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I am a numbers guy, not that I am particularly great at complex math my recent studies of quantum computing have really called out how much math I have forgotten or never really knew.
However, I like to count things, And I like to be able to support my theories with data. Web search has historically been a go to for research, however with AI not only can you do searches but you can articulate what you are really trying to get an answer for, your goal, and it will often provide some good data but…..
Here is an example of how AI can provide conflicting answers.
In discussions related to sin I wanted to know some basic facts about what the Bible has to say. In the process I used AI to do some clever things in Microsoft Excel and wanted to share some insight on the discrepancies that AI can provide and show a real example of how one should be careful regarding the use of AI.
The research started with two simple questions that I posed to the AI engine.
- What sins did Jesus talk about, how often did He mention that sin, and what Bible verse’s are they. Provide the information in table format with columns: sin, frequency, verses.
- What sins does the Bible talk about, how often does it mention that sin, and what Bible verses are they. Provide the information in table format with columns: sin, frequency, verses.
Once I got the data I wanted to show the table and how the list differ from each other in some manner. Using AI to write some excel vba macros I was able to get it to draw some cool lines.
Here is the final product:
Note that the cool thing here is that AI cranked out the code in VBA to draw the lines for me in about 5 to 10min with several prompt updates.
I have been writing VBA code for this kind of stuff for years and years… and I certainly could have knocked this out myself. But it likely would have taken me at least a couple of hours. This is the power of AI that I really have embraced. Not only in work but for personal projects like this where I am researching some topic. This is a neat way of showing how items on two list move or change positions. Doesn’t really matter what’s on the list could be quarter back standings week to week.
Here’s the VBA code that the AI engine created. Note: it rarely gets it right the first time and I end up have to update the prompt several times to get a working solution.
Sub DrawLines()
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = ActiveSheet
Dim rngB As Range
Set rngB = ws.Range("B:B")
Dim rngF As Range
Set rngF = ws.Range("F:F")
Dim rngE As Range
Set rngE = ws.Range("E:E")
Dim cell As Range
For Each cell In rngB.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants)
cell.Value = Trim(cell.Value)
If rngF.Find(Trim(cell.Value)) Is Nothing Then
' value not found
Else
Dim shape As shape
Set shape = ws.Shapes.AddConnector(msoConnectorStraight, _
ws.Cells(cell.Row, "E").Left, cell.Top + cell.Height / 2, _
rngF.Find(Trim(cell.Value)).Left, rngF.Find(Trim(cell.Value)).Top + rngF.Find(Trim(cell.Value)).Height / 2)
' Add arrowhead
shape.Line.EndArrowheadStyle = msoArrowheadOpen
End If
Next cell
End Sub
Sub TrimWhitespace()
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = ActiveSheet
Dim lastRowB As Long, lastRowF As Long
lastRowB = ws.Cells(ws.Rows.Count, "B").End(xlUp).Row
lastRowF = ws.Cells(ws.Rows.Count, "F").End(xlUp).Row
Dim i As Long
For i = 1 To lastRowB
ws.Cells(i, "B").Value = Trim(ws.Cells(i, "B").Value)
Next i
For i = 1 To lastRowF
ws.Cells(i, "F").Value = Trim(ws.Cells(i, "F").Value)
Next i
End Sub
Sub RemoveAllLinesAndConnectors()
Dim shp As shape
' Loop through all shapes on the active worksheet
For Each shp In ActiveSheet.Shapes
' Check if shape is a line or connector
If shp.Type = msoLine Or shp.Type = msoConnectorStraight Then
' Delete the shape
shp.Delete
End If
Next shp
End Sub
Caution:
I suspect most everyone has heard the cautionary tales about AI. And here in this list is a real example of how things can run amuck.
Take for example the first sin under the left hand table. Jesus talked about Hypocrisy four times. But when you prompt the AI engine on that specify topic you get a different answer.
Prompt: how many times did Jesus talk about hypocrisy and what verses
The AI Engine Response:
Jesus addressed hypocrisy numerous times, particularly in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Here are some key verses:
New Testament References to Hypocrisy
Matthew
- Matthew 6:1-2, 5, 16 – Jesus warns against practicing righteousness to be seen by others.
- Matthew 7:3-5 – Jesus condemns hypocrisy, likening it to having a plank in ne’s eye.
- Matthew 15:7-9 – Jesus calls Pharisees hypocrites for prioritizing tradition over God’s commandments.
- Matthew 22:18 – Jesus accuses Pharisees of hypocrisy for trying to trap Him with questions.
- Matthew 23:13-36 – Jesus delivers a scathing rebuke of Pharisaic hypocrisy.
Luke
- Luke 6:42 – Jesus teaches that one must remove the plank from their own eye before judging others.
- Luke 11:37-54 – Jesus condemns Pharisaic hypocrisy and lack of justice.
- Luke 12:1-3 – Jesus warns against hypocrisy, stating that secrets will be revealed.
- Luke 13:14-17 – Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, exposing Pharisaic hypocrisy.
- Luke 20:45-47 – Jesus denounces Pharisaic hypocrisy and love of wealth.
Mark
- Mark 7:6-13 – Jesus critiques Pharisaic tradition and hypocrisy.
- Mark 12:38-40 – Jesus warns against scribes’ hypocrisy and love of wealth.
Other References
- Romans 2:17-24 – Paul addresses Jewish hypocrisy.
- Galatians 2:11-14 – Paul confronts Peter’s hypocrisy.
- 1 Timothy 4:2 – Paul warns against hypocrisy and false teaching.
- James 1:26-27 – James condemns hypocrisy and lack of self-control.
Jesus addressed hypocrisy at least 15 times in the New Testament, emphasizing the importance of sincerity, humility, and integrity.
Cautionary Result
So when asking AI to generate a table of sins we get Jesus talked about hypocrisy 4 times but when we ask specifically about hypocrisy we get that Jesus talked about hypocrisy 15 times.
Again the content here is not really the topic, it’s how we need to be careful with how we ask the questions and use the responses and how we verify the data that comes back.
Asking another AI engine reveals yet a different set of data but note the disclaimer.
Prompt:
create a table that counts the number of times a sin is mentioned in the bible with column headings sin, frequency in bible, bible verse’s ; include all verses in a comma separated list.
Response:
Creating a comprehensive table of every sin mentioned in the Bible is a monumental task. The Bible contains 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses and more than 783,000 words. However, here’s a sample table with some common sins:
Note: the differences in the two list asking the same question two different times.
Language Models that the AI engines rely on get better and better and more accurate over time but for now we are in the early stages of the science.
There are now over 1,800 models that various organizations have created. Most of us only interact with a few (ChatGPT, CoPilot, Meta.Ai…).
Prompt: what is the percent of usage of the popular AI engines
Response:
Here are some usage statistics for popular AI engines among developers in 2024:
OpenAI’s ChatGPT: The most widely used AI tool, with 82% of developers reporting regular usage.
GitHub Copilot: Used by 44% of developers.
Google Gemini: Used by 22% of developers.
Bing AI: Another notable tool, though specific usage percentages weren’t provided.
Visual Studio Intellicode: Also widely used, but specific percentages weren’t provided.
These statistics highlight the dominance of certain AI tools in the developer community. If you need more detailed information or have other questions, feel free to ask!
Note: this is for developers and not general usage but you get the idea. We only use a subset of the models out there. There is currently a lot of research and working going into fine tuning and upgrading the quality of the models. We can expect to see progressively better answers coming out of these models in the years to come. But even then, buyer beware.
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