by Curiosity – and opportunity – combined. I decided to try ChatGPT.
I asked, ‘Explain who will inherit in New Zealand if someone dies without a will, with a surviving spouse, and with 3 children, and if they leave more than $500,000 in property.’
See below – screenshot of the answers.
Spoiler alert – Kiwilaw does it better, using human brains.
The first answer was interesting. It had an excessively-narrow definition of ‘personal chattels’. It did get the division right – ‘personal chattels’ plus first $155,000 to spouse; 1/3 of the balance to spouse, 2/3 of the balance to children.
The first answer should have stopped at that point. Instead, it went on to say what would happen if the deceased left only a spouse (no children). It got that wrong. The remaining estate (above $155,000) is shared 2/3:1/3 with the deceased’s surviving parents, if any. Not with siblings or nieces or nephews.
The second answer is worse. It said the balance over $155,000 would be divided equally between the spouse and the children. Wrong. The balance is shared 1/3:2/3 with the children. If that sentence were omitted, the rest of that answer would be accurate .
The third answer repeats the error from the second answer. Still wrong. It rephrases some aspects – uses ‘remaining’ instead of ‘balance’. Sadly (if you hoped it would improve), it also adds and repeats the error from the first answer, asserting that – if there were no children – the balance above $155,000 would be shared with parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. Still wrong. It should have not mentioned it at all (as the question only referred to when there were surviving children), or confined the sharing to parents.
Conclusion
ChatGPT could be useful in preparing a first draft of a letter or article, as long as the human can check and correct any errors. If the human does not know the subject matter, ChatGPT will be lethal.
Cheryl Simes – 2 May 2023
