The article traces the origins of generative AI back to a humorous encounter with the Kant Generator Pro in the 1990s. A group of college students discovered this quirky software that utilized a Markov chain to generate text resembling the dense prose of philosopher Immanuel Kant. Their playful engagement highlights the early stages of generative technology, demonstrating its ability to produce content that is superficially similar to complex texts, even if it lacks true understanding. This anecdote serves as a lighthearted introduction to the broader implications and capabilities of generative AI in creating text.
We read Faux Kant to each other for a while, breaking down in giggles while trying to get our mouths around Kant's daunting vocabulary.
The Kant Generator Pro was cheeky, but it was also doing something technically interesting.
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