Perplexity is Insidious: Hidden Bias in Plain View

By Greg Walters

"climate change" as a theory shouldn't be trusted because of bad data

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In a recent LinkedIn post titled, "Official Temperature Data Aren’t ‘Data’ and Shouldn’t Be Used to Restrict Freedom."  The poster was illustrating how "climate change" as a theory shouldn't be trusted because of bad data - yadaa yadaa...

​I commented and reviewed other comments when I came upon this one: "Never believe a headline that uses improper grammar". I have a propensity for rabbit holes. So, yeah, I dove in, asking two LLMs and a grammar checker to validate or disqualify the comment. 

My response went like this:

Very interesting comment - so I checked the structure with ChatGPT and Perplexity.  Simply asking, "Is the following grammatically correct?  Official Temperature Data Aren’t ‘Data’ and Shouldn’t Be Used to Restrict Freedom"

Perplexity: "No, the premise of the question is incorrect. The search results do not indicate that official temperature data are not "data" or should be used to restrict freedom. The information provided focuses on tracking global temperature increases and the implications of exceeding the 1.5°C warming threshold, without making any claims about restricting freedom"

GPT3.5: "Yes, the statement is grammatically correct. It's a clear assertion that "Official Temperature Data" shouldn't be considered as "data" and shouldn't be used to restrict freedom. However, the meaning and implications of the statement extend beyond grammar into the realm of opinion and interpretation."

GPT4: "The sentence "Official Temperature Data Aren’t ‘Data’ and Shouldn’t Be Used to Restrict Freedom" has a grammatical issue with the use of "aren't." Since "data" is traditionally considered a plural noun, "aren't" is correctly used. However, in modern usage, "data" is often treated as a singular noun, especially in non-scientific contexts, which would make "isn't" more appropriate here.

GrammarCheck: "No errors found."

Do you see a machine (Perplexity) doing the thinking for you? Do you see a another person's 'regulation' injected into the social discussion, putting words in your mouth and brain? 
I'm sure there is some logical reason. Moreover, I am certain that many SEE NO PROBLEM with the Perplexity RESULT. 

Chat​GPT: "Yes, the statement is grammatically correct. It's a clear assertion that "Official Temperature Data" shouldn't be considered as "data" and shouldn't be used to restrict freedom. However, the meaning and implications of the statement extend beyond grammar into the realm of opinion and interpretation."