The Verdict is In: Bryce vs. BryceGPT Round 1

Okay, folks. The first round of the great AI show off is over, and 100% of people identified correctly that it was BryceGPT all the way. Interestingly enough, however, the reasons people gave for why it was wrong ended up being more the fault of Bryce than BryceGPT.

The most common reason given was that the rankings were off. People didn’t believe that I’d put the fast food places in that order. They doubted that I’d rank some so low and some so high and some at all. Ironically, that was all 100% due to me. Here’s the prompt I gave BryceGPT:

PROMPT START

Write a humorous blog post on my top ten favorite fast food restaurants.

First, write an introduction that I’m short on time today, but I’ve always wanted to get this list down on paper.

List these restaurants, in this order, counting down from 10 to 1. For each one, write at least 4 sentences of snappy, snarky justification for its placement. Play up the humor, but remember: I don’t drink coffee or alcohol.

(Before all of these, include a bit about the worst fast food chain: Arby’s. Bland meat bad)

(Honorable mention, Chick Fil A, because if I don’t include them, I’ll have to hear from all the Chick Fil A devotees, and I’m not up to that)

A&W (love the root beer. If only there were more of the actual restaurants in the US)

Pizza Hut (Tasty, but too heavy, though it was a frequent respite in high school)

Burger King (based solely on the ability to get a free crown on your birthday)

Cinnabon or Dunkin Donuts (readers can choose) (any excuse to eat that much sugar is a good excuse)

McDonald’s (because I worked there for two years)

Wendy’s (because yum frosty)

Dairy Queen (I’m a sucker for blizzards)

TGI Fridays (I ate there almost every week growing up, and they used to have cool cups with their smoothies)

Taco Bell (just don’t think about the meat too much),

Friendly’s (because ice cream. See a trend? It was also the piece de resistance when I was growing up, and I still have fond memories)

Chipotle (lots mexican food good)

Then, finish the post with a brief challenge: did I write this personally, or did AI do it for me? Invite readers to vote.

PROMPT END

So right off the bat, some of you will notice that that’s a heckuva long prompt. The idea was to have it rank how I wanted to rank it, but without me actually having to explain too much about all the decisions. However, because I worked so long on perfecting the prompt, I didn’t actually work much at all on the content of the list. I just did a quick glance over Wikipedia’s Fast Food listing, and picked some that stood out to me.

In other words, I didn’t try nearly as hard to create good content, so the end result was content that didn’t feel like me. It also screwed up the numbering, because AI didn’t want to count Dunkin and Cinnabon as one entry. Another big red flag was the fact that the subheadings were all really wonky, but by that time, I was fed up with perfecting it, so I just let it slide.

Some noted that the comparisons seemed pretty common. I actually thought AI did a pretty dang good job on them. The Burger King line, the bit about McDonald’s being like Walmart, and Arby’s being socks for Christmas were all really funny, and I could totally see myself as having said something like that. I did some Google searches to see if they’d been said elsewhere, and I came up with nothing. That humor felt very Bryce-ish to me and made me more than a little jealous.

So how big of an impact did BryceGPT have on the end result? It’s still very much a work in progress as I try to refine it, but for now, here’s what Vanilla GPT gives as a response to the same prompt:

A Fast Food Frenzy: My Top Ten Favorites

Okay, folks, I’m running short on time today, but I’ve always wanted to get this list down on paper. Fast food joints have been my go-to for quick, delicious, and sometimes questionable meals. Here’s my countdown of the top ten fast food restaurants, with a snarky twist. But before we dive in, let’s talk about the absolute worst fast food chain: Arby’s. Bland meat is just bad. Sorry, Arby’s fans, but your roast beef tastes like it’s been left out in the sun for too long.

Honorable Mention: Chick-fil-A

I couldn’t leave Chick-fil-A off the list, or I’d have to listen to endless rants from their devoted fans. So, consider them honored. Now, let’s get to the good stuff!

10. A&W

Oh, A&W, how I love thee for your root beer. If only there were more of your actual restaurants in the US! You tease us with your frothy, sweet, carbonated nectar, but make us hunt you down like a rare Pokémon. When I do find an A&W, it’s like winning the fast food lottery, complete with a fizzy prize.

9. Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut: where you can indulge in a slice of nostalgia topped with a layer of grease. This place was a frequent high school hangout, where the pizza was tasty but heavy enough to sink the Titanic. But hey, sometimes you need a carb-loaded anchor to get through the day.

8. Burger King

Burger King makes the list solely because of the free crown you get on your birthday. Who doesn’t want to feel like royalty while munching on a Whopper? Sure, their flame-grilled burgers are decent, but it’s the paper crown that truly makes you feel like the king (or queen) of fast food.

7. Cinnabon/Dunkin’ Donuts

Readers can choose their sugar-laden poison here. Whether it’s a Cinnabon with enough frosting to induce a sugar coma, or a Dunkin’ Donuts treat paired with a non-coffee beverage, any excuse to consume that much sugar is a good excuse. Who needs dental health when you have cinnamon rolls and donuts?

6. McDonald’s

Ah, McDonald’s. I spent two years flipping burgers and frying fries at the Golden Arches. Despite the grease burns and questionable life choices, I still have a soft spot for their fries and McFlurries. Plus, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried to clean a McDonald’s ice cream machine at 2 AM.

5. Wendy’s

Wendy’s makes it to the top five simply because of their Frosty. It’s a thick, creamy concoction that’s part drink, part dessert, and entirely delicious. Pair it with their sea-salt fries, and you’ve got yourself a meal that’s both satisfying and heart-stopping.

4. Dairy Queen

I’m a sucker for Blizzards. Dairy Queen’s magical ability to mix candy into ice cream and then serve it upside down is nothing short of culinary wizardry. Whether it’s Oreo, Reese’s, or some seasonal flavor, DQ Blizzards are a frozen delight.

3. TGI Fridays

TGI Fridays holds a special place in my heart because I practically lived there growing up. They used to have these cool cups with their smoothies that made me feel like a fancy adult. The food might not be gourmet, but the nostalgia is worth its weight in mozzarella sticks.

2. Taco Bell

Taco Bell: the place where you can get a taco for a dollar and question your life choices for free. Just don’t think too hard about the meat, and you’ll be fine. Their menu is like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but with more cheese and regret.

1. Friendly’s

Friendly’s tops the list because of their ice cream. Yes, there’s a trend here. Growing up, Friendly’s was the pièce de résistance of dining out. The memories of their sundaes still bring a tear to my eye and a pound to my waistline. Plus, their food isn’t half bad either.

The Challenge

So, here’s the challenge: did I write this personally, or did AI do it for me? Vote and let me know if you think my snarky commentary is too good to be true!

REAL BRYCE RESUMES HERE

Looking that over, I do think BryceGPT did a better job. While VanillaGPT has a couple of lines that are okay, mostly it’s generic fluff. (Or maybe that’s just me? Maybe all my writing is generic fluff . . .)

Anyway. Out of time for today. We’ll see how I do tomorrow, and if me learning more about the prompt process can make the end result a little more tricky to tell.