https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/meet-ghostwriter-a-haunted-ai-powered-typewriter-that-talks-to-you/ Skip to main content * Biz & IT * Tech * Science * Policy * Cars * Gaming & Culture * Store * Forums Subscribe [ ] Close Navigate * Store * Subscribe * Videos * Features * Reviews * RSS Feeds * Mobile Site * About Ars * Staff Directory * Contact Us * Advertise with Ars * Reprints Filter by topic * Biz & IT * Tech * Science * Policy * Cars * Gaming & Culture * Store * Forums Settings Front page layout Grid List Site theme light dark Sign in The ghost of Christmas presents -- Meet Ghostwriter, a haunted AI-powered typewriter that talks to you Custom typewriter hack uses Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and GPT-3 to dramatic effect. Benj Edwards - Dec 14, 2022 9:54 pm UTC Ghostwriter understands what you type and can automatically write responses using OpenAI's GPT-3. Enlarge / Ghostwriter understands what you type and can automatically write responses using OpenAI's GPT-3. Arvind Sanjeev / Ars Technica reader comments 41 with 0 posters participating Share this story * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share on Reddit On Wednesday, a designer and engineer named Arvind Sanjeev revealed his process for creating Ghostwriter, a one-of-a-kind repurposed Brother typewriter that uses AI to chat with a person typing on the keyboard. The "ghost" inside the machine comes from OpenAI's GPT-3, a large language model that powers ChatGPT. The effect resembles a phantom conversing through the machine. Further Reading OpenAI invites everyone to test ChatGPT, a new AI-powered chatbot--with amusing results To create Ghostwriter, Sanjeev took apart an electric Brother AX-325 typewriter from the 1990s and reverse-engineered its keyboard signals, then fed them through an Arduino, a low-cost microcontroller that is popular with hobbyists. The Arduino then sends signals to a Raspberry Pi that acts as a network interface to OpenAI's GPT-3 API. When GPT-3 responds, Ghostwriter noisily types the AI model's output onto paper automatically. Examples of Ghostwriter's typewritten output, which comes from GPT-3. Enlarge / Examples of Ghostwriter's typewritten output, which comes from GPT-3. Arvind Sanjeev GPT-3 is an AI large language model trained on millions of books and websites that statistically predicts which word is most likely to occur after being fed a prompt, which includes text typed by the user on Ghostwriter's keyboard. Depending on the input, GPT-3 can function like a chatbot or complete whatever text you feed it, including assisting with writing tasks or composing poetry. Advertisement While experimenting with the machine, Sanjeev realized he needed a way to control the creative "temperature" and response length of GPT-3, so he added two knobs and an OLED status screen just above the keyboard. Sanjeev also gave the machine a dramatic new gray, cream, and orange custom paint job. Sanjeev first teased Ghostwriter on December 1, but it's been months in the making. "The idea for Ghostwriter came in early 2021, inspired by Rob Sloan's Sci Fi writer," Sanjeev wrote on Twitter, "but it was difficult to squeeze time from my full time role at @Lumen_world, so I have been slowly spending my weekends working on this." I took apart my old typewriter and powered it using @OpenAI GPT-3. Meet: Ghostwriter, an #AI creative writing companion that lets you co-write stories on paper with #ArtificialIntelligence + . pic.twitter.com/t8rP9AW51q -- Arvind Sanjeev (@ArvindSanjeev) December 1, 2022 Part art project, part artisanal hack, Sanjeev wants Ghostwriter to make a statement about the relationship between humans and AI. Further Reading Twitter pranksters derail GPT-3 bot with newly discovered "prompt injection" hack "I wanted to create a mindful intervention that allows you to take a moment to breathe and reflect on the new creative relationship we are forming with machines," Sanjeev wrote. "The calm meditative interface of a vintage typewriter takes away all the digital distractions and takes us on an emotional journey through paper and ink." For more information on how Sanjeev created Ghostwriter, check out his full development thread on Twitter, which includes videos that detail the construction process. reader comments 41 with 0 posters participating Share this story * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share on Reddit Benj Edwards Benj Edwards is an AI and Machine Learning Reporter for Ars Technica. For over 16 years, he has written about technology and tech history for sites such as The Atlantic, Fast Company, PCMag, PCWorld, Macworld, How-To Geek, and Wired. In 2005, he created Vintage Computing and Gaming. He also hosted The Culture of Tech podcast and contributes to Retronauts. Mastodon: benjedwards@mastodon.social Twitter @benjedwards Advertisement Channel Ars Technica - Previous story Next story - Related Stories Today on Ars * Store * Subscribe * About Us * RSS Feeds * View Mobile Site * Contact Us * Staff * Advertise with us * Reprints Newsletter Signup Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered to your inbox. Sign me up - CNMN Collection WIRED Media Group (c) 2022 Conde Nast. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1 /20) and Ars Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). Ars may earn compensation on sales from links on this site. Read our affiliate link policy. 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