ChatGPT: My foray into a writing-based AI

People occasionally tell me AI will replace editors, despite the fact that 15 years after the smartphone release I'm still fighting autowrong not to put an apostrophe in "its" and "were." There's a misconception inherent in the assertion, too, about what editors provide. More than mere mechanics, editing takes into account the context, flow, usage, and nuance. Word's editing feature wants me to change "enslaved people" to "slaves," for example, a term that has lost traction for a reason. The succinct word denies the emphasis on the humans kept in involuntary service. 
So I tested out ChatGPT. I asked it to write an article about penguins. Here are the first few paragraphs:

Penguins are flightless birds that are found in various parts of the southern hemisphere. There are 18 different species of penguins, each with their own unique characteristics and habitats.

The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all penguin species, standing at around 4 feet tall and weighing up to 90 pounds. They live in Antarctica and are known for their ability to survive in extremely cold temperatures.

The King Penguin is the second largest penguin species, standing at around 3 feet tall and weighing up to 35 pounds. They live on sub-Antarctic islands and are known for their bright orange and yellow markings on their head and neck.

The Gentoo Penguin is the third largest penguin species, standing at around 2.5 feet tall and weighing up to 15 pounds. They live on sub-Antarctic islands and are known for their distinctive white and black markings on their head and tail.

The Adélie Penguin is a small penguin species, standing at around 2 feet tall and weighing up to 11 pounds. They live in Antarctica and are known for their black and white plumage and their distinctive white eye-ring.

The Chinstrap Penguin is a medium-sized penguin species, standing at around 2 feet tall and weighing up to 10 pounds. They live on sub-Antarctic islands and are known for the thin black line that runs under their head, giving the appearance of a "chinstrap."

The African Penguin is a small penguin species, standing at around 2 feet tall and weighing up to 8 pounds. They are found along the southwestern coast of Africa, and are known for their distinctive black and white plumage and their pink patches of skin on their face.

The antecedent to the pronoun beginning the second sentence of each paragraph is "species." Singular. In US English, pronouns must correlate with their antecedents. So rather than they, the pronoun ought to be it. But does that sound right? No, it doesn't. As an editor I would like to rewrite the paragraph so that the antecedent is penguins (plural). 

Second, notice the structure? Each opening line is followed, precisely, by a sentence describing location and what the species is known for. Some people like this kind of repetition. Unless it is being used in a deliberate fashion, such as in a poem or oration, I'm not fond of it. There's a sing-songy feel, but the song itself feels like we sang it in kindergarten. 

Third, the GPT says clearly that the facts are not verified. I haven’t checked the average height and weight of the African penguin. Editors often do such fact-checking, looking beyond the first source the arises and looking toward more trusted sources compiled by professionals.

And I haven’t even mentioned the numerals where words usually go or the rampant capitalization.

On the good side, though, having ChatGPT generate some text is a way to get started. A blank page might not call out to me with instructions where to begin. I can see the advantage of using AI as a tool to help with writing, but not as a something that replaces human writing and editing.