I have marked this [OT] because is is not Apple AI or Apple in the wider sense, but it may be of general interest.
I wanted a decor change so got a bowl that's been hidden for years out of a cupboard. it's about 225mm diameter and 95mm high. The back says that the pattern is Chinese Dragon and Bird by M and Co and carries what looks like a Victorian pattern registration cartouche.
I felt I wanted to know more about it. So I decided to ask my (free) ChatGPT about it. I gave it pictures of the bowl and the backstamp. It came back at once to say it was made by Maddock and Co,.was in fact a Maddock Royal Vitreous bserving bowl, the cartouche was probably a trade mark and it dated about 1910-1920. We teased out some more with which I won't bother you but remained convinced by its basic decision.
Not entirely happy with this, I sent the photos to one of my sons who has ChatGPT+, specifically ChatGPT 5.8. That didn't respond in a flash - in fact it thought for over four minutes. It then reported that the bowl was Minton, the cartouche was a genuine (though obsolete) pattern registration for 19 March 1853, and my particular example was probably made in the 1920s.
I reported this to my ChatGPT, which dithered a bit and then said "If you are willing, I'd like to revisit the problem using documentary sources rather than
relying solely on the photographs." It then produced a result substantially the same as the ChatGPT 5.8 result.
I draw no conclusions, other than that I no longer trust the free ChatGPT. ChatGPT+ is too expensive.
Anyone else got a similar hallucination story?
On 03/08/2026 09:43, Old John wrote:Here's a pertinent example for your consideration:-
I have marked this [OT] because is is not Apple AI or Apple in the wider
sense, but it may be of general interest.
I wanted a decor change so got a bowl that's been hidden for years out
of a
cupboard. it's about 225mm diameter and 95mm high. The back says that the
pattern is Chinese Dragon and Bird by M and Co and carries what looks
like a
Victorian pattern registration cartouche.
I felt I wanted to know more about it. So I decided to ask my (free)
ChatGPT
about it. I gave it pictures of the bowl and the backstamp. It came
back at
once to say it was made by Maddock and Co,.was in fact a Maddock Royal
Vitreous bserving bowl, the cartouche was probably a trade mark and it
dated
about 1910-1920. We teased out some more with which I won't bother you
but
remained convinced by its basic decision.
Not entirely happy with this, I sent the photos to one of my sons who has
ChatGPT+, specifically ChatGPT 5.8. That didn't respond in a flash -
in fact
it thought for over four minutes. It then reported that the bowl was
Minton,
the cartouche was a genuine (though obsolete) pattern registration for 19
March 1853, and my particular example was probably made in the 1920s.
I reported this to my ChatGPT, which dithered a bit and then said "If
you are
willing, I'd like to revisit the problem using documentary sources
rather than
relying solely on the photographs." It then produced a result
substantially
the same as the ChatGPT 5.8 result.
I draw no conclusions, other than that I no longer trust the free
ChatGPT.
ChatGPT+ is too expensive.
Anyone else got a similar hallucination story?
An interesting tale, John!
Have you thought of asking the same question of Gemini AI?
https://gemini.google.com/app
I bounce all manner of things off Gemini, just to see what it says.
Most days I have to correct something it tells me, but it does now
remember our conversations!
On 03/08/2026 09:43, Old John wrote:
I have marked this [OT] because is is not Apple AI or Apple in the wider
sense, but it may be of general interest.
I wanted a decor change so got a bowl that's been hidden for years out of a >> cupboard. it's about 225mm diameter and 95mm high. The back says that the
pattern is Chinese Dragon and Bird by M and Co and carries what looks like a >> Victorian pattern registration cartouche.
I felt I wanted to know more about it. So I decided to ask my (free) ChatGPT >> about it. I gave it pictures of the bowl and the backstamp. It came back at >> once to say it was made by Maddock and Co,.was in fact a Maddock Royal
Vitreous bserving bowl, the cartouche was probably a trade mark and it dated >> about 1910-1920. We teased out some more with which I won't bother you but >> remained convinced by its basic decision.
Not entirely happy with this, I sent the photos to one of my sons who has
ChatGPT+, specifically ChatGPT 5.8. That didn't respond in a flash - in fact >> it thought for over four minutes. It then reported that the bowl was Minton, >> the cartouche was a genuine (though obsolete) pattern registration for 19
March 1853, and my particular example was probably made in the 1920s.
I reported this to my ChatGPT, which dithered a bit and then said "If you are
willing, I'd like to revisit the problem using documentary sources rather than
relying solely on the photographs." It then produced a result substantially >> the same as the ChatGPT 5.8 result.
I draw no conclusions, other than that I no longer trust the free ChatGPT. >> ChatGPT+ is too expensive.
Anyone else got a similar hallucination story?
An interesting tale, John!
Have you thought of asking the same question of Gemini AI?
https://gemini.google.com/app
I bounce all manner of things off Gemini, just to see what it says.
Most days I have to correct something it tells me, but it does now
remember our conversations!
On 3 Aug 2026 at 10:53:39 BST, ""David B."" <David@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:
On 03/08/2026 09:43, Old John wrote:
I have marked this [OT] because is is not Apple AI or Apple in the wider >>> sense, but it may be of general interest.
I wanted a decor change so got a bowl that's been hidden for years out of a >>> cupboard. it's about 225mm diameter and 95mm high. The back says that the >>> pattern is Chinese Dragon and Bird by M and Co and carries what looks like a
Victorian pattern registration cartouche.
I felt I wanted to know more about it. So I decided to ask my (free) ChatGPT
about it. I gave it pictures of the bowl and the backstamp. It came back at >>> once to say it was made by Maddock and Co,.was in fact a Maddock Royal
Vitreous bserving bowl, the cartouche was probably a trade mark and it dated
about 1910-1920. We teased out some more with which I won't bother you but >>> remained convinced by its basic decision.
Not entirely happy with this, I sent the photos to one of my sons who has >>> ChatGPT+, specifically ChatGPT 5.8. That didn't respond in a flash - in fact
it thought for over four minutes. It then reported that the bowl was Minton,
the cartouche was a genuine (though obsolete) pattern registration for 19 >>> March 1853, and my particular example was probably made in the 1920s.
I reported this to my ChatGPT, which dithered a bit and then said "If you are
willing, I'd like to revisit the problem using documentary sources rather than
relying solely on the photographs." It then produced a result substantially >>> the same as the ChatGPT 5.8 result.
I draw no conclusions, other than that I no longer trust the free ChatGPT. >>> ChatGPT+ is too expensive.
Anyone else got a similar hallucination story?
An interesting tale, John!
Have you thought of asking the same question of Gemini AI?
https://gemini.google.com/app
I bounce all manner of things off Gemini, just to see what it says.
Most days I have to correct something it tells me, but it does now
remember our conversations!
Just for fun, I did. It got it right, spot on.
I have marked this [OT] because is is not Apple AI or Apple in the wider sense, but it may be of general interest.
I wanted a decor change so got a bowl that's been hidden for years out of a cupboard. it's about 225mm diameter and 95mm high. The back says that the pattern is Chinese Dragon and Bird by M and Co and carries what looks like a Victorian pattern registration cartouche.
I felt I wanted to know more about it. So I decided to ask my (free) ChatGPT about it. I gave it pictures of the bowl and the backstamp. It came back at once to say it was made by Maddock and Co,.was in fact a Maddock Royal Vitreous bserving bowl, the cartouche was probably a trade mark and it dated about 1910-1920. We teased out some more with which I won't bother you but remained convinced by its basic decision.
Not entirely happy with this, I sent the photos to one of my sons who has ChatGPT+, specifically ChatGPT 5.8. That didn't respond in a flash - in fact it thought for over four minutes. It then reported that the bowl was Minton, the cartouche was a genuine (though obsolete) pattern registration for 19 March 1853, and my particular example was probably made in the 1920s.
I reported this to my ChatGPT, which dithered a bit and then said "If you are willing, I'd like to revisit the problem using documentary sources rather than
relying solely on the photographs." It then produced a result substantially the same as the ChatGPT 5.8 result.
I draw no conclusions, other than that I no longer trust the free ChatGPT. ChatGPT+ is too expensive.
Anyone else got a similar hallucination story?
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