Little Red Riding Wolf of Wall Street

Fairytale fiction with ChatGPT and Hayao Miyazaki on Human Connection

Following the hype of ChatGPT in most media outlets over the past few weeks, I found it imperative to try it out for myself and not just read second-hand accounts of what it’s like. Here was one of the first things I tried out:

Little Red Riding Wolf of Wall Street

The AI-generated modern retelling of a fairy tale.

My ChatGPT Prompt: “write a story between that's a modern retelling of little red riding hood but taking place in a city and the wolf is a wall street hedge fund manager”

Once upon a time, in a bustling city, there lived a young woman named Red. She lived with her grandmother, a sweet old lady who had raised Red since she was a little girl. Red was a determined young woman who had just started working at a local cafe as a waitress. She was saving up to go to college and make something of herself.

One day, Red received a call from her grandmother who told her that she wasn't feeling well and needed some soup to feel better. Without hesitation, Red set out to bring her grandmother the soup, but she was stopped by a smooth-talking man in a tailored suit. He introduced himself as Wolf, a hedge fund manager on Wall Street. Wolf offered to escort Red to her grandmother's apartment, saying that the streets were not safe for a young woman to be walking alone.

Red, who had heard of Wolf's reputation as a successful and cunning businessman, accepted his offer. As they walked, Wolf regaled Red with stories of his wealth and power. Red couldn't help but be impressed by his charismatic personality and charm.

When they finally arrived at her grandmother's apartment, Red was shocked to see the state her grandmother was in. She was weak and fragile, lying in bed, barely able to move. Red immediately set to work making the soup and feeding it to her grandmother. But as she was doing so, she noticed that her grandmother's voice seemed different, deeper and more sinister.

Red looked up, only to see that her grandmother had been replaced by none other than Wolf himself! He had tricked Red into bringing him to her grandmother's apartment, where he could carry out his evil plan. Red realized too late that she had fallen for Wolf's trap.

Wolf revealed himself to be a greedy and manipulative businessman who used his power to take advantage of those around him. He had no mercy for the people he stepped on in his quest for wealth and success. And now, he had set his sights on Red's grandmother's apartment, which was located in a prime spot in the city.

But Red was not one to be easily defeated. She had grown up tough, surviving on her own and working hard to get where she was. She refused to let Wolf get the better of her. Red used her wit and resourcefulness to outsmart Wolf and escape his grasp.

Red ran as fast as she could back to the cafe, where she called the police and told them everything that had happened. The police rushed to the scene, and Wolf was soon arrested for his crimes. Red's bravery and determination had saved her grandmother's home and brought a notorious criminal to justice.

Red learned that there were wolves in sheep's clothing all around her, but she also learned that it was important to trust her instincts and never give up. She continued to work hard and eventually went to college, where she studied business and finance. She became a successful investor, using her knowledge to help people, not to manipulate and exploit them.

And so, Red lived happily ever after, knowing that she had made a difference in the world and that she would never let anyone take advantage of her again. She had proven that even in a city full of powerful people, a young woman with determination and a strong will could come out on top.

Not that bad, right? But it’s simple. There are no beautiful quotes or insights to take away from the text. It’s the beginning of a storyboard. A help to perhaps move forward with an idea. But it’s flat and not nuanced. I’ve since read that you can generate more and more nuanced text by asking ChatGPT to write in the style of a certain author… that’s something I’m curious to try out at a different time.

Hayao Miyazaki on Human Connection

I came across the website Megan Dietz, and in her entry “What am I missing, who am I leaving out” I came across her thoughts on digesting the video below:

Miyazaki offers no middle ground on this. In his view, the whole reason to create art, or anything, is not to make money or push a technological envelope — but to dive into what it’s like to be a human being. Any new development that strips all that away — that cleanly deletes the pain and emotion and all the messy stuff that binds us together as living creatures — cannot be considered an advance.