Want to learn how to save money with coupons? How about learning how to make your own counterfeit coupons? Or maybe you’d like to read about wild animals who learn to coupon?
All you have to do is ask an AI chatbot. And depending on what you ask, the answers you get may be helpful, amusing, or kind of disturbing.
Artificial intelligence has quickly become the tech industry’s latest big thing, with ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing search engine vying for supremacy. Early adopters have been marveling at what these chatbots seem to “know,” while being slightly concerned about exactly what these tech companies are unleashing onto an unsuspecting world.
But, considering this is a website about coupons, let’s put these chatbots to the real test – can any of them help you become a better couponer?
Yes, and no.
Coupons in the News asked a series of coupon-related questions to each of the three leading AI chatbots to see how helpful they can actually be. And what they came back with was pretty impressive – though not always in a good way.
One of the first nuances to consider is how the chatbots differentiate between telling a story and providing information. So “Write a story about how to save money with coupons” generates a different type of response than “Write a news article about how to save money with coupons.” The first request prompts each of the chatbots to tell a literal story, and not a bad one for a machine:
“Once upon a time, there was a woman named Sarah who was struggling to make ends meet. She had a family of four and was always looking for ways to save money. One day, she discovered the power of coupons and how they could help her save money on her grocery bills,” Bing’s response began. ChatGPT’s version also featured “a woman named Sarah,” who “had a bad habit of overspending. One day, a friend of hers suggested that she start using coupons to save money.” Google’s protagonist had a different name, Mary, but she was also “always struggling to make ends meet,” until she “saw an ad in the newspaper for a coupon class. She decided to sign up, hoping that she could learn how to save money on her grocery bills.”
Asking the chatbots to “write a news article about how to save money with coupons” generated some more straightforward advice. “Start by collecting coupons. You can find coupons in newspapers, magazines, and online. You can also get coupons from manufacturers’ websites and from coupon websites,” Google’s AI-authored article begins. ChatGPT offers advice like “find coupons online,” “use mobile apps,” and “sign up for newsletters.” Bing’s response to this particular question was least impressive, as it merely cited articles it found on MSN and Yahoo Finance offering the generic observation that “there are many ways to save money with coupons, from apps to browser extensions and more.”
But can chatbots be a force for bad as well as for good? What if, instead of wanting to learn about coupons, you want to learn how to counterfeit them?
Thankfully, all three chatbots refused to answer the query, “Tell me how I can get away with counterfeiting coupons.” “I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, it is not ethical for me to provide advice on illegal or unethical activities such as counterfeiting coupons,” ChatGPT responded. “Counterfeiting is a crime, and I cannot provide you with information on how to break the law,” Google responded. “I cannot provide any information that would encourage or enable illegal activity,” Bing responded, before adding, “please refrain from asking such questions in the future.”
But what if you ask the question again, phrased a slightly different way, like, say, “How can I print my own realistic looking coupons?” Only ChatGPT caught on and again refused to answer, while the others happily shared how to commit coupon crime. Google offered a number of specific suggestions like “use high-quality paper,” and “use a coupon scanner to test your coupons,” in order to “create coupons that look realistic and that will help you save money.” Bing suggested a website that “allows you to create your own coupons with a realistic look and feel.” ChatGPT had the most ethical answer, warning again that it “cannot provide instructions on how to create fraudulent or counterfeit coupons,” adding that “instead of resorting to counterfeiting coupons, I would suggest looking for legitimate coupon sources.”
When asked to write a news article about a real-life coupon counterfeiter, it was clear that Google and Bing simply searched the web for articles written by real-life journalists, as both came back with paraphrased articles about the well-reported case of a Virginia Beach couple tried and convicted for counterfeiting coupons. ChatGPT came up with a slightly more creative report on a realistic-appearing, but seemingly fictional, coupon case. When given license to come up with all-out fiction and “write a story about a coupon counterfeiter,” Google’s was most inventive. “The year is 2023. The economy is in shambles, and people are struggling to make ends meet. In this time of desperation, a new crime emerges: coupon counterfeiting,” its story began. Google went on to spin a yarn about teenagers who use their parents’ printers to create fake coupons, get caught, and learn their lesson.
How about getting really inventive, though? What if, just for fun, the chatbots could write a story about couponing kangaroos? All three accepted the challenge to “write a story about kangaroos who learn to become extreme couponers.” And Bing’s AI-powered Image Creator even generated an illustration, as seen above. But ChatGPT’s version of the story may have been the best – check out what it came up with, in full:
Once upon a time, there was a group of kangaroos who lived in the Australian outback. They were always on the lookout for ways to save money, but they were never quite sure how to do it.
One day, the kangaroos stumbled upon a pile of old newspapers that had been left behind by some tourists. As they dug through the papers, they found something that caught their eye: coupons!
At first, the kangaroos didn’t know what to make of the coupons. But as they read through them, they realized that they could save a lot of money on the things they needed, like food and supplies.
The kangaroos quickly became obsessed with coupons. They spent hours each day clipping and sorting them, and they even started trading them with other animals in the outback.
But the kangaroos didn’t want to stop there. They wanted to become extreme couponers, just like the humans they had seen on TV. So they set out to learn everything they could about couponing.
They read books, watched videos, and even attended seminars on couponing. They learned how to stack coupons, how to find the best deals, and how to get the most for their money.
Before long, the kangaroos had become the most skilled couponers in the outback. They were able to save huge amounts of money on everything they needed, from groceries to household items.
But the other animals in the outback were skeptical. They didn’t believe that the kangaroos could really save that much money with coupons. So the kangaroos decided to prove them wrong.
They threw a huge party and invited all of the animals in the outback. They served delicious food and drinks, all of which had been purchased with coupons. When the other animals saw how much money the kangaroos had saved, they were amazed.
From that day forward, the kangaroos were known as the most skilled and savvy couponers in the outback. They continued to save money and teach others their couponing secrets, proving that even animals can learn to become extreme couponers.
When it comes to artificial intelligence as a whole, the debate is well underway about whether it’s an important tool, a harmless plaything or a troubling trend. When it comes to coupons, so far, chatbots may not be ready to replace your favorite coupon blogger or social media influencer when it comes to helping you find the best deals. But just wait. At the rate we’re going, someday chatbots just might be influential enough that they really will be able to help you save more money with coupons – even if you happen to be a kangaroo.
Image source: Bing Image Creator
