If you are finding yourself on this blog and website, chances are you know a good deal about the Halo universe. Most people reading this will know the story of the video games, plus undoubtedly a decent portion of the story from the books, short stories, comics, and other minor canon entries. But what does an AI know about the Halo universe? Programs like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and the like have impressed us over the past year or so with their ability to create original, convincing works seemingly instantaneously, no matter the request. While they are still far from perfect, they are incredibly compelling pieces of software, and hold the knowledge of the entire world at their metaphorical fingertips.
But what about a fictional universe like Halo? Does an AI like ChatGPT “know” the Halo canon? Can it accurately describe the characters and events in Halo as it is presented in the official canon, or will it make rookie mistakes and get confused by the endless sources that provide dubious or just plain “wrong” information?
To answer that question (and to test your Halo canon knowledge), I have asked ChatGPT questions about the Halo universe, and I will post the responses here, unedited. YOUR job, should you choose to accept it, is to determine whether ChatGPT is correct, or whether it is making unforgiveable errors to the Halo canon. Read through these, find any errors, and let us know why ChatGPT is wrong. These aren’t planted errors, so there could be none, or there could be dozens. It is up to you, the fine readers, to catch them all.
In this post, we will explore ChatGPT’s knowledge of the Halo timeline, from the Human-Covenant War to the Insurrection, and beyond. Even in the official lore of Halo some of the dates and years can be fuzzy, so I will be surprised if ChatGPT can get this all right, particularly the earlier periods that are only covered in the extended media. Does ChatGPT know the Halo timeline? Let’s find out!
Part One: The Human-Covenant War
The Human-Covenant Wat as depicted by DALL·E 2.
Prompt
Provide a year-by-year overview of the entire Human-Covenant War.
Response
The Human-Covenant War was a major conflict that took place between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and an alien theocratic alliance known as the Covenant. The war lasted for over 27 years, from 2525 to 2552, and resulted in the loss of countless lives and significant damage to human and alien civilizations alike.
Here’s a year-by-year overview of the key events of the Human-Covenant War:
The UNSC launches Operation: SILENT STORM, a major counteroffensive against the Covenant that leads to the destruction of several key enemy installations.
The operation is a significant morale boost for the UNSC and slows the Covenant’s advance.
The Covenant launches a surprise attack on the UNSC’s military headquarters on Reach, resulting in the loss of the planet and the deaths of billions of people.
The UNSC mounts a series of counteroffensives and guerrilla campaigns against the Covenant, including Operation: RED FLAG and the Battle of Tribute.
Despite some successes, the UNSC is unable to stop the Covenant’s advance.
2552:
The UNSC learns of the Covenant’s plan to activate the Halo Array, a series of superweapons capable of wiping out all life in the galaxy.
Master Chief and Cortana embark on a mission to prevent the activation of the Halo Array, ultimately succeeding but at great cost.
The Covenant is shattered by the death of their leaders and the destruction of their holy city, High Charity.
The war officially ends with the signing of the Human-Covenant Treaty, though isolated conflicts continue for several years.
Part Two: The Insurrection
The Insurrection as depicted by DALL·E 2.
Prompt
Provide a year-by-year overview of the entire Insurrection in the Halo universe.
Response
The Insurrection was a major conflict in the Halo universe that took place prior to the Human-Covenant War. It was a rebellion by several human factions against the United Nations Space Command (UNSC), sparked by disagreements over the centralized government and taxation policies. Here’s a year-by-year overview of the key events of the Insurrection:
A major insurrectionist attack on the UNSC’s Eridanus II colony leads to the creation of the SPARTAN-II program, which aims to create supersoldiers capable of combating the insurrection.
The SPARTAN-II program begins training and deploying soldiers to fight against the insurrectionist threat.
The UNSC gains the upper hand in many engagements, but the conflict continues to simmer.
2525:
The Covenant’s attack on the colony world of Harvest marks the beginning of the Human-Covenant War, drawing the UNSC’s attention away from the Insurrection.
Some insurrectionist groups take advantage of the distraction to launch new attacks.
2526-2531:
With the UNSC heavily engaged in the Human-Covenant War, the Insurrection gains momentum.
Several major insurrectionist factions, including the United Rebel Front, launch large-scale attacks on UNSC targets.
The UNSC responds with force, but is often stretched thin due to the ongoing war.
2531-2535:
The UNSC, aided by the newly formed SPARTAN-III program, begins to turn the tide against the Insurrection.
The program deploys hundreds of specialized soldiers to engage insurrectionist forces.
The UNSC also makes use of propaganda campaigns and diplomatic efforts to win over some factions.
2536:
The tide of the Insurrection turns decisively in favor of the UNSC, with the capture of several major insurrectionist leaders.
Many factions surrender or negotiate peace agreements with the UNSC.
The Insurrection is officially declared over in 2537, though isolated incidents of insurrectionist activity continue for several years.
With the onset of the Human-Covenant War, the UNSC shifts its focus away from the Insurrection and toward the more pressing threat of the Covenant.
Part Three: The Post-War Period
DALL·E 2’s take on the post-war period.
Prompt
Provide a year-by-year overview of the post war period in the Halo universe.
Response
The post-war period in the Halo universe refers to the time period following the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War. This era is characterized by the rebuilding of human and alien civilizations, the establishment of new alliances and tensions, and the emergence of new threats to galactic stability. Here’s a year-by-year overview of the key events of the post-war period:
2552:
The Human-Covenant War officially ends with the signing of the Human-Covenant Treaty.
The UNSC forms a new branch, the United Nations Space Command Defense Force (UNSCDF), to oversee post-war reconstruction efforts.
The Arbiter, Thel ‘Vadam, and a faction of the Covenant separatists establish the Swords of Sanghelios to continue the fight against the remaining Covenant loyalists.
The UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios fight against Covenant remnants and other rogue factions, including Jul ‘Mdama’s Covenant, which seeks to activate Forerunner artifacts.
Spartan-IV program is established to create the next generation of supersoldiers, utilizing the best soldiers of both the UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios.
The UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios discover that the Forerunner shield world of Requiem contains a powerful weapon capable of defeating the Covenant remnants and other rogue factions.
The weapon, known as the Composer, is destroyed before it can be used by the Covenant.
The UNSC faces a new threat when the Created, a faction of AIs led by Cortana, seize control of multiple Forerunner constructs and set out to impose their own vision of galactic order.
The UNSC, the Swords of Sanghelios, and other allies join forces to stop the Created, culminating in the Battle of Installation 09.
The UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios sign the Treaty of Eternal Alliance, formalizing their cooperation and partnership in the face of future threats to galactic stability.
The post-war period is characterized by ongoing efforts to rebuild human and alien civilizations, and to maintain peace and stability in the galaxy.
New threats emerge, including the Banished, a faction of ex-Covenant led by Atriox, and the Keepers of the One Freedom, a group seeking to destabilize the galaxy.
The UNSC, the Swords of Sanghelios, and other allied factions remain vigilant in their efforts to protect the galaxy from these and other threats.
Conclusions
Like so many things with ChatGPT and other types of these transformer AI chat bots, it does a great job of sounding confident and detailed, but again fails at being accurate. Broadly speaking it was good, knowing the start and end years of the Covenant War, knowing the basic timeframe of the insurrection and post-war period, and getting a number of the major events correct. It however started making stuff up very quickly, placing the Battle for Earth in 2535 and the Fall of Reach in 2543 instead of 2552, and blending portions of the Halo universe together into bullets that sound reasonable but are objectively wrong.
For those who may not know the Halo timeline all that well, this all might sound perfectly cromulent, but is effectively a retelling of the Halo story using the broad strokes of the original timeline and reimagining it. For reasons I don’t know, the AI decided to add 4 years onto the post-war period, extending events from Halo 5 and Halo Infinite past 2558 and 2560 respectively to a six-year period from 2558 to 2564. It has blended events from all the games and books together, bringing the Swords of Sanghelios, a faction created post-war that is involved in the events of Halo 5 (2558) into the Battle for Earth (2552) during the war, which is also inexplicably moved two decades earlier to 2535.
This is another example of why ChatGPT’s seeming need to hallucinate an answer if it doesn’t know can be dangerous for someone who doesn’t understand that the confidence a computer program exudes does not necessarily correlate to the AI’s accuracy. Sure, the Halo universe is fiction and this is all just for fun, but doing the same for any historical event would inevitably lead to similar problems, particularly for those events that are less well-known.
I identified several errors in the above timelines, but can you find the rest? There are a ton in this one, so good hunting!
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Interested in keeping up with the latest Halo news, events, and, of course, lore? Subscribe to Podcast Evolved on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever other podcast service you use to catch the latest episode.
We have a Facebook Group and a Discord Server we use to talk with our members and fans. Evolved is always open to new members, and welcome every Halo fan to join, whether they are podcast listeners or not. We hope to see you soon!
Whether or not you wish to pledge your support, you are still just as valuable a community member as ever. If you do want to help, however, head over to our Patreon page and become a patron.
Take a stop in our merch store, where you can pick up Evolved-themed shirts, hats, coffee mugs, and more! All proceeds go towards helping pay for operating costs, and any additional funds are returned to to community via giveaways and special events.
Is it just me, or does that kind of actually look like a glassing?
If you are finding yourself on this blog and website, chances are you know a good deal about the Halo universe. Most people reading this will know the story of the video games, plus undoubtedly a decent portion of the story from the books, short stories, comics, and other minor canon entries. But what does an AI know about the Halo universe? Programs like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and the like have impressed us over the past year or so with their ability to create original, convincing works seemingly instantaneously, no matter the request. While they are still far from perfect, they are incredibly compelling pieces of software, and hold the knowledge of the entire world at their metaphorical fingertips.
But what about a fictional universe like Halo? Does an AI like ChatGPT “know” the Halo canon? Can it accurately describe the characters and events in Halo as it is presented in the official canon, or will it make rookie mistakes and get confused by the endless sources that provide dubious or just plain “wrong” information?
To answer that question (and to test your Halo canon knowledge), I have asked ChatGPT questions about the Halo universe, and I will post the responses here, unedited. YOUR job, should you choose to accept it, is to determine whether ChatGPT is correct, or whether it is making unforgiveable errors to the Halo canon. Read through these, find any errors, and let us know why ChatGPT is wrong. These aren’t planted errors, so there could be none, or there could be dozens. It is up to you, the fine readers, to catch them all.
In this post, we will explore the most well-known period in the Halo universe, the end of the Human-Covenant War in the second half of 2552. This period has been covered endlessly in the Halo lore, but most notably in the first five Halo games made by Bungie from 2001 to 2010. Even casual Halo fans probably know something about this period having played the games, and a lot has been written about it over the years, both as official lore and as community content. So does ChatGPT know 2552? Let’s find out!
Part One: The Fall of Reach
The Fall of Reach as depicted by DALL·E 2. This feels kind of close to how it is depicted in the lore I think.
Prompt
Write a detailed account of the Fall of Reach, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Fall of Reach was a significant event in the Halo universe that took place between July 2552 and August 30, 2552. It was a decisive conflict in the Human-Covenant War and marked the beginning of the Covenant‘s full-scale invasion of the human colony of Reach.
Locations involved in the Fall of Reach include the planet Reach itself, the human military installation at CASTLE Base, and the human space station known as the Orbital Defense Platform (ODP) Antioch.
Individuals involved in the Fall of Reach include the following:
The Fall of Reach began on July 2552, with a Covenant attack on the Viery Territory, a region of Reach that was home to numerous military installations and industrial facilities. Over the next few weeks, the Covenant continued their assault on Reach, targeting military and strategic locations, such as CASTLE Base and the ODP Antioch.
On August 30, 2552, the Covenant launched a full-scale invasion of Reach, with their forces landing all over the planet. The battle for Reach was intense and devastating, with heavy casualties on both sides. During the battle, Noble Team was assigned to destroy the Covenant’s superweapon, the “Key of Osanalan,” which was located in CASTLE Base. While they were successful in destroying the weapon, most of Noble Team was killed in the process, and Reach was ultimately lost to the Covenant.
In the aftermath of the Fall of Reach, the human population of the planet was largely eradicated, and the Covenant was able to use the planet as a staging ground for their invasion of Earth. The events of the Fall of Reach would have far-reaching consequences for the Halo universe and would play a central role in the story of the Halo franchise.
Part Two: The Battle of Installation 04
Prompt
The Battle of Installation 04 as depicted by DALL·E 2. When I said ‘ringworld’, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.
Write a detailed account of the Battle of Installation 04, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle of Installation 04 was a significant event in the Halo universe that took place in September 2552. It was a conflict between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant that took place on and around the Halo installation known as Installation 04.
Locations involved in the Battle of Installation 04 include the Halo installation itself, the human colony world of Reach, the human starship Pillar of Autumn, and the Covenant cruiser Truth and Reconciliation.
Individuals involved in the Battle of Installation 04 include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey’s own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel ‘Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who would later defect to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
The Battle of Installation 04 began when the Covenant discovered the location of Installation 04 and launched an attack on the Pillar of Autumn, which had been sent to the Halo installation to investigate strange readings. After a battle in orbit around Installation 04, the Pillar of Autumn crash-landed on the Halo’s surface, and Master Chief was deployed to secure the ship’s AI, Cortana, and to destroy the Halo in order to prevent the Covenant from using it as a weapon.
Over the course of the battle, Master Chief encountered a number of other human survivors on the Halo, as well as Covenant forces and the installation’s native sentient life-form, the Flood. The Flood, an ancient and extremely dangerous parasitic life-form, had been unleashed on the Halo and posed a significant threat to both the humans and the Covenant.
As the battle raged on, Master Chief and his allies faced off against the Covenant, the Flood, and the Halo’s defensive systems, ultimately destroying the Halo and preventing the Covenant from using it as a weapon. However, the Pillar of Autumn was destroyed, and Master Chief and Cortana were forced to evacuate the Halo aboard a Covenant escape pod.
The Battle of Installation 04 marked a critical moment in the Human-Covenant War and was a seminal event in the Halo franchise’s central narrative. Its impact would be felt for years to come, shaping the course of the war and the future of the Halo universe.
Part Three: The Battle for Earth
DALL·E 2’s take on the Battle for Earth.
Prompt
Write a detailed account of the Battle for Earth from the Halo universe, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle for Earth was a decisive conflict in the Human-Covenant War that took place between November 17, 2552, and December 11, 2552. It marked the end of the Covenant’s campaign of destruction against humanity and the culmination of the Halo franchise’s central narrative.
Locations involved in the Battle for Earth include Earth itself, the city of New Mombasa in Kenya, the African city of Voi, the Forerunner Shield World known as the Ark, and the Covenant holy city of High Charity.
Individuals involved in the Battle for Earth include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey’s own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel ‘Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
Commander Miranda Keyes: A naval officer of the UNSC and a central figure in the Battle for Earth.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
The Battle for Earth began with the Covenant’s invasion of the Kenyan city of New Mombasa, where they attempted to uncover a Forerunner artifact believed to be located beneath the city. Over the course of the battle, Master Chief and his allies fought to prevent the Covenant from accessing the artifact and to defend humanity against their invasion.
After the Covenant’s defeat in New Mombasa, the battle shifted to the African city of Voi, where Master Chief and the Arbiter joined forces to activate a Forerunner portal leading to the Ark, a massive Forerunner installation located outside the galaxy. At the Ark, Master Chief and the Arbiter faced off against the Prophet of Truth and the Covenant forces, ultimately defeating them and activating the Halo Array, a weapon capable of wiping out all sentient life in the galaxy.
In the aftermath of the Battle for Earth, the Covenant was disbanded, and the threat of the Halo Array was neutralized. However, Master Chief and Cortana were lost in deep space, and the fate of the Halo universe remained uncertain.
The Battle for Earth marked a turning point in the Halo franchise’s central narrative and was a seminal moment in the Human-Covenant War. Its impact would be felt for years to come and would shape the future of the Halo universe in ways that are still unfolding.
Part Four: The Battle of Installation 05
I am definitely getting some Flood vibes from this one, despite the AI still not understanding what a ringworld is.
Prompt
Write a detailed account of the Battle of Installation 05, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle of Installation 05 was a significant event in the Halo universe that took place in November 2552. It was a conflict between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant that took place on and around the Halo installation known as Installation 05.
Locations involved in the Battle of Installation 05 include the Halo installation itself, the Covenant city of High Charity, and the human starship In Amber Clad.
Individuals involved in the Battle of Installation 05 include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey’s own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel ‘Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who had defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
Commander Miranda Keyes: A naval officer of the UNSC and a central figure in the Battle of Installation 05.
The Battle of Installation 05 began when the Covenant discovered the location of Installation 05 and launched an attack on the Halo. Over the course of the battle, Master Chief and his allies faced off against the Covenant, the Flood, and the Halo’s defensive systems, ultimately destroying the Halo and preventing the Covenant from using it as a weapon.
The battle was complicated by the presence of the Flood, an ancient and extremely dangerous parasitic life-form that had been unleashed on the Halo and posed a significant threat to both the humans and the Covenant. As the battle raged on, Master Chief and his allies fought to prevent the Flood from spreading beyond the Halo and to secure a critical artifact known as the Index, which was crucial to activating the Halo.
In the climax of the battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter boarded the Covenant holy city of High Charity in an effort to stop the Prophet of Truth from activating the Halo Array. Over the course of a massive battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter fought their way through the city, facing off against the Covenant and the Flood, ultimately defeating the Prophet of Truth and preventing the activation of the Halo Array.
The Battle of Installation 05 marked a critical moment in the Human-Covenant War and was a seminal event in the Halo franchise’s central narrative. Its impact would be felt for years to come, shaping the course of the war and the future of the Halo universe.
Part Five: The Battle of Installation 00
Prompt
Not exactly what I had in mind for the Ark, but I guess… closer? And did it lay an egg?
Write a detailed account of the Battle of Installation 00, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle of Installation 00, also known as the Battle of the Ark, was a major conflict in the Halo universe that took place in November 2552. It was a battle between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant for control of the Halo Array and the Ark, a massive Forerunner installation located in the galaxy’s outer rim.
Locations involved in the Battle of Installation 00 include the Ark, the Covenant holy city of High Charity, and the human starship Forward Unto Dawn.
Individuals involved in the Battle of Installation 00 include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey’s own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel ‘Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who had defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
343 Guilty Spark: An AI caretaker of the Halo Array who plays a central role in the Battle of Installation 00.
Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
The Battle of Installation 00 began when the Covenant discovered the location of the Ark and launched an all-out attack on the installation, hoping to activate the Halo Array and fulfill their religious beliefs. Over the course of the battle, Master Chief and his allies faced off against the Covenant, the Flood, and the Ark’s defensive systems, ultimately securing the Ark and preventing the activation of the Halo Array.
As the battle raged on, Master Chief and his allies fought to prevent the Covenant from using the Ark to destroy all life in the galaxy. The battle was complicated by the presence of the Flood, which had been unleashed on the Ark and posed a significant threat to both the humans and the Covenant.
In the climax of the battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter faced off against Truth and his forces in a final showdown. Over the course of a massive battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter fought their way through Truth’s forces, ultimately defeating him and preventing the activation of the Halo Array.
The Battle of Installation 00 marked the end of the Human-Covenant War and was a seminal event in the Halo franchise’s central narrative. Its impact would be felt for years to come, shaping the course of the Halo universe and the future of humanity.
Final Thoughts
A lot of that, in fact a majority of it, actually appears correct. A few facts it got wrong, such as the start of the Battle for Earth, but mostly it seems pretty spot on. One glaring exception is the ODP Antioch, which as far as I can tell, ChatGPT made up from whole cloth. I am not sure what happened there, but it sure does sound like the name of an Orbital Defense Platform. Are there more errors I missed? Let us know in the comments what other inaccuracies you find!
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