月: 2023年1月

Struggles with ChatGPT: A Chronicle

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot and text generation software released by OpenAI in November 2022. The world is in an uproar due to its impressive ability to generate text. Feeling the need to keep up with the times, I attempted to download it myself, but I couldn’t get it to work.

Getting guidance from a friend from my school days

I’ve been exchanging emails with four classmates from my middle and high school days. One of them, S, works in the IT field and introduced me to the possibilities and strengths of using ChatGPT for information gathering. Intrigued, I tried downloading it several times but without success. When I consulted him, he kindly sent me a PDF guide on “How to Use ChatGPT” right away.
With his help, I realized the cause of my unsuccessful attempts. I had been doing fine until I entered “ChatGPT” in a Google search, but I missed the top result, “Introducing ChatGPT,” and accessed the sites from the second result onwards.

The second hurdle

After successfully installing it, a familiar screen appeared on my TV. As I started using it, I realized that the entire interface was in English, so I thought I had to ask questions in English. I asked, “I am Japanese. How to use Japanese?” and the response was, “Hello! If you want to use Japanese, there are several ways you can do it, depending on your goals and interests. Here are some suggestions: Learn the basics: If you’re new to Japanese, start by learning the basics of the language, such as hiragana…” In short, it recommended studying Japanese and even suggested starting with hiragana. It wasn’t useful for me, so I tried again.

I asked again, “I am a native Japanese speaker, and it is difficult to ask in English. Can I ask you in Japanese?” They kindly replied, “Yes, of course! Please feel free to ask in Japanese if you have any questions. I will assist you to the best of my ability.” After that, they provided an overly polite response to my question about the distance to the moon. It made me realize that I need to improve my questioning skills. S, please continue to assist me with my inquiries.

There can be both correct and incorrect answers.
When I asked about Kernicterus, one of the neonatal brain disorders in my field of expertise, it was mistranslated as “Nuclear icterus,” and the explanation provided was completely off the mark. In my blog post on May 3rd, I discussed the origin of Children’s Day in Japan. The response from ChatGPT had limited information about the history in Japan and mainly focused on its origins in China. It seems that the information within ChatGPT contains more Chinese-related content than Japanese. Nevertheless, I was impressed by the well-formed response. Text generation software powered by AI is just a tool, and its usefulness depends on how it is utilized.

I will attempt to translate my blog post into English:

I tried translating my own blog using the English translation feature of ChatGPT. To start with, I used my latest blog post titled “Manakai: Healing for Adults.” I was amazed by the instant output of the English text. It was able to translate the sentences that are often difficult to convey verbally. I thought this would be a useful tool, but I also had some concerns. So, I immediately reached out to my friend N, who is proficient in English and French from our high school days, and asked for her advice via email. I received the following response shortly after:
“Since it was translated by the intelligent AI, I think it should be fine. However, I feel a bit uneasy because I know you have some interest in children and have been discussing Dr.’s thoughts. Although the AI can accurately translate the text, I wonder if it can truly grasp the knowledge of each field or the emotions of the author? What do you think?”

I recalled an incident from my study abroad days in Paris.

When I saw my girlfriend’s comment, I recalled an incident from my study abroad days in Paris.
It was during my second year when I was told to write a paper in French, and I was desperately writing it with a Japanese-French dictionary in hand. I remember the moment I brought it to my boss. As soon as he glanced at it, he said, “I understand the meaning of the sentences you’ve written, but this is not a French paper.” In the end, it turned into a completely unrecognizable piece of writing.
Comparing that experience with the quality of the AI-generated text in this case, I strangely find it far more impressive. If I check for any mistakes in the overall meaning of the English sentences, it is much better than my own English. For a while, I’m thinking of relying on ChatGPT and continuing to translate my previous blog posts into English. I look forward to being able to share them with foreign students I communicate with through email, once the content becomes more substantial.

Lastly,

I would like to express my gratitude to my high school classmates and friends who have been checking on me through my blog, as it is thanks to them that I have come this far. I kindly ask for your continued guidance.
May 14, 2023.

再和訳

ChatGPT: 悪戦苦闘の記録

ChatGPTは、OpenAIが2022年11月にリリースした人工知能のチャットボットおよびテキスト生成ソフトウェアです。そのテキスト生成能力の驚異的な能力により、世界中で大騒ぎとなっています。時代に遅れを取らないための必要性を感じ、私は自分でもダウンロードを試みましたが、うまく動かすことができませんでした。

昔の学校の友人からの助言を得る

私は中学校と高校の時のクラスメートの4人とメールのやり取りをしています。彼らのうちの1人、SさんはIT業界で働いており、情報収集のためにChatGPTを使用する可能性と強みを紹介してくれました。興味を持ち、何度かダウンロードを試みましたが、成功しませんでした。

相談したところ、彼はすぐに「ChatGPTの使い方」に関するPDFガイドを送ってくれました。 彼の助けを得て、私の失敗した試みの原因がわかりました。Google検索で「ChatGPT」と入力していたのですが、最初の検索結果である「ChatGPTのご紹介」という項目を見落とし、2番目以降のサイトにアクセスしていました。

2つ目の障壁

成功裡にインストールした後、テレビにはなじみのある画面が表示されました。使い始めると、インターフェース全体が英語だったので、日本語で質問する方法を知りたいと思いました。「私は日本人です。日本語を使うにはどうすればいいですか？」と尋ねると、返答は「こんにちは！日本語を使いたい場合、目的や興味に応じていくつかの方法があります。以下はいくつかの提案です：基礎を学ぶ：日本語に初めて触れる場合は、ひらがななどの基礎を学ぶことから始めてみてください…」というものでした。私にとっては役に立たず、もう一度試してみることにしました。

もう一度質問しました。「私は日本語を母国語としていますが、英語での質問は難しいです。日本語で質問してもいいですか？」と尋ねると、親切にも「はい、もちろんです！どんな質問でも日本語でお気軽にどうぞ。できる限りお手伝いいたします。」と返答がありました。
その後、月までの距離についての質問に対して、過度に丁寧な回答が提供されました。これを機に、質問スキルを向上させる必要があることを実感しました。Sさん、引き続き私の質問にお手伝いいただけますようお願いします。

正解と不正解が存在することもあります。

私が専門分野である新生児の脳障害の一つである黄疸脳について質問したところ、「核性黄疸」と誤訳され、提供された説明はまったく的外れでした。
私のブログ記事である5月3日の投稿では、日本のこどもの日の起源について取り上げました。ChatGPTからの回答は、日本の歴史に関する情報が限定的であり、主に中国の起源に焦点を当てていました。ChatGPT内の情報は、日本語よりも中国に関連する内容が多いようです。それでも、形式的に素晴らしい回答に感心しました。AIによって動作するテキスト生成ソフトウェアは、単なるツールであり、その有用性はどのように活用されるかに依存します。

自分のブログを英語に翻訳してみました。

私はChatGPTの英語翻訳機能を使って、自分のブログを英語に翻訳してみました。最初に「Manakai: Healing for Adults」という最新のブログ記事を使用しました。英語のテキストの瞬時の出力に驚きました。口頭で伝えるのが難しい文を翻訳することができました。これは便利なツールになると思いましたが、同時にいくつかの懸念も抱きました。そこで、すぐに高校時代から英語とフランス語に堪能な友人Nにメールで相談しました。彼女からは以下のような返信を受け取りました。 「知的なAIによって翻訳されたので、大丈夫だと思います。ただ、あなたが子供に興味を持ち、医師の考えを議論していることを知っているので、少し不安な気持ちもあります。AIはテキストを正確に翻訳できるとは思いますが、各分野の知識や著者の感情を本当に把握できるのでしょうか？あなたはどう思いますか？」

パリ留学時代のある出来事を思い出しました。

彼女のコメントを見ていて、パリ留学時代のある出来事を思い出しました。 私が2年生の時、フランス語で論文を書くよう指示され、手には日本語-フランス語の辞書を持って必死に書いていました。私が上司に提出した瞬間を覚えています。彼が一目見るや、彼は言いました。「書いた文章の意味は理解できるが、これはフランス語の論文ではない」と。結局、全く見覚えのない文章になってしまいました。 その経験と今回のAIによって生成されたテキストの品質を比較すると、不思議なことに、AIの方がずっと印象的に感じます。英文の意味の全体的なミスをチェックすると、私の英語よりもずっと良いです。しばらくはChatGPTに頼って、以前のブログ記事を英語に翻訳し続けるつもりです。内容がより充実したら、メールでコミュニケーションを取る外国の学生たちと共有できることを楽しみにしています。

最後に、

私のブログを通じて私を見守ってくれている高校のクラスメートや友人に感謝の気持ちを表したいと思います。彼らのおかげでここまで来ることができました。引き続きご指導をお願いいたします。 2023年5月14日

再和訳文へのコメント

原文と比べ、的確に英訳され、また再和訳されていることがわかりました。英文についてはよくわかりませんが、再和訳文をみるとNさんの言われるように、言い回しが私の日本語とはかなり違います。私の文は私の文、私の日本語自体がずれているのかも。

2023年5月21日

New Style of Appreciation: Van Gogh Alive Exhibition

Upon learning about the highly popular Van Gogh Alive exhibition held at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, my spouse and I decided to visit with our daughter. Despite it being a weekday afternoon, there was a bustling crowd, and after waiting in line for about 30 minutes, we finally entered the venue.

The Van Gogh Alive exhibition presents a new form of art appreciation that combines synchronized images and sound projections from 40 projectors onto the walls, deviating from the traditional exhibition format of quietly observing artworks.

Instead of static displays, the famous paintings by Van Gogh come to life with videos showing flowers dancing, stars twinkling, and trains running. Van Gogh’s original works are already known for their strength and dynamism, and when transformed into moving images, these characteristics are further emphasized.

The majority of the attendees were from the younger generation, particularly female visitors. The venue was packed, and the lower half of the video screens were often obscured by the shadows of people’s heads, creating an atmosphere where leisurely appreciation was challenging.

It felt more like attending a concert by a popular idol group. I couldn’t help but feel a bit out of place, as if I had accidentally stumbled into the wrong event.
May 18, 2023.

震災から28年経ちました

NHKテレビでは、震災体験を風化させてはなるまいと、連日放映されています。身内に不幸のあった方には忘れられない日でしょうが、幸い家族全員が無事だった私には、すでに遠い過去の思い出となっています。

震災当日の思い出

私の記憶の中で、今でも鮮明に残っているのは、激しい揺れの中で布団を頭からかぶり、丸くなって、上下の揺れに身を任せ、「神戸に地震が来るなんてあり得ん」と自問自答していていました。

パジャマの上からセーターを手当たり次第に重ね着し、オーバーに身を包み、屋外に避難しました。しばらくすると夜が白み始め、すべて倒壊した家々の上から、六甲の山並みがどこからでも見渡せました。この地震のエネルギーなら、山が隆起するのも納得できました。

近所の人たちとの話で盛り上がる

寒空の下でしたが、近隣の人たちは皆な屋外に出、家屋の下敷きになった人々の救出、高齢者の避難所への搬送に当たっていました。一段落したところで、普段顔をあわせることのない近所の人たちとの話で盛り上がっていました。

当時、ボスニア内戦という泥沼の戦争が続いていました。地震による被害は一時的であり、戦争でなくてよかったと全壊した自宅を前に、自らを慰めていました。

防災、防衛と何かと恐ろしい話が多いですが、平穏な日々が続くことを願います。

2023.1.17.

Childcare facilities are like children’s homes.

As women’s social advancement continues, it is believed that the demand for childcare facilities will further increase. While support for families with children is discussed, it seems that support for the childcare environment, where children spend the majority of their day, is not being addressed as much. It is as if the issue of childcare facility problems has been resolved with the goal of eliminating waiting lists for child daycare.

Improving the quality of childcare

When accidents occur in childcare settings, it is often attributed to the lack of attention and coordination among childcare workers, and the introduction of IC devices becomes a topic of discussion. However, I believe that the primary cause is the absolute shortage of childcare worker capacity. Increasing the number of childcare workers is essential for improving the quality of childcare.

 With the warmth of their hands and a caring gaze

Childcare facilities serve as children’s homes. Childcare workers take on the responsibility of parenting on behalf of the parents and spend the longest hours with the children. They must protect the safety and happiness of the children, working in cooperation with professionals from various fields, including pediatricians.

Childcare workers are expected to provide an endless smile to the children. This requires “leisure” time. With the warmth of their hands and a caring gaze, childcare workers help children grow into compassionate and emotionally rich adults.

April 9, 2023.

Joyful Connection with a Junior Colleague

The other day, my junior colleague, Dr. Sota Iwaya, visited my house to show me a paper he authored that was published in the top medical journal Pediatric Research in the United States.

Our meeting was a result of my having more free time in my old age and wandering around aimlessly. I was invited by Professor Ichiro Morioka of Kobe University (now a professor at Nihon University) to join the neonatal jaundice research group, and he appointed Sota as my partner at the time.

Reemergence of Kernicterus that Once Disappeared

In the 1970s, severe jaundice in newborns caused brain damage (kernicterus) and was a major cause of death and cerebral palsy. In 1982, I successfully developed clinical diagnostic equipment (UB analyzer) for predicting kernicterus in a joint venture with Arrow’s Corporation President Y. Ogoshi. It was widely used and, along with advances in medical technology, led to a sharp decline in kernicterus.

For more than 30 years after that, kernicterus was rarely seen in routine medical practice, and young neonatologists lost interest in it as an old disease.

However, in the 21st century, with advances in neonatal medicine, the survival rate of small, very low birth weight infants weighing less than 1,000 grams has increased significantly. As a result, kernicterus began to occur again in premature infants, unlike in the past when it was mainly seen in mature infants.

Why I Returned to the Research Lab

Thirty years had passed since the development, and there were times when I worried that the UB analyzer had reached its limit. However, I remember feeling relieved when I found out that there were no cases of kernicterus at Kobe University, where strict jaundice management was being performed with the UB analyzer.

When the Morioka Group at Kobe University resumed research on jaundice management in very low birth weight infants, I was invited to participate. For the past 20 years, we have been reviewing the treatment guidelines used in medical facilities throughout Japan, with the cooperation of many medical facilities, and we were able to create a revised version in less than two years.

Passing on the Technique to My Junior Colleagues

The principle of UB measurement is somewhat complex. Although some neonatologists can use the data generated by the UB analyzer, there are few who understand the principle behind it.

The true aim of my return to the research lab is to pass on the principle of UB measurement to the next generation. Sota Iwatani was the one who was selected to be my successor. We started together from making the measurement reagents and I was able to pass on everything to him in almost a year.

Dedicated to Y. Ogoshi and H. Nishida

I am deeply concerned that both Y. Ogoshi, the developer of the UB analyzer, and H. Nishida, who worked tirelessly to promote it, passed away one after another recently. I would like to offer this paper in memory of them and pray for their eternal rest.

April 16, 2023.

The origin of ”Tango no Sekku”  by the AI-generated language model ChatGPT

There is news of the transition to the fifth category of coronavirus measures, which gives me a sense of liberation from the restrictions that we have been living under.

This morning, I went out to visit my granddaughter’s junior high school cultural festival. It has been a long time since I went out.

Most of the students are still wearing masks, but when I entered the classroom, I felt the vibrant energy of life that I had not experienced in a long time, and the bright future that they represent.

On the way to the school, I saw carp streamers swimming happily in the clear blue sky of May. May 5th is “Children’s Day,” which was established by the Holiday Law in 1948, replacing the pre-war “Tango no Sekku,” or Boys’ Festival.

I asked the AI-generated language model ChatGPT about the origin of Tango no Sekku, and it gave me the following answer within a few seconds:

“The origin of Tango no Sekku dates back to the traditional Chinese event called the ‘Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival).’ According to legend, in ancient China, the monsters of the rivers and seas, namely ‘dragons’ and ‘fish,’ tormented the people.

Then, a hero named Lu Bu, wielding the famous sword ‘Grass-Cutting Sword,’ defeated the dragon, and the fish were driven away with the ‘chimaki’ dumpling containing ‘ai grass’ and ‘shobu’ leaves. This event, which symbolizes ‘defeating the dragon and driving away disaster,’ became the origin of Duanwu Festival.

Another theory suggests that Duanwu Festival is held in memory of the Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who was exiled from his homeland and met a tragic end. To remember and mourn him, Duanwu Festival was established.

In Japan, Tango no Sekku, which was brought from China, eventually became established as ‘Children’s Day,’ a festival to pray for the health of families and the growth of children.”

While the answer provides little information about the history of Japan, it focuses mainly on the Chinese origin of the festival. Perhaps ChatGPT contains more information in Chinese than in Japanese. Nevertheless, I am impressed by its ability to produce such well-written and informative passages.
2023.5.3.

“The Healing Power of ‘Manakai’ – How Babies Soothe Adults”

I received an unexpected manuscript request from Professor Mamiko Ozaki, a leading researcher in the field of ant olfaction. She is working on a section titled “Attachment and Nurturing” for the upcoming “Illustrated Guide to Animal Behavior” and wanted to include the term “manakai” which I had previously discussed in my book “Enjoying Child Rearing”.

I myself also love the sound of this word “manakai”. When I see a mother and baby looking at each other and smiling, I can’t help but burst into laughter. It’s contagious and makes me smile too.

Infants are born with an innate ability to mimic facial expressions. When an adult smiles or sticks out their tongue in front of a newborn, the baby mimics the expression back as if reflecting it in a mirror. Unlike other mammals, human newborns are unable to cling to their mothers or nurse without assistance.

From birth, infants require attention and care from others, especially their mothers, to survive. It is believed that the act of mimicking facial expressions is innate in humans because it is necessary for survival.

Dr. Jushichiro Naito, a senior pediatrician known as the godfather of child-rearing, constantly emphasized that “the basics of child-rearing are found in ‘manakai'”. While the dictionary simply defines “manakai” as “the space between the eyes”, Dr. Naito used it to mean “eye contact”.

Not only does “manakai” refer to the act of making eye contact, but it also refers to the “pleasurable emotional connection” between a mother and child through shared gazes and smiles, which can be felt by those around them.

2023.5.11

わたしと囲碁

コロナの流行で自宅にいる時間が増え、囲碁を楽しむ機会が増えました。ケーブルテレビでは連日囲碁番組が放送されており、いつも観ています。

同年代の友人の誘いで、囲碁の市民講座に行くと、全員が高齢者で、私がちょうど真ん中くらいで、90歳を過ぎた方もおられます。

学生時代に流行っていた囲碁

私が囲碁の手ほどきを受けたのは父親からで、小学生の頃です。本気で囲碁に取り組み始めたのは学生時代です。当時は学生間で囲碁が流行っており、学生控室の碁盤には、絶えず誰かが向かっていました。放課後には三宮のガード下にある碁会所によく立ち寄っていました。代金は敗者払いなので、小遣いのないときには申告段位を下げたりしていました。

今日では、コロナを気にすることなく、パソコンで世界中の囲碁愛好者とネット対局が可能となっています。近い将来には、VR の世界で、部屋の真ん中に置かれた碁盤で相手と向かい合う姿を想像するとワクワクします。

AIが人間のトッププロ棋士に勝利

Googleの子会社、イギリスのGoogle DeepMind社が開発した「アルファ碁（AlphaGo）」
が、韓国囲碁界のトッププロ李世乭九段と対局し、AIを用いたコンピュータ囲碁が人間のトッププロ棋士に勝利したのが、2016年3月です。その後も、コンピュータ囲碁は進化し続けています。

AIが囲碁界に革命を

囲碁は、定石・手筋と言われる決まった形が尊重され、ある程度の経験を積まないと上位に入れませんでした。ところが、コンピュータ囲碁は誰もが手軽に活用・学習できることから、10代のプロトップ棋士の進出や女性プロ棋士の進出を引き起こしました。

今や、トッププロ棋士でもコンピュータ画面上に表示される「次の一手」の妥当性を信じ、学習しているようです。トッププロ棋士によるテレビ解説では、画面に表示されるAI の模範解答をベースに話される時代となっています。

人間が再びAI囲碁にリベンジ

AI囲碁も数種類開発されており、今も新しいタイプのものが開発中とのことです。人間と同じく、コンピュータ囲碁も、強気なAIや慎重なAIと個性のあるものが開発されているようです。
コンピュータ囲碁も所詮人間が造り上げたものです。

天才的な少年・少女が、AIの弱点を見抜き、再び勝利する日が来ると信じています。

2023.1.10.

Looking at roses makes me feel refreshed.

The roses at Honmaya Rose Park are now in full bloom. Every year, around the holiday season, they bloom in various shapes and colors. I particularly love the large, deep red roses. There are many different types of roses, with tens of thousands of varieties worldwide.

There are 150-200 species of wild roses around the world, all of which are found only in the northern hemisphere, including Europe, North America, China, and Japan.

In the early 1800s, Josephine, the wife of Napoleon, collected wild and cultivated roses from around the world at the Malmaison Palace near Paris, and had her gardeners crossbreed them, a groundbreaking achievement before the laws of genetics were fully understood.

As a result, while the French Rose Catalog of 1791 listed only about 25 varieties, by 1829 it had grown to 4,000. It is said that without Josephine, rose breeding would have been delayed by a century, and she is considered a pioneer of modern roses.

The roses at the park seem to change every year

2023.5.8.

　　　

七草粥の由来と春の七草

1月7日の朝、七草粥を食べられましたか。そもそも、なぜ七草粥を食べるのでしょうか？
唐の時代、毎年この日に、7種類の若菜を入れた汁物を食べて、無病息災を願うようになったのが始まりです。

この風習は、奈良時代に日本へ伝わり、年のはじめに若菜を摘んで食べ、生命力をいただく「若草摘み」の風習が、7種類の穀物でお粥を作る「七種粥」の風習などと結びつき、「七草粥」に変化していきました。
江戸時代には、1月7日は五節句のひとつ、「人日（じんじつ）の節句」として定着したそうです。

春の七草、「せり・なずな/ごぎょう・はこべら/ほとけのざ/すずな・すずしろ/春の七草」は、五七五七七のリズムに合わせて口ずさむと、覚えやすいはずですが、私はどうしても覚えることができず、メモ書きを持って母のお使いに行ったのを思い出します。
今では、パック詰めした七草がスーパーの店頭に並んでおり、随分と楽な時代になったものです。

2023.1.8. 県子育て支援