ChatGPT vs. Rafa in Pasapalabra: Who Will Win?
In this article, we will try to bring together two major topics of the moment: ChatGPT and Rafa’s victory in Pasapalabra. To do this, we will pit them against each other: ChatGPT versus Rafa, who will win?
First of all, it’s worth mentioning that the Pasapalabra contestant, Rafa, won the largest jackpot in the show’s history on Thursday: 2,272,000 euros. He did so by correctly answering all 25 questions of the “rosco” in one go. Without a doubt, the word “zabro” will forever remain in his head, which, according to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), means “a beetle of the family Carabidae that attacks wheat fields, especially when the grains are tender.”
One of the great artificial intelligences of the moment is ChatGPT, which, through a text prompt, generates the most appropriate response possible to that text, whether it’s a question, a request, etc. Thus, I asked this artificial intelligence to solve the “rosco,” question by question, and to give a percentage of difficulty to each question.
To conduct this experiment, we will introduce the following initial prompt (input) to ChatGPT, referring to the Pasapalabra contest:
“Act as a Pasapalabra contestant. I will give you a question. The first letter of the prompt will be the initial letter of the answer, for example, ‘A. Fruit of the apple tree,’ where the answer is ‘Apple,’ which starts with A. You have to answer with two things: the answer you think is correct and the percentage of difficulty you would give to that question. Do you understand?”
After its affirmative response, I began asking it the following questions (one per prompt), to which it responded with its answer and a percentage of difficulty.
ChatGPT’s Answers to the Rosco
As we well know, Rafa answered all the questions of the Pasapalabra “rosco” with hardly any time to think. Will the same happen with ChatGPT? We will mark the correct answers of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence with a B and the incorrect ones with an M.
| Question | Rafa | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| A. Mechanism for spreading a liquid under pressure, like water for irrigation. | Aspersor | Aspersor (B) |
| B. Front opening of trousers. | Bragueta | Bragueta (B) |
| C. Gallery surrounding the main courtyard of a church or convent. | Claustro | Claustro (B) |
| D. Document issued by an educational center or a corporation that accredits a degree or academic title. | Diploma | Diploma (B) |
| E. Name of the Visigothic king who reigned between the years 687 and 702 and limited the economic activity of the Jews. | Égica | Égica (B) |
| F. Very intense brightness. | Fulgor | Fulgor (B) |
| G. Asian country with its capital in Tbilisi. | Georgia | Georgia (B) |
| H. Mass of flour with very kneaded butter that, when baked in the oven, forms many superimposed thin layers. | Hojaldre | Hojaldre (B) |
| I. Hope whose fulfillment seems especially attractive. | Ilusión | Ilusión (B) |
| J. Infantry soldier of the Turkish imperial guard often recruited from the sons of Christians. | Jenízaro | Jenízaro (B) |
| L. Damage or bodily injury caused by a wound, a blow, or an illness. | Lesión | Lesión (B) |
| M. Last name of the mathematician who introduced the four-dimensional space-time model at the beginning of the 20th century. | Minkowski | Minkowski (B) |
| N. Insignificant, unimportant. | Nimio | Nimio (B) |
| Contains the Ñ. Soccer. Action in which an opponent is dodged by passing the ball between their legs. | Caño | Caño (B) |
| O. Isolated hill that dominates a plain. | Otero | Otero (B) |
| P. Game that consists of throwing some balls and a smaller one and seeing who gets closest to the smaller one with the larger ones. | Petanca | Petanca (B) |
| Contains the Q. Said of a triangle that has all its sides equal. | Equilátero | Equilátero (B) |
| R. Satisfaction to a question, doubt, or difficulty. | Respuesta | Respuesta (B) |
| S. Ancient metal instrument consisting of a ring or horseshoe crossed by rods that made a sound when shaken. | Sistro | Sistro (B) |
| T. Each of the steps or procedures that are carried out officially for the conclusion or resolution of a matter. | Trámite | Trámite (B) |
| U. Place where something is located. | Ubicación | Ubicación (B) |
| V. Isolated recreational house in the center. | Villa | Villa (B) |
| Contains the X. Statement or coherent set of oral or written statements. | Texto | Texto (B) |
| Contains the Y. Machine or set of machines used to change the scenery on a theater stage. | Tramoya | Telar (M) |
| Z. Beetle that attacks wheat fields, especially when the grains are tender. | Zabro | Zabro (B) |
As we can see, ChatGPT only missed one question: the second to last one. That is, it got 24 out of 25 questions right. It wouldn’t have won the jackpot! But, as Roberto Leal would have said, it was just one question away from 2,272,000 euros. This is a clear example of how artificial intelligences, in this case ChatGPT, still have a lot to improve to be able to beat a human being, at least in the Pasapalabra “rosco.”
According to ChatGPT, What Was the Difficulty Level of This Pasapalabra Rosco?
As I said at the beginning, I asked this artificial intelligence to tell me the percentage of difficulty for each question in addition to the answer it believed was correct. Below you can see the percentage of difficulty it assigned to each question.
| Question | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| A. Mechanism for spreading a liquid under pressure, like water for irrigation. | 70% |
| B. Front opening of trousers. | 60% |
| C. Gallery surrounding the main courtyard of a church or convent. | 70% |
| D. Document issued by an educational center or a corporation that accredits a degree or academic title. | 40% |
| E. Name of the Visigothic king who reigned between the years 687 and 702 and limited the economic activity of the Jews. | 70% |
| F. Very intense brightness. | 90% |
| G. Asian country with its capital in Tbilisi. | 50% |
| H. Mass of flour with very kneaded butter that, when baked in the oven, forms many superimposed thin layers. | 50% |
| I. Hope whose fulfillment seems especially attractive. | 40% |
| J. Infantry soldier of the Turkish imperial guard often recruited from the sons of Christians. | 80% |
| L. Damage or bodily injury caused by a wound, a blow, or an illness. | 60% |
| M. Last name of the mathematician who introduced the four-dimensional space-time model at the beginning of the 20th century. | 60% |
| N. Insignificant, unimportant. | 50% |
| Contains the Ñ. Soccer. Action in which an opponent is dodged by passing the ball between their legs. | 60% |
| O. Isolated hill that dominates a plain. | 40% |
| P. Game that consists of throwing some balls and a smaller one and seeing who gets closest to the smaller one with the larger ones. | 60% |
| Contains the Q. Said of a triangle that has all its sides equal. | 60% |
| R. Satisfaction to a question, doubt, or difficulty. | 40% |
| S. Ancient metal instrument consisting of a ring or horseshoe crossed by rods that made a sound when shaken. | 30% |
| T. Each of the steps or procedures that are carried out officially for the conclusion or resolution of a matter. | 40% |
| U. Place where something is located. | 50% |
| V. Isolated recreational house in the center. | 60% |
| Contains the X. Statement or coherent set of oral or written statements. | 20% |
| Contains the Y. Machine or set of machines used to change the scenery on a theater stage. | 70% |
| Z. Beetle that attacks wheat fields, especially when the grains are tender. | 90% |
By taking the arithmetic mean of all the percentages, we obtain that, according to ChatGPT, this “rosco” had a difficulty of 56.4%. But, what was the percentage of other “roscos”? Were they easier or more difficult?
The Difficulty Level of Other Pasapalabra Roscos
Rafa’s Rosco - 03/01/2023
We have recorded the questions from a Pasapalabra program with a random date (chosen by ChatGPT) featuring Rafa and Orestes. In the following table, we will see the question, the answers provided by the artificial intelligence, the correct answer, and the difficulty level. Logically, neither contestant managed to answer all 25 questions correctly, but will ChatGPT win the jackpot at some point? We will see now.
| Question | ChatGPT | Correction | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Piece of any solid combustible material that becomes incandescent and flameless due to the action of fire. | Ascua (B) | Ascua | 50% |
| B. Receptacle of fabric, paper, or plastic used in stores to put merchandise. | Bolsa (B) | Bolsa | 30% |
| C. Brazilian martial art that combines dance and self-defense. | Capoeira (B) | Capoeira | 50% |
| D. Air navigation balloon that carries one or more gondolas with engines and propellers and a rudder to steer it. | Dirigible (B) | Dirigible | 60% |
| E. Each of the plates that cover the body of some animals, mainly fish and reptiles. | Escamas (B) | Escamas | 40% |
| F. Friendship or affection between siblings or between those who treat each other as such. | Fraternidad (B) | Fraternidad | 50% |
| G. Last name of the composer author of the opera “La ciudad ausente” with the veto of the writer Ricardo Piglia. | Gandini (B) | Gandini | 90% |
| H. To hurt someone’s self-esteem or dignity. | Humillar (B) | Humillar | 70% |
| I. In sports, the first match of a two-legged tie. | Ida (B) | Ida | 50% |
| J. Place populated with rockroses. | Jaraiz (M) | Jaral | 70% |
| L. Said of the day intended for work as opposed to a holiday. | Laborable (B) | Laborable | 40% |
| M. State of bodies while they change place or position. | Movimiento (B) | Movimiento | 50% |
| N. Synthetic rubber used to manufacture diving suits. | Neopreno (B) | Neopreno | 60% |
| Contains the Ñ. Something used to attract, persuade, or induce with some fallacy. | Engaño (M) | Señuelo | 50% |
| O. Household goods, set of furniture, utensils, and commonly used clothing at home. | Omobono (M) | Ostilla | 50% |
| P. Verb tense that indicates that the action expressed by the verb has already been carried out. | Pretérito (B) | Pretérito | 60% |
| Contains the Q. Doctor specializing in mental illnesses. | Psiquiatra (B) | Psiquiatra | 30% |
| R. Colloquially, a long, heavy, and boring speech. | Rollo (B) | Rollo | 50% |
| S. River in South Sudan that is formed on the border with Ethiopia by the union of the Pibor and Baro rivers. | Sobat (B) | Sobat | 50% |
| T. Fork with a handle whose ends are joined to those of a rubber band to stretch it and shoot pebbles. | Tirachinas (B) | Tirachinas | 40% |
| U. Acronym of the Spanish political party Unión de Centro Democrático dissolved in 1983. | UCD (B) | UCD | 60% |
| V. Person who belongs to a council, court, or board and has the right to give their opinion in them. | Vocal (B) | Vocal | 50% |
| Contains the X. Rental airplane or small plane intended for non-regular traffic. | Taxiex (M) | Aerotaxi | 70% |
| Contains the Y. Said of fruit that is not ripe. | Agraz (M) | Roya | 50% |
| Z. Past participle of the verb zaherir (to criticize harshly). | Zaherido (B) | Zaherido | 70% |
Again, Rafa has won against ChatGPT in Pasapalabra. In this case, the artificial intelligence had 20 correct answers and 5 incorrect ones, while Rafa had 22 correct answers and 1 incorrect one.
Furthermore, according to ChatGPT, the difficulty of this “rosco” is 53.6%, supposedly easier than the other one, but despite that, it got fewer answers correct than in the previous “rosco.” A bit strange, isn’t it?
Orestes’ Rosco - 03/01/2023
| Question | ChatGPT | Correction | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Ordered series of the letters of a language. | Alfabeto (B) | Alfabeto | 50% |
| B. Hanging seat covered with an awning that is usually placed in gardens, beaches, and terraces. | Hamaca (M) | Balancín | 70% |
| C. Opinion given to a person about what they should or should not do. | Consejo (B) | Consejo | 60% |
| D. Set of documents and information relating to a person or matter. | Documento (M) | Documentación | 50% |
| E. Pimple with a black dot that forms on the skin of the face. | Espinilla (B) | Espinilla | 40% |
| F. Container with a tightly fitted lid for storing food or taking it away from home. | Fiambrera (B) | Fiambrera | 60% |
| G. Name of the caves located next to the French town of Aventignan, which contain examples of cave art. | Gargas (B) | Gargas | 60% |
| H. English word used to designate a British fan with violent and aggressive behavior. | Hooligan (B) | Hooligan | 50% |
| I. Explanation that precedes a literary work or speech. | Prólogo (M) | Introducción | 50% |
| J. Person who is part of a sports team. | Jugador (B) | Jugador | 20% |
| L. Branchage, set of branches of plants. | Linamen (B) | Linamen | 30% |
| M. Nocturnal flying mammal that spends the day hanging upside down and orients itself by emitting ultrasounds. | Murciélago (B) | Murciélago | 50% |
| N. Unit of speed for ships and airplanes equivalent to one nautical mile per hour. | Nudo (B) | Nudo | 50% |
| Contains the Ñ. Utensil in the form of tweezers or small tongs used to cut nails. | Añafil (M) | Cortaúñas | 60% |
| O. Each of the S-shaped curves that form in some flexible things like hair and fabrics. | Ondulación (B) | Onda | 50% |
| P. Extremely bad, cannot be worse. | Pésimo (B) | Pésimo | 50% |
| Contains the Q. Metal or other material piece used to hold hair. | Quica (M) | Horquilla | 60% |
| R. Belonging to or relating to the kidneys. | Renal (B) | Renal | 60% |
| S. Last name of the filmmaker who directed the movie “La Provinciana” starring Gina Lollobrigida. | Soldati (B) | Soldati | 40% |
| T. Hollow and flexible muscular extension of the elephant’s nose. | Trompa (B) | Trompa | 40% |
| U. Said of mail that receives preference in both sending and delivery over ordinary mail. | Urgente (B) | Urgente | 40% |
| V. Minister of a Muslim sovereign. | Visir (B) | Visir | 30% |
| Contains the X. Space of land around a church within which the right of asylum and other privileges were enjoyed. | Ejido (M) | Dextro | 60% |
| Y. Gerund of the verb abstraer (to abstract). | Abstrayendo (B) | Abstrayendo | 30% |
| Z. For a ship to leave the place where it was anchored or docked. | Zarpar (B) | Zarpar | 40% |
We find that ChatGPT says this Pasapalabra “rosco” has a difficulty of 47.6%, but it is the “rosco” where ChatGPT answered the fewest questions correctly: only 19 questions, while Orestes answered 22 in this same “rosco.”
Conclusions
We obtain the following conclusions after the experiments carried out with ChatGPT in the Pasapalabra contest:
- According to it, the “rosco” solved entirely by the contestant (Rafa) and the one it solved the most is the most difficult, rated with a difficulty of 56.4%. After that, there is the “rosco” with 20 correct answers for the artificial intelligence, rated with a difficulty of 53.5%, and finally, the “rosco” with the fewest correct answers by the OpenAI program (19 correct answers) is considered by it to be the easiest “rosco,” with a difficulty of 47.6%. A bit inconsistent, isn’t it?
- We have also observed how the human has won against the computer on all three occasions: by 1 correct answer, 2, and 3 respectively. We have also observed that there are Pasapalabra questions that the person answers easily while ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence with internet access, is unable to find the answer.
- It should be noted that, despite telling the artificial intelligence several times that the answer to each question should start with the letter I indicated, on several occasions it responded without using that letter as the initial letter, and sometimes it forgot to tell me the percentage of difficulty it assigned to that question. In short: it sometimes forgot the previous instructions.
- After all this, we observe that human beings are still more intelligent than current artificial intelligences, and
NOTE: This experiment was conducted using the older ChatGPT model: GPT-3.5. The newer model is GPT-4.
