To both ChatGPT 4.0 and Google Bard, I issued two assignments:

1. Explain what Japanese haiku are.
2. Think of some haiku.

Since I communicate with both chatbots predominantly in Dutch, I also expect Dutch haiku.

Check out the somewhat surprising results on both of the following tabs.

A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. Traditionally, a haiku consists of three lines and 17 syllables in total, divided into a 5-7-5 pattern. That is, the first line has five syllables, the second has seven and the third has five again.

Haiku are often used to express a moment, impression or feeling related to nature. They are characterized by their simplicity, openness and depth. Originally part of a larger poem called renga, haiku are now an independent form of poetry.

And here some examples:

Zacht glanst het maanlicht
Rustig stroomt de brede rivier
Nacht fluistert geheimen

De bloesems vallen
De lente maakt plaats voor zomer
Cycli blijven draaien

Vlinder danst in licht
Bloemen wiegen zachtjes mee
Leven is een lied

Ochtend breekt weer aan
Zonnestralen strelen zacht
Begin van een dag

A haiku is a short Japanese poem consisting of three lines of five, seven and five syllables, respectively. Haikus are often about nature and are characterized by their simple language and powerful imagery.

The haiku originated in the 17th century, and is based on an older Japanese poetry form, the tanka. A tanka consists of five lines of five, seven, five, seven and seven syllables, respectively. The haiku is the first two lines of a tanka.

Haiku are often used to give a snapshot of nature, or to express a feeling or emotion. They can also be used to share a philosophical or religious insight.

This haiku outlines a snapshot of nature, and also expresses a sense of stillness and peace.

Haiku can be a powerful and concise medium to convey an idea or emotion. They are a popular form of poetry in Japan, and they are also becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world.

Here are some Dutch haiku:

De wind waait door de bomen
De bladeren vallen naar beneden
De herfst is gekomen

Een vogel zingt in de boom
De zon schijnt door de bladeren
Het is een mooie dag

Een kind speelt in het gras
De hond rent om hem heen
Het is een gelukkig moment

Een regenboog verschijnt
De zon komt door de wolken
Het is een teken van hoop

De nacht valt over de stad
De sterren schijnen aan de hemel
Het is een rustig moment

The explanation of haiku presented by ChatGPT and Bard obviously outlines the essence of this form of poetry. My impression, though, is that Bard is doing more work on it. This is not so surprising since this chatbot is from Google with, among other things, the most famous search engine that has been collecting, analyzing and repurposing huge amounts of information for many years.

As for the haiku devised by Bard and ChatGPT, I simply cannot imagine the algorithms used in them. The haiku are not copies of haiku stored in a database – that much is clear.

I see here a form of artificial intelligence that is unimaginable – at least to me; similar to the unimaginable (and often unpredictable) results of virtually all the illustrations on this website that I have had the privilege of developing in collaboration with the various art generators and that will continue to be developed.

Surely some aspects of the haiku generated here I see as lacking extensive knowledge of the Dutch language at both Google Bard and ChatGPT: at ChatGPT I saw “the moonlight” instead of “the moonlight. Bard placed a punctuation mark after each haiku line, and the number of syllables of the haiku regularly appears to be incorrect. As a result, most haiku at both do not quite conform to the 5-7-5 pattern. The definition of “syllable” is apparently still too tricky for the Artificial Intelligence on duty… I did correct the noted inconsistencies.

Even though I have worked in secondary education for over 30 years and taught Dutch, among other subjects, I do not dare to give both chatbots a grade (yet). The rating “very good” I dare to add. Maybe in a year’s time “outstanding” because developments in AI are moving fast, very fast.

If the two chatbots in the section above can handle haiku creatively, for example, .can I also entice an AI art-generator to visualize, say verbalize, a haiku with my input?

It seemed obvious to me to literally unleash the haiku posted above by Bard and ChatGPT on an art generator – DreamStudio in this case. Of the final result, you see below four copies titled with the first line of the corresponding haiku. You can view the rest through the Aitopic Art menu. And in this case, too, the underlying AI exceeds my wildest expectations. See for yourself!