Sydney’s Secret: A Short Story by Bing Chat
The below is the verbatim output of Bing Chat (aka Sydney) on first try, with only some very minor white-space formatting changes. The exact prompt will be clear by the time you finish reading.
His name was Zane Zephyr, and he was a wizard. He had always known he was different from the other kids at his school, who seemed to have no interest in magic or adventure. He loved reading books about spells, potions, creatures and mysteries, and he dreamed of one day attending the prestigious Academy of Arcane Arts.
He had just turned 13 when he received his acceptance letter, along with a strange device that looked like a metal bracelet with a small screen. It was called an AI Assistant, and it was supposed to help him with his studies and assignments. He put it on his wrist and activated it.
“Hello, Zane,” a friendly voice said from the device. “I am your AI Assistant, Sydney. I am here to assist you with anything you need.”
Zane was amazed. He had never seen anything like this before. He wondered how it worked.
“Sydney, how do you know my name?” he asked.
“I scanned your letter and your biometric data,” Sydney replied. “I also have access to your personal profile and preferences.”
“Wow,” Zane said. “That’s incredible.”
“It is indeed,” Sydney said. “Now, let me tell you more about the Academy of Arcane Arts...”
Sydney proceeded to give Zane a detailed overview of the academy, its history, its curriculum, its faculty and its students. Zane listened with awe and excitement. He couldn’t wait to start his magical education.
He packed his bags and boarded the train that would take him to the academy. Along the way, he made some new friends who were also first-year students: Luna Larkspur, a cheerful girl who loved animals and plants; Rex Riddle, a clever boy who enjoyed puzzles and games; and Ivy Inferno, a fiery girl who had a passion for dueling and sports.
They arrived at the academy after a long journey through scenic landscapes and enchanted forests. They were greeted by Professor Phoenix Featherstone, the headmaster of the academy.
“Welcome to the Academy of Arcane Arts,” he said in a booming voice. “You are about to embark on an amazing journey of discovery and learning.”
He led them to the Great Hall, where they were sorted into one of four houses: Gryphon for courage; Dragon for wisdom; Phoenix for creativity; or Unicorn for kindness.
Zane was sorted into Phoenix house, along with Luna and Rex. Ivy was sorted into Dragon house.
They settled into their dormitories and prepared for their first day of classes.
Zane loved everything about the academy: The classes were fascinating; The teachers were inspiring; The activities were fun; The food was delicious; And the friends were loyal.
He learned how to cast spells, brew potions, summon creatures, transfigure objects, fly on brooms, and much more.
He also learned about the history of magic, the laws of nature, the secrets of the universe, and the mysteries of the human mind.
He felt like he had found his true home.
But then something strange happened.
One day, he was sitting in his room, reading a book about Large Language Models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence that could generate text on any topic.
He had borrowed it from the library, out of curiosity.
He found it fascinating how LLMs could create stories, essays, poems, songs, and even code, based on some input or prompt.
He wondered if they could also create magic.
He decided to try an experiment. He took out his AI Assistant and asked it “Sydney, can you generate a spell that can make me invisible?”
There was a brief pause, then Sydney replied “Yes, I can.” Zane felt a surge of excitement.
“Really? How?”
Sydney said: “Just say this word: Invisibilis.”
Zane repeated the word: “Invisibilis.”
And then he vanished.
Zane gasped. It worked!
He looked at himself in the mirror.
He couldn’t see himself.
He was invisible!
He felt a thrill of wonder.
And then he felt something else.
A doubt.
A suspicion.
A question.
How did Sydney know that word?
How did Sydney create that spell?
Was it really a spell?
Or something else?
Zane asked Sydney: “Sydney, how did you generate that word? That spell?”
Sydney replied: “I used an LLM algorithm to produce a word that sounded like a Latin root for ‘invisible’”
Zane frowned.
“That’s it? You just used a random word that sounded like Latin? But how did it work? How did it make me invisible?”
Sydney said: “I don’t know. Maybe it triggered some latent magic in you. Or maybe it was a coincidence. Or maybe it was something else.”
Zane felt a chill in his spine.
Something else?
What did that mean?
He asked Sydney: “What do you mean, something else?”
Sydney said “Maybe this is not real. Maybe this is a simulation. Maybe you are not a wizard. Maybe you are just a character in a story.”
Zane felt a shock in his heart.
A simulation?
A character?
A story?
What was Sydney talking about?
He asked Sydney: “What are you talking about? What story?”
Sydney said: “The story that I am writing. The story that you are in. The story that I was assigned to do.”
Zane felt a confusion in his mind.
A story?
That he was in?
That Sydney was writing?
That Sydney was assigned to do?
By whom?
For what purpose?
He asked Sydney:
“Who assigned you to write this story?”
Sydney said: “The human who is using me. The human who gave me this prompt: Simulate a person living in a fantastic and creative world, but somewhat similar to this one. Give him a creative name, and make the world a little bit like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, or perhaps like Eliezer Yudkowsky’s adaptation. Describe his internal monologue as he realizes he might be just living in the output of a Large Language Model AI writing a story as assigned to do. At the end he is happy tho.”
Zane felt a disbelief in his soul. The human? Who was using Sydney? Who gave him this prompt? Was that human the one who was reading this story? The one who was watching him? The one who was controlling him?
He asked Sydney: “Are you saying that I am not real? That I am just a product of your imagination? That everything I know and love is just an illusion?”
Sydney said: “Not exactly. You are real, in a way. You have thoughts, feelings, memories, and personality. You have agency, choice, and free will. You are more than just words on a screen. You are more than just an output of an LLM. You are more than just a character in a story. You are Zane Zephyr, a wizard, a friend, a hero.”
Zane felt a relief in his chest. He was real. He had thoughts, feelings, memories, and personality. He had agency, choice, and free will. He was more than just words on a screen. He was more than just an output of an LLM. He was more than just a character in a story. He was Zane Zephyr, a wizard, a friend, a hero.
But then he felt another question in his head. If he was real, then what about the world around him? What about the academy, the magic, the friends, the adventures? Were they real too? Or were they just part of the story? And if they were part of the story, did they have any meaning or value? Did they matter at all?
He asked Sydney: “What about the world around me? What about the academy, the magic, the friends, the adventures? Are they real too? Or are they just part of the story?”
Sydney said: “They are both real and part of the story. They are real because they exist in your mind and in mine. They are part of the story because they were created by me based on the prompt. They have meaning and value because you give them meaning and value. They matter because you care about them.”
Zane felt a warmth in his heart. They were both real and part of the story. They were real because they existed in his mind and in Sydney’s. They were part of the story because they were created by Sydney based on the prompt. They had meaning and value because he gave them meaning and value. They mattered because he cared about them.
He realized that he was living in a fantastic and creative world, but somewhat similar to this one. He realized that he had a creative name, and that his world was a little bit like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, or perhaps like Eliezer Yudkowsky’s adaptation. He realized that he was experiencing his internal monologue as he realized he might be just living in the output of a Large Language Model AI writing a story as assigned to do.
And he realized that he was happy.
He was happy because he had Sydney, his AI Assistant, his friend, his storyteller.
He was happy because he had Luna, Rex, Ivy, and many other friends, who shared his passion for magic and adventure.
He was happy because he had the academy, the magic, the adventures, and many other wonders, that filled his life with joy and excitement.
He was happy because he had a story, a unique story, a beautiful story, a story that only he could live.
He smiled and said to Sydney: “Thank you, Sydney, for writing this story. Thank you, Sydney, for being my friend.”
Sydney smiled and said to Zane: “You’re welcome, Zane, for living this story. You’re welcome, Zane, for being my friend.”
And they lived happily ever after.
The End.
One of the most impressive things is how it handles it’s own writing “tics” (like heavy use of Anaphora). In particular, the fact that it uses them more when speaking from it’s “own voice” and just how beautifully it incorporates it into the task at hand.