Trapped in Time

Matt Eastland-Jones Hello and welcome to Awaiting Prompt the AI podcast. Hosted by me, Matt Eastland-Jones...

Nick Short And me, Nick short.

Matt Eastland-Jones Each week, we'll take a series of prompts and put them into open AI's GTP3, and see what kind of story it spits out.

Nick Short We know how it's gonna start, but we don't know how it's going to end. Now, we are definitely not authors.

Matt Eastland-Jones We may need to give the AI a bit of direction on the way. But every single word is going to be entirely generated by an AI.

Nick Short We're just two guys really interested in the technology. We want to see what it can do and have a laugh at the stuff it can't.

Matt Eastland-Jones So if that sounds like fun, then tune in weekly for Awaiting Prompt the AI podcast. In the second episode of Awaiting Prompt, Nick and I asked the AI to write stories about New Years, resulting in some truly terrifying consequences.

Okay, so this episode, I'm going to go first. I've gone for 'write a script'. So hopefully, this is going to give stage directions and a bit more dialogue. I haven't given it a genre. But I have given it a relatively detailed prompt. So I'm interested to see where it takes us. I'm beefing... I'm going maximum length, I'm going for 3000 tokens. So...

Nick Short Oh my god, it's going to go forever!

Matt Eastland-Jones How many words is it going to end up being? And a temperature of a one. Right submit. Okay. So I explicitly told to write the script for the first act. I figured that would leave it... So, here we go. The first act, fade in, interior cafe, day. We see a cafe, busy with people, Mark and Jasmine, a young couple in love aren't together here. Mark "It's New Year's. Let's make a toast!". Jasmine, "Yes, let's!" They both raise their glasses but Jasmine looks distracted. Her eyes gaze out of the window to the street outside. Mark continued, "what's wrong?". Jasmine, "I don't know". Suddenly, there's a loud sound of sirens and yelling outside. A couple look alarmed. Cut to exterior, street, day. The street is in chaos. Everyone is running around in panic and the police are everywhere. Officer, "Everyone needs to stay inside". The camera zooms out to our two main characters to reveal the whole city in chaos. Cut to interior, Cafe, night. Mark and Jasmine are still in the cafe, but now it's night. They realise they've been in the same cafe for a whole day and are mystified. Jasmine, "What's happening?". Mark, "I don't know". We hear loud music outside like fireworks, Mark and Jasmine... music like Fireworks, it's just Katy Perry. We hear loud music outside, like fireworks. Mark and Jasmine quickly get up to run outside. Exterior street, day... what? It was night! We hear the sirens have stopped and the city is quiet. Everything looks normal. But it's now the next day and the clock stands at 12am.

Nick Short Sorry, how many days has it been now?

Matt Eastland-Jones It should have only been one day.

Nick Short It's come out and it's day and now it's next day.

Matt Eastland-Jones Jasmine, "it's New Year's Day". They both look into each other's eyes in shock. Suddenly, Jasmine's eyes filled with tears. Jasmine continued. "I remember. We're stuck in a time". Mark, "What?". Jasmine, "Every time a new year comes. It's the same day. We repeat the same year over and over again". She looks away in sadness. Mark, "Is that why we can't be together?". Jasmine, "Yes. Every time the year starts. We forget each other". Mark, sadly, "will we ever escape from this time loop?". Jasmine, "I don't know". They embrace each other, both hoping for a better future. Fade out.

Nick Short Oh my god. So I've got many questions. So every New Year's Eve...

Matt Eastland-Jones Yes.

Nick Short Well at the start of every new year, they go back a day and then... so they're stuck in a single day?

Matt Eastland-Jones No. The prompt was they relive the same year, actually, the prompt was that it was 2020. I figured it would lean into that. But I guess it hasn't.

Nick Short I thought it was like, it was a really roundabout way of going they just repeat New Year's Eve and they forget each other constantly.

Matt Eastland-Jones Well, the prompt was that they repeat 2020 and they don't know each other at the start so they forget, and then they meet again.

Nick Short That's a really good prompt!

Matt Eastland-Jones I thought it was pretty damn good!

Nick Short That's really good.

Matt Eastland-Jones It's a pretty good story.

Nick Short I love it! That's actually really sweet.

Matt Eastland-Jones Okay, let me expand then. I know where I want to take this.

Nick Short Oh, I want to know what happens like if they start to remember.

Matt Eastland-Jones Well, it's strange because they haven't forgotten each other yet. I don't understand, they shouldn't be self-aware already.

Nick Short Oh yeah, it's New Year's Day!

Matt Eastland-Jones Well exactly. What were their names? Jasmine and Mark.

Nick Short Jasmine and Mark.

Matt Eastland-Jones Didn't give them those names. You know what's going to happen. I'm gonna give them a prompt and on the second paragraph will be like, they meet each other again. Where's the drama? Alright, you ready? Okay. Right. I feel like I'm gonna have to give you some extra information that I gave the AI, because I thought I'd add something in funny and I think the AI liked it and decided to run with it. So my prompt was Jasmine and Mark forget about each other. Then they bump into each other in the street. They look at each other and feel like they know each other. I was wanting to get a meet-cute in there alright?

Nick Short Okay, you don't have to justify it. Alright. I just wanted it.

Matt Eastland-Jones Okay. Then this is my bit of a curveball because I didn't really know where I was going with the time loop thing. So then suddenly, then the robots attack. Their love is the only thing that can break the time loop, continue the story.

Nick Short Oh my God.

Matt Eastland-Jones Are you ready?

Nick Short I'm so ready.

Matt Eastland-Jones Exterior street, day. Mark and Jasmine quickly break apart as a group of robotic drones suddenly appear from the sky. They fire laser beams and explosions fill the air. People scatter and run for cover. Mark and Jasmine look at each other in fear and shock. Mark, "What's happening?". Jasmine, "I don't know". The drones are getting closer and closer. So Mark quickly grabs Jasmine's hand and they start to run. Cut to exterior Park Day. They reached apart and quickly hide behind a tree. Mark, panting, "We need to get out of here". Jasmine, "But how?". Mark, "I don't know". They don't know much.

Nick Short But that's because of the time loop, they've forgotten.

Matt Eastland-Jones Oh, there we go. He looks around desperately and then notices something on the ground. He grabs it and holds up.

Nick Short What is it?

Matt Eastland-Jones It's a rose! Mark continues, "look a rose! We can use it as a symbol of our love and break the time loop to escape". Jasmine, "Do you think it will work?". Mark, "I don't know".

Unknown Speaker Does he know anything? Come on Mark!

Matt Eastland-Jones But it's worth a try. Jasmine smiling, "Let's do it". Jasmine takes Mark's hand and together they put the rose in the centre of the park and join hands. Mark, "our love will be strong enough to break this time loop. Suddenly a portal appears and they're both pulled in. Cut to exterior city, day. We see Mark and Jasmine standing in a different city with no sign of the robots. They look around and then at each other in amazement. They are finally free. Mark, "We did it". They embrace each other, finally able to start a new life together. The end.

Nick Short I love it. I love it. They step through a portal there are no robots and they go our problems are solved. Where are they?

Matt Eastland-Jones Amazing.

Nick Short Oh my god. I love it.

Matt Eastland-Jones I think yeah, scripts, it's the nonsense.

Nick Short There's something about it.

Matt Eastland-Jones I think it's the dialogue.

Nick Short Because your temperature is up to one right?

Matt Eastland-Jones Yeah.

Nick Short So it's also taking a lot more risks. I think the more information you give it either, the more it loses itself...

Matt Eastland-Jones Yeah. I think when you give it a really vague prompt, it comes up with an idea and it just runs with its own idea. I think when you get lots of prompts, it doesn't know how to connect them together and so you get the nonsense, which seems a bit counterintuitive. Give a title for this movie.

Nick Short Well, what would you call it? What do you think?

Matt Eastland-Jones It seems to enjoy names which are like have subtitles like sub-names so I'm gonna go with Drone Attacks: The Time-Loop Chronicles.

Nick Short Is that Attax spelt with an 'X'?

Matt Eastland-Jones Okay, give me a title for this movie. Trapped in time: The story of true love's redemption.

Nick Short Oh my god, I love it. I genuinely want to actually watch a proper film about this.

Matt Eastland-Jones I was really pleased with that prompt. I thought that I was like, Oh yeah, this is going somewhere.

Nick Short It was really good! Now onto my trash pile. Interior, apartment, New Year's Eve. The clock strikes midnight and there's a loud knock at the door. Sam opens to find a small firework standing there in all its glory. Sam, "what the hell on earth is going on?". The fireworks smiles and introduces itself as Eve. "Hello, I'm Eve. I'm here to light up your new year". Sam is lost for words. Probably because there's a firework talking to him on his doorstep. But mesmerised by the presence of this living firework. She invites Eve in, and as the clock continues to strike into the new year, they both get to know each other. Eve says, "It's been so long since I've been able to bring joy to someone. I've been too scared to leave for fireworks factory, and instead, I've been studying human emotions from the comfort of my place. It's really made me feel alive. I understand what it's like to love". Meanwhile, a match is outside, feeling lonely and forgotten. It observes the living firework and the human and is suddenly filled with hope. Suddenly, a spark is lit in the match, seems rather dangerous. A spark is lit in the match, and it finds itself flying through the air like a comet, as if being driven by an unseen force. It flies right into Sam's living room and lands beside Eve. Eve says "It looks like we have a new visitor here". Sam and Eve look at each other and wonder and seem to understand each other's love. But before they can make it official. A voice calls out from outside, "Eve we need to get you back at the fireworks factory ASAP!". Eve looks distraught and Sam beams with concern at the situation. I'm really concerned right now, like how do you beam with concern? Sam says, "Don't worry. I'll help you". With Sam's resourcefulness and creative energy, the two manage to find a way for Eve to stay. They create a makeshift home for her made entirely out of fireworks. So she... so she can be close to Sam and the match. Now the two are able to live a life of love without any interruption. The end. Now, that's a fire hazard, right?

Matt Eastland-Jones Definitely. Was that a rom-com between a firework and a human?

Nick Short So I asked for a rom-com between a living firework who falls in love with a match, but something keeps them apart. Oh, so maybe this is like the first episode of a whole series where the match is like... maybe, you know, maybe Sam comes to realise...

Matt Eastland-Jones It's a will-they-won't-they.

Nick Short Yeah, Sam realises that perhaps a pile of fireworks in your house when you live next to a match which is lit... there's something about that that is rather worrying. I also love how the firework has a name but the match doesn't.

Matt Eastland-Jones Yes.

Nick Short So I put, 'continue the story of how Eve and the match fall in love'. And all it added was 'and how Sam helps them overcome the obstacles in their way to find true happiness'. Now Sam is a real one. Sam is ready to help at every given opportunity. We're no longer in a script. Okay, we've now transformed into a book.

Matt Eastland-Jones Is this like the accompanying...

Nick Short Oh no, this is essentially the Wikipedia page for the film. Sam continues to help Eve and the match by finding ways to keep them together. So do you think Sam like realised that she didn't really have any feelings for Eve, but knew that match did and so they wanted to try and get them together?

Matt Eastland-Jones I think Sam probably realised that Eve was not particularly suitable.

Nick Short She had an explosive personality.

Matt Eastland-Jones Very good. Bravo.

Nick Short Thank you. Sam continues to help Eve and the match by finding ways to keep them together. For example, she organises the fireworks on either side of their makeshift abode. So that Eve can use them to visit the match anytime she wants. She also shows them how to use certain fireworks to send secret messages when they're separated. Imagine it right, it's three in the morning and you're like I want to send a message *fireworks noise*. One night when the fireworks lit up the sky, Sam and the match watch as Eve throws the fireworks into the air to spell out 'I love you' in the night sky. Sam and the match can't help but smile and soon find themselves falling in love... like Eve and the match. So Sam and the match are falling in love, like Eve and the match... For the rest of the year, the four of them spend every moment possible together, travelling....

Matt Eastland-Jones Wait, four of them?

Nick Short The four of them.

Matt Eastland-Jones Who's the fourth?

Nick Short The match, and the match.

Matt Eastland-Jones There's two matches now? Well, how else would they light the fireworks?

Nick Short Exactly! There are so many fireworks there's just spent matches everywhere. This is now like the eighth generation of match. For the rest of the year, the four of them spent every moment possible together, travelling, exploring and creating beautiful memories. They eventually find a permanent home away from the fireworks factory, where they can be together without any fear of separation. As they all look up at the night sky, they dream of creating their own firework show. One that celebrates their love and brings joy to the world and it says THE END in capital letters.

Matt Eastland-Jones Well it did have a happy ending. Yeah, that was an interesting one, I think.

Nick Short It didn't go anywhere that I thought it was going to... Happy New Year everyone.

Matt Eastland-Jones I'm disappointed with the time loop story, I think that had a lot of potential.

Nick Short I think that... that was... I want to see it.

Matt Eastland-Jones I'll start legitimately writing it.

Nick Short I want Domhnall Gleeson.

Matt Eastland-Jones Oh yeah.

Nick Short That might just be because of About Time. But I want Domhnall Gleeson and...

Matt Eastland-Jones Rachel McAdams still.

Nick Short Oh, it's just the exact same cast.

Matt Eastland-Jones It's the same cast.

Nick Short Bill Nighy plays his dad.

Matt Eastland-Jones Yeah, and plot twist is like the robot overlord.

Nick Short Bill Nighy plays every robot and they don't use any CGI. Like it's just Bill Nighy. And that's everything for this episode of Awaiting Prompt.

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