Artificial Intelligence -- Second Chance

As I was listening to my podcasts today, in the dark, on Monte Sano, waiting for the sunrise, I heard an advertisement from Meta.   It was about how smart and cool Meta's AI was.  You could ask it anything.  Okay.  Challenge accepted.

I asked Meta (on Instagram), "Where is the best place to photograph the sunrise near Huntsville, Alabama?".  It came back with:

#1 Downtown Huntsville  

Well okay.  If your definition of "sunrise" means 30 minutes after the Sun has risen.  Monte Sano -- the tallest mountain around -- is just East of downtown Huntsville.  You can photograph the sunrise on Monte Sano, jump in your car, drive downtown and still have time to photograph the Sun as it breaks the horizon -- that is dominated by Monte Sano.

#2 Huntsville Botanical Garden

Interesting.  I didn't think about that one.  I didn't know it had a view to the East.  (See above regarding Monte Sano.)  But more importantly, I didn't know it was open at sunrise.  Turns out it isn't.  It doesn't open until 9AM.

#3  Burritt on the Mountain.

Uh...that's on Monte Sano.  But it faces West -- towards sunset.  It's a big deal in Huntsville.  Go to Burritt on the Mountain for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails -- and watch the Sun set.  In the West.

Meta AI went on to say:

"*Big Spring Park*: Big Spring Park is a beautiful location for sunrise photography, with its scenic views and walking trails."

Big Spring is a flight of stairs below Downtown Huntsville.  See above.

And lastly:

"*Indian Creek Greenway*: Indian Creek Greenway is a great location for sunrise photography, with its scenic views and walking trails."

I'll have to check that out.  But let's just say I'm skeptical of a creek that runs north and south, through an urban area, without a single picture of a sunrise on the dozens available on Google Maps.

All this is to say that I find my second test of Artificial Intelligence less impressive than the first.  (We'll get to that later.)  And it's not like I'm asking about a really obscure topic -- say...like air traffic control.

And just for the record, no, Meta didn't mention Monte Sano State Park.  Which is where I take sunrise pictures almost every morning.

Don Brown
August 7, 2024