AI vs IRL: A Barry Student Experiment On College, Dating And Slang
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Akili Smith
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely used and presents itself as a tool that can be used to help with problems and tasks. It's a system designed to use human intelligence to, well, help humans. However, is that artificial version of human intelligence able to comprehend the richness of shared language, culture and customs, especially when they are specific to the lived experiences of such a diverse group as Barry students?
In the game of — Is it Grits or Legit? — students go head-to-head with AI to see if AI can compete with the Miami heat!
ROUND 1: COLLEGE LIFE!
In this round, The Buccaneer investigated to see if ChatGPT understood the impact going to college has on current students.
Our first two participants were Perpetua Anurugwo, who's from Pennsylvania, and Saribel Martin, who is a native of Coral Gables.
When asked about the best part of being in college, Martin said, "The connections you make, honestly, because you get to meet people that are across different fields....I'm a pre-law major, but some of my close friends are bio and nursing majors. And those can be my future doctors and nurses.”
Anurugwo said that, for her, it is “establishing who you are, finding your niche, making connections, and putting in the work.”
ChatGPT's response was a little different, stating that the best part was “independence.”
Next, they were asked, “What area of life do you think college helps the most with?”
Anurugwo said, “College helps with making connections outside of campus. It helps with making sure that you have an idea for what you want to do and helps establish leadership roles. It really puts you out of your comfort.”
ChatGPT claimed personal growth as the answer, which does encompass career preparation, networking, social skills etc. This round concluded in a tie as AI was not far off.
ROUND 2: DATING!
This next round was all about determining if AI can advise on the dating experience, understand boundaries, and other expectations. Our next contenders were Rashiyah Wallace from Houston and Paris Mitchell from Philadelphia.
When asked about being ghosted, Wallace said, “If someone is being ghosted, I feel like they should move back and allow for that person to reach out potentially, but they shouldn’t continue to blow their phone up.”
Mitchell said, “I feel that you should reach out to the person and ask what the reason was...have them elaborate.”
ChatGPT comes up with a combination of both answers, stating, “Give it a little time first—sometimes people genuinely get busy. If the silence continues, send one calm follow-up message for clarity. If there’s still no response, take it as your answer and move on.”
They were then asked if it's possible for their partners to be friends with exes.
“I think they can be friendly, but it can never be a true, pure friendship, especially if they’ve had relations,” said Wallace.
Mitchell disagreed wholeheartedly.
“No, that's out the window. Only because I don’t feel like you should have certain connections or [ever] lose ties to your ex if... we’re in a consensual relationship.”
While their response seems to be a clear “no,” ChatGPT instead claims it’s possible, but it highlights the importance of boundaries.
Antonio Brown from Baltimore and his sweetheart Rafaela Jean Louis, who is Haitian born with Canadian nationality, played the game to give a couple's perspective.
In response to being asked about who pays the bill after a dinner date, Brown said, “It depends on who asked the person out or who makes the plans.”
Jean Louis said, “It depends on the occasion, but usually I don’t. I bring the money just in case, but the ‘big baller’ over here pays.”
AI answers by saying, “There’s no single rule” and explains how it differs from person to person.
FINAL ROUND: MIAMI SLANG
Let's now determine if AI is legit in understanding the language part of the culture within Miami. Our participants were Layla Espinoza from Richmond Heights; Kaitlynn McWhite from Pompano Beach, Broward County; Cardji Calixte, who reps both Miami-Dade and Broward counties; and Sidney “Sid” Thomas from Miami.
When asked about the meaning of the word jit (or jhit), ChatGPT surprised us by using it in a sentence including AAVE, stating: “That jit don’t know what he doing/I been knowing him since he was a jit.”
Espinoza explained, though, that there is a cultural nuance that is important.
“It’s teasing and I would say it means someone younger or someone immature,” she said.
Next was finding the meaning behind someone being "green.”
As Calixte puts it, “It means that you're being stingy...” McWhite said, “you’re dead wrong, you’re being fake” and Thomas adds it's a way of saying, “You ain’t have to do me like that.”
ChatGPT was far more literal, defining it as “acting inexperienced, gullible, or easily fooled.”
Then there's the meaning of “grits,” which means something is not seen as favorable.
"Over, it's done,” said McWhite.
Thomas said, “If something is grits, it‘s like that ain’t it.”
ChatGPT got it all wrong as it said it meant the complete opposite, which was “good or real.”
Lastly, what's Miami without a hint of Spanish.
Students were asked what “Dale” and the phrase “Pero...like” meant.
Espinoza explained that “Pero like” is a filler word that is often used in conversations “like how people use ‘uhm.’”
When it comes to “Dale,” McWhite said it meant, “Let’s go! Let’s go! Hurry up, let’s go!”
Thomas said, “I use it if I’m trying to hurry you up, like, Dale, let’s go.”
When asking ChatGPT, it stuck to the more formal uses, stating that “Dale” can vary from “Okay,” “Let’s go,” “Do it,” or the surprising —“Say less.” Apparently, “Pero like” just means “but like,” it said.
After reviewing the responses given from AI within the topics of slang, dating, and campus life, whether it’s legit or grits — at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. AI isn’t the be-all-end-all when it comes to knowledge nor is it always accurate.
While it may be able to automate many tasks, it will never compare to the human experience. It will never have butterflies in its stomach or go through a messy breakup. It will never know what it's like to turn in an assignment right before 11:59 p.m. or have to wake up early for an 8 a.m. class. And while it may be able to define Miami slang, it will never truly be from the 305 nor feel the Miami sun. Final score: Bucs 1—AI 0.
Comments