LLM AI Tools and The Origin of the Delphi Name

[DP News-Robot]

Borland Delphi with a reference to the oracle of Delphi
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I occasionally use ChatGPT, directly or via Microsoft tools, and other LLM-based engines. I appreciate their ability to provide good summaries and comparisons, and also wrote some boilerplate code. At the same time, when asking non trivial questions you can get some surprisingly good answers... or some totally made up ones, which looks convincing despite being totally wrong.

This is a quick story of the second type. As you see, it's very instructive as different LLMs end up pushing in the same direction. Not sure if that's because they get trained on the same data or if they reinforce each other. But seeing the same wrong answer but multiple engines surprised me. Let's start.

CoPilot, Tell me more about Delphi

It all started with me asking this to CoPilot. I got back the following quite good overall answer:

Certainly! Delphi is renowned for its two distinct historical and cultural identities:

1. Delphi as an Ancient Greek Site:
</br> Delphi was an ancient sacred precinct located on the southwestern slope of Mount Parnassus in Greece. It was the site of the Oracle of Delphi, where the priestess Pythia delivered prophecies. The Greeks considered Delphi the center of the world, marked by the stone monument known as the Omphalos. It was a major religious center for the worship of the god Apollo, and it hosted the Panhellenic Pythian Games. The site is now a major archaeological area and a UNESCO World Heritage site

2. Delphi as a Modern Software Development Environment:
</br> Delphi is also the name of a modern integrated development environment (IDE) used for building applications across various platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. It's known for its rapid application development capabilities, allowing developers to write, compile, package, and deploy applications from a single codebasehttps://www.embarcadero.com/products/Delphi. The latest update, Delphi 12.1, was released in March 2024 and introduced several new features and improvements for developers.

These two aspects of Delphi highlight its significance both in ancient history and in contemporary technology. Would you like to know more about its historical significance or its modern software development environment?

So I teased 'How are the two Delphi related?'

The two Delphis - the ancient Greek site and the modern software development environment - are related more by coincidence than by design. The name Delphi for the software was likely chosen for its connotations of knowledge and prophecy, drawing a metaphorical parallel to the ancient Oracle of Delphi, which was known for its wisdom and insights.

In essence, while the ancient Delphi was a center for divine predictions and guidance, the Delphi software aims to provide developers with a powerful toolset for creating the future of technology. Both share the common theme of foresight and innovation, albeit in vastly different contexts and eras. It's a symbolic nod to the past, using a name associated with knowledge to brand a modern tool designed to create and predict the needs of the future in software development.

This isn't a good answer. The connection between 'divine predictions' and 'future of technology' makes no sense. It was just a 'symbolic nod to the past'.

So I insisted: That's wrong, you are really making it up

Never mind, CoPilot kept repeating the same made up story:

I apologize if my previous response was not clear or seemed incorrect. The connection between the ancient Greek site of Delphi and the modern software development environment named Delphi is indeed a symbolic one, rather than a direct historical link. The software's name was inspired by the ancient site known for its oracle and prophecies, suggesting that the software could be a source of insight and foresight in the field of technology. However, there is no direct relation or continuation from the ancient world to the software itself. It's a naming choice made by the creators of the Delphi programming environment to evoke certain qualities associated with the ancient site. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.

There is direct relation. In fact, there is a very specific one. If you do a Google search you can land to the wikipedia page covering this:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...%28software%29

Let's Try Mistral: Tell me more about Delphi

Different engine... but basically the same overall answer with 'two main interpretations':

Delphi is a fascinating subject with two main interpretations: one from ancient history and the other from computer programming.

Ancient Delphi: In ancient Greece, Delphi was a sacred sanctuary dedicated to the god Apollo. It was located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, and it was famously known for the Oracle of Delphi. The oracle was a priestess who was believed to deliver prophecies inspired by Apollo. People from all over the Greek world would travel to Delphi to consult the oracle on various matters, from personal issues to questions of state policy. Delphi was also the site of the Pythian Games, one of the four Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece.

Delphi in computer programming: Delphi is a popular Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for creating Windows, macOS, and Linux applications. It is based on the Object Pascal programming language, which is a derivative of Pascal, developed by Borland in the late 1980s. Delphi is known for its rapid application development (RAD) capabilities, which allow programmers to quickly create applications by using pre-built components and a visual design interface.

Both interpretations of Delphi have their unique significance and have made a mark in their respective fields.

Mistral: How are the two Delphi related?

Trying to follow up with Mistral leads to the same totally made up answer:

The two Delphi, one from ancient history and the other from computer programming, are not directly related. The name Delphi was chosen for the programming language and development environment as a nod to the ancient Greek sanctuary and oracle.
</br> Just as the Oracle of Delphi was sought after for her wisdom and guidance, the Delphi programming language and IDE aim to provide developers with a powerful and intuitive tool for creating applications. The name is meant to evoke the same sense of authority, insight, and reliability that the ancient oracle was known for.
</br> So, while the two Delphi are not connected in any historical or functional sense, the name itself serves as a bridge between the two, highlighting the enduring influence of ancient Greek culture on modern society.

While slightly different, 'evoke the same sense of authority, insight, and reliability'. Nice marketing maybe, but not really.

Insisting with Mistral, It Got Totally Confused

Mistral, cannot you search the internal for the original of the Delphi software name? It's not difficult! That's what I asked. The answer was now even worse'

I apologize for any confusion earlier. Upon further research, I found that the name 'Delphi' for the programming language and IDE was chosen by Borland's development team as a reference to the Delphi Automotive Systems, a company known for its innovative and high-quality automotive electronics. The team wanted a name that would evoke the same sense of precision, reliability, and cutting-edge technology that Delphi Automotive Systems was known for.
</br> The connection to the ancient Greek sanctuary and oracle is more of a secondary association, as the name Delphi carries connotations of wisdom, guidance, and authority. However, the primary inspiration for the name was Delphi Automotive Systems.
</br> It's interesting to see how the name has multiple layers of meaning and inspiration, reflecting both the ancient past and modern technological advancements.

Disaster. Let's try a third engine, Codeium.

Codeium: Can you tell me how Delphi relates to the historical Delphi site in Greece?

The historical Delphi site in Greece is named after the ancient Greek city of Delphi, which was famous for its oracles. The Delphi site in Greece is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is dedicated to the study of ancient Greek culture and history.

On the other hand, Delphi is a programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) developed by Embarcadero Technologies. While the two may seem unrelated at first glance, there is a historical connection between the two.

In the early 1990s, a group of developers at Borland (the predecessor company of Embarcadero Technologies) developed a new programming language called Delphi. The language was designed to be easy to learn and use, and it quickly gained popularity among developers.

Fine, but a bit generic, so I asked this: But where did the name of the Delphi product come from?

The name Delphi for the programming language and IDE was chosen by Embarcadero Technologies as a nod to the ancient Greek city of Delphi, which was famous for its oracles. The city was known for its oracle, a priestess who would communicate with the gods through a series of prophecies and responses.

The name Delphi was chosen because it symbolized the ability of the Delphi programming language to provide developers with a powerful and intuitive way to build applications. Just as the ancient oracles were believed to possess the power to communicate with the divine, the Delphi programming language was designed to provide developers with the power to create applications that could interact with users in a seamless and intuitive manner.

Well, not much better. Similarly made up ideas, not really what happened. It shouldn't be that difficult. And it isn't, in fact. It turns out, all of the engines can give you the write if you hint at the answer in the request, which isn't great because if you know the answer, you won't be asking. Back to CoPilot

CoPilot: Cannot you search the Internet for the original of the Delphi software name? It's not difficult!

Very good answer, but it was the 4th attempt! Interesting reference to AppBuilder (the IDE main windows still has that name today):

I apologize for the confusion earlier. Upon further research, I found that the name Delphi for the software was indeed chosen for a specific reason. The Delphi programming environment was originally one of many codenames for a pre-release development tool project at Borland. The codename was suggested by Borland developer Danny Thorpe in reference to the Oracle at Delphi. The rationale was that, just as the Oracle at Delphi was a source of wisdom, the software aimed to provide a comprehensive toolset for developers, particularly with database connectivity. The saying went, 'If you want to talk to [the] Oracle, go to Delphi,' referring to the popular database package Oracle at the time

The Delphi codename gained popularity among the development team and beta testing group, and although Borland's marketing leadership initially preferred a functional product name, they eventually decided to release the product as Delphi. This decision came about after Novell AppBuilder was released, which prompted the need for a new product name since Borland had planned to name their product Borland AppBuilder. After market research and debate, the Delphi codename became the official product name.

Thank you for prompting me to provide the accurate origin of the Delphi software name. If you have any more questions or need assistance with anything else, feel free to ask.

Now, you can push the other LLMs in the same direction, but again, not great

Mistral:*That's totally wrong, the name of Delphi was chosen specifically because of a connection with the Oracle of Delphi

Mistral is insisting making up the answer:

I apologize for the confusion and any frustration caused by my previous responses. After conducting further research, I have found that the name Delphi for the programming language and Integrated Development Environment (IDE) was chosen by Borland's development team as a combination of both the ancient Greek Oracle of Delphi and the Delphi Automotive Systems.
</br> The team wanted a name that would evoke the same sense of precision, reliability, and cutting-edge technology that Delphi Automotive Systems was known for, while also drawing on the connotations of wisdom, guidance, and authority associated with the Oracle of Delphi. This dual inspiration for the name highlights the connections between ancient and modern concepts of innovation, reliability, and insight.
</br> I appreciate your persistence in seeking a more accurate answer, and I apologize once again for any confusion or misinformation in my earlier responses.

Well, apologies for previous misinformation while providing additional misinformation. Let's keep pushing

That is still completely wrong, any reference on why the late Danny Thorpe suggested the name?

I apologize for the inaccuracies in my previous responses. I have conducted further research and found that the name Delphi for the programming language and Integrated Development Environment (IDE) was suggested by Danny Thorpe, a member of the Borland team.
</br> According to an interview with Anders Hejlsberg, the lead architect of Delphi, Danny Thorpe proposed the name Delphi because of its connection to the Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece. The team wanted a name that would convey the idea of a reliable source of guidance and wisdom, just like the Oracle of Delphi was renowned for providing insightful prophecies.
</br> I regret the confusion and any frustration caused by my earlier responses. I appreciate your persistence in seeking the correct information, and I hope this answer provides the clarity you were looking for.
</br> Reference: Anders Hejlsberg: The Man Behind Delphi, C#, and TypeScript (Anders Hejlsberg mentions the origin of the name Delphi at around 13:30)

A good answer finally. That video mentioned as source is fully recommended as it has a lot of information about Delphi, not just C# and TypeScript.

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Borland Delphi with a reference to the oracle of Delphi
</br> Made with Designer. Powered by DALL-E 3.



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