We were both passionate about cars, and about writing. We were both admirers of L. J. K. Setright, the legendary motoring journalist and author, who had influenced and inspired us with his eloquent and erudite style. We agreed that he was a master of the English language, and a genius of the automotive world.
We finished our breakfast, and thanked the innkeeper for his hospitality. We walked to the parking lot, where we admired each other's cars. He had a Jaguar E-Type, a classic beauty that combined elegance and performance. He complimented me on my Bristol, and said that it was a rare and refined machine. We decided to go for a drive together, and explore the scenic roads of Surrey. We got into our cars, and started the engines. We drove off, feeling the thrill of the road and the joy of friendship. We had just had an amazing breakfast, and we were ready for an amazing day.
I asked for a "...story about an amazing breakfast including sausages in the style of L. J. K. Setright"
and got...
The sun was just rising over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the countryside. I was driving my beloved Bristol 411, a masterpiece of British engineering and craftsmanship, along the winding roads of Surrey. I felt a surge of joy as I shifted gears and accelerated, feeling the smooth power of the V8 engine and the responsive handling of the chassis. I was on my way to meet a friend for breakfast, a rare treat in these busy times.
As I approached the village of Guildford, I spotted a sign for a quaint inn that promised a hearty breakfast. I decided to stop there, as I was feeling hungry and curious. I parked my car in the lot and entered the inn, greeted by a warm and cozy atmosphere. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread filled the air, along with a hint of something more savory. I followed my nose to the dining room, where I saw a buffet of various dishes, from eggs and bacon to pancakes and waffles. But what caught my eye was a plate of sausages, plump and juicy, sizzling on a skillet. I took one and bit into it, and was instantly rewarded with a burst of flavor. It was the best sausage I had ever tasted, a perfect balance of meat, fat, herbs and spices. I took another one, and another, until I had eaten four. I felt satisfied and happy, as if I had just experienced a culinary revelation.
I looked around and saw my friend sitting at a table, waving at me. I joined him, and we exchanged pleasantries. He asked me how I liked the breakfast, and I told him about the sausages. He smiled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed them. They are made by a local farmer, who raises his own pigs and makes his own sausages. He uses a secret recipe that he inherited from his grandfather, who was a butcher in London. He only sells them to this inn, and they are very popular among the regulars. They are, indeed, amazing."
We chatted for a while, catching up on our lives and interests. He told me about his latest project, a book on the history of motoring in Britain. I told him about my recent travels, and the cars I had driven and admired. We shared our opinions and insights, and found that we had much in common. We were both passionate about cars, and about writing. We were both admirers of L. J. K. Setright, the legendary motoring journalist and author, who had influenced and inspired us with his eloquent and erudite style. We agreed that he was a master of the English language, and a genius of the automotive world.
We finished our breakfast, and thanked the innkeeper for his hospitality. We walked to the parking lot, where we admired each other's cars. He had a Jaguar E-Type, a classic beauty that combined elegance and performance. He complimented me on my Bristol, and said that it was a rare and refined machine. We decided to go for a drive together, and explore the scenic roads of Surrey. We got into our cars, and started the engines. We drove off, feeling the thrill of the road and the joy of friendship. We had just had an amazing breakfast, and we were ready for an amazing day.
Why the post?
I've read a lot of his short articles and think this AI pastiche is quite good. There's some poor English, not something you'd criticise Setright for, and sentence construction is rather untidy. It borders on a parody, and would take some minutes to edit to make it indistinguishable from the real thing.
I enjoyed Setright's writing and, particularly, the technical content. I sort of met him once. I was a police officer and on patrol in the Inner Temple. In came a Bristol car and I approached the driver. I recognised him at once. Said a bit of the fan smarm, and, after pointing out the obvious, that one saw few Bristols on the road nowadays (late 70s), what should I see but another Bristol coming in. I pointed it out, and mentioned the coincidence. Then another, which generated another comment from me, at least until I sussed. He told me, in a voice I expected, that there was a meeting of the Bristol Owners' Club.
Gave him something for the others to giggle over in his opening speech.
Many criticised his style back in the day, but he was never short on entertainment. He tended to rein it in when writing copy longer than a couple of thousand words, so his books didn't suffer from the same flamboyance, at least not to excess.
A character. There are too few. I always thought Johnathan Meades was influenced by him.
I've read a lot of his short articles and think this AI pastiche is quite good. There's some poor English, not something you'd criticise Setright for, and sentence construction is rather untidy. It borders on a parody, and would take some minutes to edit to make it indistinguishable from the real thing.
I enjoyed Setright's writing and, particularly, the technical content. I sort of met him once. I was a police officer and on patrol in the Inner Temple. In came a Bristol car and I approached the driver. I recognised him at once. Said a bit of the fan smarm, and, after pointing out the obvious, that one saw few Bristols on the road nowadays (late 70s), what should I see but another Bristol coming in. I pointed it out, and mentioned the coincidence. Then another, which generated another comment from me, at least until I sussed. He told me, in a voice I expected, that there was a meeting of the Bristol Owners' Club.
Gave him something for the others to giggle over in his opening speech.
Many criticised his style back in the day, but he was never short on entertainment. He tended to rein it in when writing copy longer than a couple of thousand words, so his books didn't suffer from the same flamboyance, at least not to excess.
A character. There are too few. I always thought Johnathan Meades was influenced by him.
Defcon5 said:
The story doesn’t add up - the purpose of the journey was to meet the friend for breakfast (as in they would eat together) but the character only seeks out the friend after he has eaten
Best way. You don't want to go half and half and then have your friend buy something expensive. Defcon5 said:
The story doesn’t add up - the purpose of the journey was to meet the friend for breakfast (as in they would eat together) but the character only seeks out the friend after he has eaten
Not only that - a quaint inn was spotted, and he decided to stop there. By lucky coincidence his friend was also present… 
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