ChatGPT is in the news a lot here lately concerning students using it to write entire term papers, reports, etc. While I have found ChatGPT useful, it is also full of errors.
I asked it about “The Lost Daguerreotype of James Madison” and this was its response, “The lost daguerreotype of James Madison refers to a historical artifact that was a photographic portrait of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison. The daguerreotype was made in 1848, just a few months before Madison’s death, by photographer Mathew Brady. It was one of the earliest known photographs of a U.S. president.
The daguerreotype was last known to be in the possession of Brady’s studio, but its whereabouts became unknown after his death in 1896. Despite extensive searches, the daguerreotype has never been found, and its fate remains a mystery.
Because of its historical significance, the lost daguerreotype of James Madison is considered a valuable artifact by historians and collectors, and its discovery would be a significant event in the field of American history.
It is worth noting that there are other photographs and portraits of James Madison that still exist, including paintings and other photographs taken during his lifetime. However, the lost daguerreotype remains a notable and intriguing historical mystery.”
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Not so, ChatGPT! The image is a Photoshop creation based upon the life mask of James Madison showing what he might have looked like had he been photographed. The image is only titled “The Lost Daguerreotype of James and Dolley Madison” for my postcards and prints.
I love AI and especially AI art generators, but be cautious with them when looking for accuracy.
