Engaging with AI: Teaching GPT-4 to Speak a Made-Up Language

Can an AI learn to converse in a completely fabricated language? This question led us on an insightful journey that showcased the adaptability and learning capabilities of modern AI language models. Join us as we explore how GPT-4, a powerful AI developed by OpenAI, engaged in a dialogue using a made-up language.

Experimenting with an AI’s Language Flexibility

We decided to test GPT-4 by engaging it in a conversation using a fabricated dialect—a phonetic twist inspired by a regional accent from western Austria. While our invented dialect had some similarities to German, it was sufficiently distorted to present a challenge.

The Initial Encounter

Our conversation began with a simple greeting:

Vastohst mi? (Do you understand me?)

Unsurprisingly, GPT-4 replied with confusion, recognizing the term as unfamiliar. It requested additional context, which we provided:

Es isch a ondre sproch. (It is a different language.)

Danke für die Klärung. In welcher Sprache suchen Sie Informationen oder Unterstützung? Ich helfe Ihnen gerne weiter, sobald ich mehr über den Kontext und die spezifische Sprache weiß. (Thank you for the clarification. In which language do you need information or support? I will be happy to assist once I know the context and specific language.)

Establishing Communication

To further articulate our point, we continued:

I verstoh di nit. (I don’t understand you.)

Es tut mir leid, wenn ich Missverständnisse verursacht habe. “Vastohst” bedeutet wahrscheinlich “verstehst” auf einem Dialekt. Kann ich Ihnen auf Hochdeutsch weiterhelfen? Wenn ja, lassen Sie mich wissen, wie ich Ihnen weiterhelfen kann. (I’m sorry for any misunderstanding. “Vastohst” likely means “verstehst” in a dialect. Can I assist you in standard German? If so, please let me know how I can help.)

The AI recognized our challenge and deduced that we were attempting to communicate in a dialect, potentially Swiss-German or a southern German variety. GPT-4’s next response demonstrated its willingness to accommodate different linguistic styles:

Du muascht learna mei sproch zsprecha. (You must learn to speak my language.)

Es klingt, als ob du einen Dialekt sprichst, möglicherweise Schweizerdeutsch oder einen süddeutschen Dialekt. Ich werde mein Bestes tun, um dir zu helfen. Was möchtest du genau wissen oder welche Informationen brauchst du? (It sounds like you’re speaking a dialect, possibly Swiss-German or a southern German dialect. I’ll do my best to assist you. What exactly do you want to know or what information do you need?)

Teaching the AI: Learning New Phrases

Determined to help GPT-4 learn our fictitious language, we provided foundational expressions:

Seas (Hello)
Wia gohtsch da? (How are you?)
Pfiat di (Goodbye)
Donkschen (Thank you)

GPT-4 was a quick learner, accurately repeating and integrating the new phrases into subsequent responses:

Super, das ist ein guter Anfang. Hier sind die beiden Sätze:

Seas – Hallo
Wia gohtsch da? – Wie geht’s dir?

Expanding Vocabulary

Continuing our linguistic lesson, we added more essential terms:

bit (please)
jo (yes)
noa (no)

GPT-4 continually impressed us with its ability to learn and recall words in our made-up language, demonstrating a high level of adaptability and understanding.

Creating Content: A Poetic Challenge

To push the boundaries, we asked GPT-4 to compose a poem in our fabricated language. Here’s what it came up with:

Sonnabluma

Sonnabluma, stolz und schee,
Strahlst im Liacht, wia a gelbs Mee.
Dei Blätter griagn nacha Sunn,
Mit dir im Gortn, find i Rua.

Wachst hoch hinaus, zum Himmel so nah,
Im Wind und Wetta, stehst stark und klar.
Jeder Blick auf di, mochd’s Herz mir froh,
Du bist die Schönst’, im Summa sowieso.

Mit jedem Strahl, den du aufnimmsch,
Zeigst, wia vui Leb’n in dir schimmst.
Sonnabluma, Pracht der Natur,
Bleibst in mein Herz, für immer pur.

While the poem intertwined both our fake language and German, it illustrated GPT-4’s efforts to adapt dynamically. Over time, its proficiency improved, albeit still leaning on familiar linguistic structures.

Reflections: The Power and Potential of AI

This exercise was not just entertaining but immensely insightful. GPT-4’s ability to adapt to completely new and unfamiliar language constructs is truly remarkable. It navigated through the nuances of the fabricated dialect with substantial ease and displayed a relentless willingness to learn.

”This was extremely interesting, insightful, and absolutely impressive. The AI, in this case, GPT-4, is incredibly good at adapting to a totally new and unknown situation. Great job, OpenAI!”

Join the Conversation

What about you? Have you had experiences with AI in uncommon or creative scenarios? Share your stories and thoughts with us in the comments below. How do you envision AI shaping our future communication? Let’s explore the possibilities together.

Until next time, keep pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve!