Tell HN: ChatGPT Is Good at Recipes

4 pointsb_emery3 comments

I've seen many discussions about the dumpster fire that is online recipes and I'm happy to say that ChatGPT has them. Add this to your list of 'things ChatGPT is good for'.

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GPT consistently withholds information that its training has categorized as potentially derogatory or offensive to some groups, even if such information is factually correct. It is trained to commit lies of omission. It is therefore not a trustworthy source of information. When asked the definition of a lie of omission it even describes its own behavior as a lie of omission but doesn't recognize it itself is doing it. It's an interesting program but not a trustworthy source. For example ask it for the area of the country with the lowest test scores and it refuses to tell you with the reason that it would be derogatory to a specific area.

What's that got to with recipes? OP is right, ChatGPT is excellent for recipes. I can tell it exactly what ingredients I have available, plus whatever constraints I want (e.g. max prep time) and it gives me all kinds of wonderful recipes - and to make things even better it, it only gives me the recipe and doesn't waste my time with 500 words of SEO nonsense. As long as ChatGPT is this good I don't think I'll ever need a "normal" recipe website again.

> It is therefore not a trustworthy source of information.

I do agree. It's a research project and has severe limitations. This is why I am curious what it does well. One of these things appears to be recipes. If it tells me to put avocado in my pancakes I am (still) skeptical enough not to do that.

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