British-American scientist and author, Paul Graham has sparked controversy among Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter) by asserting that the word “delve” is exclusively used by ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence program.
On Monday, Graham posted about the common usage of certain words by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which emulates human intelligence for various tasks.
Graham contended that words like “delve” and “burgeoning” should not be employed in spoken English.
He claimed that individuals only resort to such words when writing to appear more intelligent.
“Someone sent me a cold email proposing a novel project. Then I noticed it used the word ‘delve’,” he wrote on X.
“My point here is not that I dislike “delve,” though I do, but that it’s a sign that text was written by ChatGPT.”
However, numerous Nigerian users on X disagreed vehemently with the author, some of whom criticized him for being “blinded by the ripple effects of years of colonialism.”
A segment of users also raised concerns about how his remark could adversely impact international students, while others expressed a preference for the “simplicity of American English.”
Graham’s tweet also ignited a conversation about the “unique” usage of the English language by Nigerians.
One thing I've known for a very long time is that a lot of Americans have a poor background in English language. I used to think it's a black, Latino or other foreign/American combo but I can confirm it's really an American thing.
— Femi The Great Pundit 🇳🇬 (@FemiThePundit) April 10, 2024
This is why we need to invest more in producing and publishing our own work. Imagine after being force-fed colonial languages, being forced to speak it better than its owners then being told that no one used basic words like 'delve' in real life.
— Elnathan John (@elnathan_john) April 9, 2024
Habibi, come to Nigeria. https://t.co/lH1EWwFP9C
Paul G should grab a copy of a Nigerian newspaper, and he will be surprised the diverse range of vocabularies used in reporting regular, everyday events in Nigeria
— Nduka Cliff (@Cliff_Ogun) April 9, 2024
As an ardent reader, I've been using 'delve' since I was a teenager mostly in writing. Today as a teacher I use it a lot more in speaking. I can understand that the word isn't probably common in Paul's clime but he shouldn't generalize. He's being shortsighted.
— Uncle Sam ®️ (@ezikesamuel234) April 9, 2024
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