In order to gain some experience with large language model 'AI' I started a short story series about a fictional methodologist, Alex Morgan, for the Methods & Statistics department's monthly newsletter.
The stories are almost completely written by ChatGPT, with prompts provided by colleagues that send in suggestions and myself. I only add in some tiny edits here and there. With each story I share the prompts and edits.
Below you will find a link to the story archive, as well as the result of the very first prompt, the character bio generated based on the public profiles provided on our department website.
Story Archive: The Alex Morgan Chronicles
A short biography of Alex Morgan, fictional methodologist
Alex Morgan holds a PhD in Methodology for the Social Sciences and is basically a wizard with numbers—specializing in multilevel modeling, causal inference, and turning chaos into coherent data stories.
Their work focuses on making complex statistical techniques feel less like wizardry and more like something a curious human can actually understand. Alex’s research delves into developing new tools to handle measurement errors and biases, and they’re all about applying these methods to real-world problems like inequality and behavioral change (no big deal).
When they’re not taming unruly datasets, Alex enjoys rock climbing, where they apply the same “just don’t look down” mentality to both vertical cliffs and intimidating data challenges. A self-proclaimed "experimental chef," their kitchen often looks like a science lab, with questionable combinations that somehow work (or at least lead to memorable meals).
Known for their dry wit and the ability to explain complex ideas with humor, Alex is that person who can make stats feel a little less terrifying while still making you feel like you learned something useful.