Bertsolaritza is undoubtedly one of the treasures of Basque culture. It’s sung poetry, full of warm and close-to-the-heart lyrics accompanied by melodies that fill our ears. You could say it’s one of the most human forms of art there is. So, let’s blend these two concepts.

We’ll carry out the experiment as follows: we’ll give the same instructions to bertsolari Jone Uria and ChatGPT; that is, we’ll provide them with a theme, a measurement, and the number of verses. Then we’ll compare their work and draw some conclusions. Who knows, maybe ChatGPT has been an expert bertsolari all along…

Note: Bertsos are a way of expressing oneself in Basque, and for this reason, we won’t translate their content. However, we’ll narrate the story below the original bertso.

Theme: “It’s Christmas Eve, the family is sitting by the fire after dinner. Amama (grandmother) begins to tell the same story she tells every year.”

Measurement: Habanera (8 syllables)

Number of verses: 3

JONE'S BERTSOS:

Grandma’s story always starts from the beginning. She tells us where she was born and where she grew up. She also mentions that when the war started, they moved to Bilbao, and she worked in a sweet shop. Even though it’s the same story every year, we don’t mind hearing it. Grandma talks about Grandpa, who passed away a few years ago; how he was sent to the mountains as a gudari (Basque soldier) and how he took everything with a touch of humor after he returned. Though she describes him as a very stubborn man, her eyes always fill with emotion when she talks about him. After that, a silence fills the room, and her voice softens as she changes her tone. Grandma says that one day she, too, will have to go, and it’s at this moment that her family reassures her: even if she’s no longer here, all her stories will continue to be told.

CHATGPT'S BERTSOS:

It’s Christmas Eve, and the family sits gathered around the fire. Once dinner ends, Grandma begins to speak, and even though we know where the story will go, we sit and listen to what she has to share. Grandma’s warm voice brings us together, reminding us of where we come from. Our dreams feel alive as we listen to the stories she tells us every year. It fills our hearts, and we sit silently, listening. Christmas Eve is beautiful. The candles are lit, and we listen to the familiar tales, letting our imaginations roam. Christmas Eve is magical, the family together, sharing stories.

What can we say… it seems that ChatGPT still hasn’t learned how to create bertsos, or, in other words, no one has yet taught it how. We also had to cheat a little here since ChatGPT required many adjustments to reach this final version of its bertso, and even then, it couldn’t offer us a quality product.

The technical aspects of the bertso are the first thing that stand out. All of Jone’s rhymes are well thought out, carefully connected. Those of artificial intelligence, however, are nothing like that. It changes rhyme every four lines, and sometimes, unable to find a rhyme, it invents new words. Does anyone know what the word “marrazur” means?

Our aspiring bertsolari also delighted us with a "poto”: “Denok begiak zabalik, hitz bakoitza hartuz erne, giro epel honek denok, lotzen gaitu betiko erne.” For those unfamiliar with bertsolaritza, breaking this rule is unforgivable.

The machine couldn’t even calculate the syllables correctly. In Jone’s bertsos, you can see that she sometimes joins two words with a hyphen so that phrases theoretically with nine syllables become eight, fitting with the melody. The AI decided to skip matching syllables, despite how insistent we were. Examples like “Amamak hasten duenean”, “Amamaren ahots beroak”, or “memoriak gogoan badi” each have nine syllables. As we mentioned, if some words had been joined, there would’ve been no problem, and the bertsos would be ready to be sung, but perhaps ChatGPT doesn’t know that trick yet.

Leaving the technical aspects aside, let’s dive into the warmth and heart of the two bertsos. Jone’s bertsos tell a story, giving us a chance to get to know amama, aitite and the whole family. They offer glimpses of the story being told, express the interest of those around, open doors to their home, and immerse us in that warm, Christmassy, family atmosphere. She also conveys emotions like nostalgia, loss and sadness, showing how these feelings can complement each other, emphasizing the humanity in these lyrics. What did ChatGPT do in comparison? Show us the opposite.

The bertsos are repetitive and lack a story; it’s a constant repetition of the theme we provided. It always begins by mentioning that the family is ready to hear amama’s tale, and from there, the narrative becomes incomprehensible. We don’t know what story amama is telling, no emotions are expressed, and it doesn’t allow us to enter the festive family setting. It’s completely artificial, devoid of any understanding of that atmosphere.

So, the conclusion is clear: artificial intelligence, or in this case, ChatGPT, will never be able to win a bertsolari competition. It will never be able to write based on experiences that a person has had or could imagine, nor can it create something that requires even a minimal degree of creativity. It will never compete with a person’s work.

All that’s left to do is to thank Jone for her magnificent, beautiful, and moving bertsos. Let’s keep relying on people to create such personal works.