I usually listen to audiobooks when I’m driving alone — all the time — but today, I happened to be listening to a shuffled playlist, and “Winds of Change” came on.

If you’re too young to remember, this was a song by the “Scorpions”, that came out around 1990, and was closely linked to the fall of the Soviet Union, the opening of the Berlin wall, etc. etc.

I thought I’d ask each of chatGPT and Bard Gemini to write a version “set in the current time, representing change today“, here are the two versions they generated.

Note: I made some editorial changes:

• I replaced the literal year “2024” in the text in a few places
• Emphasis is mine

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The first version:

(Verse 1)
Screens flicker, faces glued, lost in worlds beyond the glass
Algorithms whisper secrets, judging each unspoken pass
Privacy stripped, attention bought, a price for every click
Connections bloom, minds consume, yet isolation’s quick

(Chorus)
But on the digital breeze, a chilling wind does blow
Through servers humming, cables thrumming, whispers doubt they sow
From filtered feeds and biased screens, a fractured world takes form
A cacophony of discord, riding on the data storm

(Verse 2)
Deepfakes dance, truths disguised, reality takes flight
Misinformation’s wildfire rages, burning reason’s guiding light
Cyber shadows lurk unseen, stealing dreams and trust betrayed
The hyper-connected world, a cage, where freedom slowly fades

(Chorus)
And on the digital breeze, a chilling wind does blow
Through servers humming, cables thrumming, whispers doubt they sow
From filtered feeds and biased screens, a fractured world takes form
A cacophony of discord, riding on the data storm

(Bridge)
Can we break free, reclaim our minds, beyond the coded wall?
Disconnect, reconnect, rebuild trust before we fall
Seek solace in the real, the touch, the laugh, the human spark
Reignite the embers of empathy, leave the darkness in the dark

(Chorus)
But on the digital breeze, a hope still starts to blow
Through servers humming, cables thrumming, seeds of change they sow
From yearning hearts and mindful acts, a movement starts to form
A symphony of resistance, weathering the data storm

(Outro)
So lift your eyes, beyond the screen, reclaim your voice within
Join the hands, rewrite the scene, where connection starts to win
Though dangers lurk in coded chains, the human spirit’s strong
Together, break the digital reins, and right the course where we belong

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The second version:

[Intro]
Whistle with the silicon breezes
Reminiscent of old, slower evenings

[Verse 1]
On a global platform, in the twilight
Chrome monoliths gleaming so bright
People connecting in a cascade of light
Chasing neural pulses in their flight
Remote nodes reflecting the world’s plight
Algorithms, chaining us left and right

[Chorus]
Send me a signal, amidst the data surge,
Over the web, towards a new verge
With a hope that we can emerge
This time, in the hyper-connected purge
Are we lost in the streams, or on the verge,
Of the future, where humanity and tech merge?

[Verse 2]
Walking down virtual alleys, distant and cold
Ancient screens, telling stories of old
Beyond the code, where hearts were bold
Where the seeds of unity were sown and uncontrolled
Yearning for an era not bought or sold
Where dreams weren’t data, ready to be scrolled

[Chorus]
Send me a signal, in the coded maze,
To the freedom beyond the silicon haze,
With a prayer, the human spirit ablaze,
This time, in the cybernetic daze.
Can we find a strength, can we raise,
A world with love, not clicks or phase?

[Bridge]
If we close our screens, in the night
Soundless whispers echo digital blight
Can we change from this desolate sight,
And recapture wisdom’s golden light?

[Chorus]
Send me a signal, through the wired band,
Toward a future, hand in virtual hand.
Hoping together, we can stand
This time, to reclaim our land
With the strength of love, more than planned,
In the winds of change, we understand.

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I have a preference for the second one (the first one is too verbose, somehow, for me), but still …. it’s fascinating that it came up with this.