Have you heard of Chat GPT? 

It has become an online sensation because of its ability to hold natural conversations but also to generate speeches, songs and essays.

In the most basic terms, Chat GPT is a conversational AI-powered chatbot designed to answer questions and respond to queries in text form in a way that sounds natural and human. 

Built by US firm OpenAI, it uses information from the internet to carry out requests and has been trained on back-and-forth conversations so it is capable of understanding follow-up questions, admitting its own mistakes and limitations and rejecting inappropriate requests.

So, we thought we'd try ChatGPT and see what it could come up with when asked to write news stories on various High Wycombe-related topics in the style of our very own Bucks Free Press.

The first request was more general than the rest, with Chat GPT asked to write a 400-word breaking news story about High Wycombe.

Bucks Free Press:

The AI could've written this about anything but decided to write a story about a major flood event causing 'significant damage throughout the town.

"Breaking news out of High Wycombe today, as a major flood has caused significant damage throughout the town.

"Heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours has caused the River Wye to overflow, leading to flooding in many areas of the town. Streets have turned into rivers, and many homes and businesses have been affected."

It then quoted a made-up resident called David Smith describing the scene as "unbelievable".

I then asked ChatGPT to write a story about a more specific topic.

I requested it to write one about potholes in High Wycombe.

Bucks Free Press:

The story resonated with articles the Free Press has recently written about, with another made-up resident called Emma Jones sharing her frustrations about the damage it has caused to her car.

Chat GPT also acknowledged the fact the council has allocated additional funding for road repairs, which is true.

We then asked ChatGPT about Primark's relocation plans too and if it knew any more details.

It suggested a quote from a Primark spokesperson, who said: "The new store will offer an improved shopping experience for our customers, with a greater range of products and a more spacious layout."

The new store will occupy a larger space and offer a wider range of products than the current store, making it a more attractive shopping destination for residents of High Wycombe and the surrounding areas, according to the Ai platform.

Have you tried ChatGPT?