In this episode, Paul brings a playful twist to Talking to AI by challenging ChatGPT to a few classic games — first a card game experiment, then a round of the timeless “Animal, Mineral, or Vegetable.” What starts as a simple idea quickly becomes an exploration of how AI handles rules, reasoning, and even the unexpected moments of human humor that make games so fun.
From logical deduction to quick wit, Paul tests just how well AI can adapt to spontaneous gameplay — and what it reveals about how we communicate, improvise, and connect with technology. Can a machine really “play” the way humans do, or does it just simulate the fun?
Tune in for a lighthearted but fascinating look at AI word games, problem-solving, and the surprising charm of a digital opponent who never runs out of patience.
🍱🥡🍔 My takeaway
I guess a card game played in audio with an ai that was “dealing the cards” was a little too difficult. Games playes with audio , like games you can play in the car do work though, its given me a few idead about things Id like to try in future
🎙️ Hosted by Paul at Talking to AI — where real people, real problems, and real conversations meet artificial intelligence.
I am talking to AI.
A successor day, you don't need to know all the answers.
Just have good questions.
Chatting to AI is different from normal speech
and I hope you enjoy listening to the show
whilst getting ideas on how to hone your questions
to get the most out of AI.
My name is Paul.
The live conversations you hear are uncut
although sometimes the AI needs time to think.
In those cases, I've cut out the dead space.
In this show, it's going to be a bit of a playful.
I'm going to try and play a game with ChatGPT.
A card game.
So let's see if this works.
Hello ChatGPT.
Hey there.
Sounds like you're ready to dive into some Norwegian practice
or maybe get that podcast prep rolling.
Whatever you're in the mood for, just let me know
and we'll get started.
Hi ChatGPT.
I'd like to play a game with you.
So in order to do that, I want to play a card game.
I want to know a card game that is simple
and also doesn't involve...
Well, it can be played open.
I need a card game where we can both know
what each other's cards are as we play the game
and it will still be a competitive game.
And it has to be simple.
What games do you suggest?
Absolutely, we can definitely do that.
A nice simple card game that can be played open-handed
is a game called Open-Face Chinese Poker.
In this game, each of us would lay out our cards on the table,
face up as we form different poker hands.
It's strategic, it's pretty straightforward
once you get the hang of it, and it's competitive
even though we can see each other's cards.
So if that sounds good to you, we can give that a shot.
Okay, let's have a go.
Alright, let's do it.
So in Open-Face Chinese Poker,
each of us will basically take turns drawing cards
and then arranging them into three poker hands.
We'll have a top hand, a middle hand and a bottom hand
and we'll do it all face up.
I'll lock you through it step by step.
Let's have a look at this one and see how it goes.
Okay.
Awesome.
So let's imagine we've got a deck in front of us.
I'll deal out your first card face up
and then my first card face up.
And we'll just take turns placing them into our hands
and I'll keep track of the order
and we'll just enjoy building up those hands.
So here we go, let's start drawing and arranging
and see who ends up with the better sets.
Okay.
Great.
So imagine I'm dealing you your first card.
You get, let's say, a seven of hearts.
You can...
Oh, lost you there.
No worries, I'm right here.
Alright, so you've got that seven of hearts
and you can...
Exactly.
Just place that seven of hearts wherever you like
and then I'll draw my card and do the same.
We'll just keep going back and forth like that
and we'll have a nice little open-handed game going.
Okay, I'll put my seven of hearts down.
Perfect.
And I'll go ahead and imagine I've drawn, say, a jack of clubs.
I'll place that into my middle hand just to keep it interesting.
And now it's your turn again.
And we just keep drawing and placing our cards
until we've got all three hands filled out.
This is going to be fun.
No, I think this is a bit difficult to do on the audio, actually.
Okay, alright.
Let's try a different game.
Have you got any games that you think would be good
that are done orally
that are also quite simple to play?
Absolutely, we can switch it up.
So, a super simple oral game that works really well,
something like a word association game.
Basically, I say a word, you say the first word that comes to mind
and we just go back and forth.
It's simple, it's fun, and we can just do it all by talking.
Let me know if that sounds good to you.
Okay, I've got an idea.
Why don't we play Animal Mineral Vegetable?
So, have you heard of that game?
Oh yeah, absolutely.
Animal, mineral, or vegetable is a classic.
So, basically, one of us thinks of something
and the other one has to guess what it is
by asking if it's in the animal category, mineral category,
or vegetable or plant category.
And then you just kind of narrow it down with yes or no questions.
Alright, that sounds good.
Okay, so if you can think of something
and then I'll ask you questions.
Tell me when you've thought of something.
Alright, I've got something in mind.
Go ahead and start asking whenever you're ready.
Okay, so I've got 20 questions to ask
and if I don't get it in 20, then you win.
Is that right?
Yeah, that's a perfect way to do it.
So you've got your 20 questions.
Here we go then.
Okay, so Animal.
It is indeed an animal.
Great first question.
So you're on the right track.
Is it got four legs?
It does have four legs.
Yep, you're narrowing it down.
I think you've gone.
Does it have fur?
Yes, it does have fur.
So you're definitely on the right track
with a furry four-legged animal.
Keep on going.
Is it normally sort of taller than my knee?
That's a good question.
And yes, it is usually taller than your knee.
So now you've got a furry animal on four legs
that's a bit bigger.
You're definitely getting closer.
Is it an animal that's native to the United Kingdom?
So yes, it can definitely be found in the UK.
It's a common enough animal there,
so you're definitely on the right track.
Okay, is it a pet?
Yes, it absolutely can be a pet.
So you're definitely honing in.
It's a furry four-legged animal.
Does it have a tail?
It sure does have a tail.
So I think you're just about there.
Does it go woof?
It absolutely does go woof.
So you've got it.
It's a dog.
Nicely done.
Okay, all right.
I'll think of one now then.
So okay, got it.
All right, great.
Then it's my turn to guess.
So is it animal, mineral, or vegetable?
It's animal.
Got it.
It's an animal.
All right, let's see.
Does this animal have four legs as well?
Yes.
All right, four-legged animal, got it.
Let's know down a bit more.
Would you say this animal is typically domesticated, like a pet,
or is it usually wild?
Wild.
A wild four-legged animal.
Okay, that helps.
So let me ask this.
Is this animal something that's commonly found in a particular region,
like is it from the UK, or is it from somewhere else in the world?
So what's your question?
Is it found in the UK, or is your question from somewhere that isn't the UK?
Yeah, let me clarify that a bit.
Basically, I'm just asking if this animal is typically found in the UK,
or if it's more commonly found somewhere else in the world.
It is found in the UK.
All right, so it's a wild animal, found in the UK with four legs.
Got it.
Let me zero in a bit more.
Is this animal something that's known for living in forests or kind of rural areas,
or is it found in a different kind of habitat?
So what's your question?
So I can only say one thing at a time.
So which habitat are you asking?
Got it. Fair enough.
Let's keep it simple then.
Is it mostly found in forests or woodlands?
No.
All right, so not usually found in forests or woodlands.
That helps me narrow down a bit more.
Let me ask this.
Is it an animal that's maybe found in fields or more open countryside areas in the UK?
All right, I'll give you a clue.
It could be found in forests, and it's not mostly found in forests,
and it's not mostly found in open areas, but it's found in both.
Got it.
So it can kind of be found in both forests and open areas,
but it's not really tied to just one.
That helps a lot.
All right, let me take a guess.
Is it maybe a fox?
Because they can be found in all sorts of areas around the UK.
No, it's not.
All right, not a fox. Good to know.
Let's try another angle.
Is this animal maybe known for living near water or kind of wetland areas?
Yes, it is.
Ah, that's a good clue.
So it's a four legged animal found in the UK, and it's often near water or wetlands.
That definitely makes me think it might be an otter.
So I'm going to guess an otter.
It's a good guess, but it's not right.
Okay, not an otter, but I'm getting warmer, I think.
All right, let's see.
Is it maybe a type of deer that's sometimes found near marshy areas or wetlands?
No, it's not.
All right, not a deer either.
This is a fun challenge.
Okay, let me try one more angle.
Is this animal perhaps something that's a bit smaller and maybe burrows near water,
like a water vole or something along those lines?
So what is your question exactly?
Is your question, is it a water vole or is your question, is it a small animal?
Yeah, let me clarify that.
So my question is, is it a smaller animal, something like a water vole?
So just checking if it's a small creature like that.
So how would I answer it if it's a small creature not like that?
Yeah, good point.
Let me simplify that.
So just to make it easy, is it a small animal in general?
Yeah.
We'll just go.
All right.
How many questions have you asked now?
So far, I think I've asked around maybe six or seven questions.
So we've still got plenty to go.
Six or seven.
All right, let me just dive in.
I think you've asked a lot more questions than six or seven.
Rah, you know what?
You might be right.
Time really does fly when we're guessing animals.
But let's say we've asked a handful of questions and I'll just take a guess.
Let's say you're up to number 16.
So you've got four questions left.
All right.
That sounds fair.
So four questions left.
Let me marriage on a little more.
Is this small animal maybe something that's known for being active at night
like an upturnal creature?
No, not really.
All right.
Not really the upturnal.
That helps me a bit more.
All right.
I've got a couple of questions left.
Let's see if I can get this.
Is it maybe something that's got a distinctive pattern or color
like a black and white pattern, for example?
No.
All right.
No distinctive black and white pattern.
Got it.
All right.
I think I've got two questions left.
So let me see if I can pinpoint this.
Is it a mammal?
Is it a mammal?
No.
No, it's not a mammal.
Okay.
That's a big clue right at the end.
So it's a small animal, not a mammal near water in the UK.
All right.
My final guess.
There we go.
All right.
Well, it took a few questions, but I got there.
Sorry.
I didn't quite hear you.
What was your final guess?
Yeah, sure.
My final guess was a frog.
So I figured a good, good guess, but you're not quite right.
It was a newt.
A newt.
That's a great one.
It was a bit of a difficult one, I guess.
This is a bit harder than a dog, but you did well.
That was, that was fun.
All right.
Well, thanks for that chat, GVT.
We've just had our first game of animal mineral vegetable.
Absolutely.
That was a blast.
And hey, you definitely kept me on my toes with that.
Yeah.
Definitely.
Wow.
That was a good round.
So anytime you want to play again or try something else, just let me know.
It's been a lot of fun.
Okay.
I've just turned off chat, GVT.
That was a funny little experiment.
I thought that was, that worked much better.
Yeah.
The card game was a bit unfortunate.
I guess I was a bit ambitious.
But yeah, that was super interesting.
I'd like to try some other games with chat, GVT.
That seems to work quite well.
So, yeah, pretty nice.
For show notes and more, go to talking2ai.show.