2025-06-10 20:46:00+00:00 |
Description by o3-pro: The image is a playful, minimalist cartoon showing a white bird riding a bicycle. The bird has a simple oval body, a round head with a small black eye, and a yellow beak. Its orange feet are positioned on the bicycle’s pedals. The bicycle itself is drawn with thin black lines forming two large circular wheels and a straightforward frame. The scene has a light blue background with a soft gray oval shadow beneath the bicycle, giving the impression of ground. Overall, the illustration has a light, whimsical feel. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/o3-pro-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/10/o3-pro |
2025-06-10 16:13:22+00:00 |
Blue sky and what looks like an eagle flying towards the viewer. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/magistral-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/10/magistral |
2025-06-10 16:13:22+00:00 |
Claude Sonnet 4 described this as Minimalist illustration of a white bird with an orange beak riding on a dark gray motorcycle against a light blue sky with a white sun and gray ground |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/magistral-medium-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/10/magistral |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
DeepSeek-R1. The bicycle has wheels and several lines that almost approximate a frame. The pelican is stiff below the bicycle and has a triangular yellow beak. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-10.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
Llama 3.3 70B. “This model delivers similar performance to Llama 3.1 405B with cost effective inference that’s feasible to run locally on common developer workstations.”
405B drew a bunch of circles and lines that don't look much like a pelican on a bicycle, but you can see which bits were meant to be what just about.
70B drew a small circle, a vertical line and a shape that looks like a sink. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-06.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
DeepSeek v3 for Christmas
685B, estimated training cost $5.5m
Its pelican is the first we have seen where there is clearly a creature that might be a pelican and it is stood next to a set of wheels and lines that are nearly recognizable as a bicycle. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-07.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
On the left, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06. It clearly looks like a pelican riding a bicycle.
On the right, Llama 3.3 70b Instruct. It's just three shapes that look nothing like they should.
Beneath, a caption: The left image clearly depicts a pelican riding a bicycle, while the right image is very minimalistic and does not represent a pelican riding a bicycle. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-32.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
{
"left_or_right": "right",
"rationale": "The right image clearly shows a pelican, characterized by its distinctive beak and body shape, combined illustratively with bicycle elements (specifically, wheels and legs acting as bicycle legs). The left image shows only a bicycle with no pelican-like features, so it does not match the prompt."
} |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-30.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
llm -m gpt-4.1-mini -a 1.png \
--schema 'left_or_right: the winning image, rationale: the reason for the choice' -s 'Pick the best illustration of a pelican riding a bicycle' |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-29.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
But which pelican is best?
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-27.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
May
Claude Sonnet 4 - pelican is facing to the left - almost all examples so far have faced to the right. It's a decent enough pelican and bicycle.
Claude Opus 4 - also good, though the bicycle and pelican are a bit distorted.
Gemini-2.5-pro-preview-05-06 - really impressive pelican, it's got a recognizable pelican beak, it's perched on a good bicycle with visible pedals albeit the frame is wrong. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-26.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
o3 and 04-mini
o3 did green grass, blue sky, a sun and a duck-like pelican riding a bicycle with black cyberpunk wheels.
o4-mini is a lot worse - a half-drawn bicycle and a very small pelican perched on the saddle. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-25.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
GPT 4.1 (1m tokens!)
All three of gpt-4.1-nano, gpt-4.1-mini and gpt-4.1 drew passable pelicans on bicycles. 4.1 did it best.
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-24.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
Llama 4 Scout Llama 4 Maverick
Scout drew a deconstructed bicycle with four wheels and a line leading to a pelican made of an oval and a circle.
Maverick did a blue background, grey road, bicycle with two small red wheels linked by a blue bar and a blobby bird sitting on that bar.
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-23.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
GPT-4o native multi-modal image generation
Three images of Cleo, my dog. The first is a photo I took of her stood on some gravel looking apprehensive. In the second AI generated image she is wearing a pelican costume and stood in front of a big blue Half Moon Bay sign on the beach, with a pelican flying in the background. The third photo has the same costume but now she is back in her original location. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-20.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
Gemini 2.5 Pro
This pelican cost 4.7654 cents
$1.25 per million input tokens and $10/million for output
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-19.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
o1-pro
It's a bird with two long legs at 45 degree angles that end in circles that presumably are meant to be wheels.
This pelican cost 88.755 cents
$150 per million input tokens and $600/million for output
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-18.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
It's an OK bicycle, if a bit too triangular. The pelican looks like a duck and is facing the wrong direction.
$75.00 per million input tokens and $150/million for output
750x gpt-4.1-nano $0.10 input, 375x $0.40 output
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-15.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
Claude 3.7 Sonnet
There's a grey bird that is a bit pelican like, stood on a weird contraption on top of a bicycle with two wheels.
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-13.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
Mistral Small 3 (24B)
“Mistral Small 3 is on par with Llama 3.3 70B instruct, while being more than 3x faster on the same hardware.”
Mistral's pelican looks more like a dumpy white duck. It's perching on a barbell. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-11.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-06 20:42:26+00:00 |
Generate an SVG of a
pelican riding a bicycle
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/ai-worlds-fair/ai-worlds-fair-2025-02.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/6/six-months-in-llms |
2025-06-05 17:52:16+00:00 |
It is clearly a pelican and the bicycle is excellent - it has a correctly shaped red frame! The pelican bill is a bit weird looking. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-2.5-pro-preview-06-05.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/5/gemini-25-pro-preview-06-05 |
2025-05-31 21:18:32+00:00 |
A much better pelican on a bicycle - you can tell it's a bicycle and you can tell that it's a white bird with a long orange beak riding it, albeit it's not clearly a pelican and the bird is lying beneath the seat. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/deepseek-r1-better-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/31/deepseek-aideepseek-r1-0528 |
2025-05-31 21:18:32+00:00 |
A pink circle ovenrlaps a yellow oval, with a grey thick lined rectangle cutting thorough both. Two identical blue circles on the right have orange triangular elements and black ovals, a fair distance from the bit that might represent the pelican - it's very hard to tell. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/deepseek-qwen-8b-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/31/deepseek-aideepseek-r1-0528 |
2025-05-21 14:38:46+00:00 |
Cleo is now wearing that same pelican costume (the four little orange webbed feet boots are a particularly fun touch) but the photo background more closely matches my original photo. The sign and the flying pelican are gone. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/cleo-costume-2.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/21/chatgpt-new-memory |
2025-05-21 14:38:46+00:00 |
Me: Why did you add that sign? ChatGPT: Good catch — I added the “HALF MOON BAY” sign to match the vibe and setting in your original photo (gravel, plants, mural) and because you’ve mentioned being in Half Moon Bay before. I wanted to give it a playful, location-specific flair, like a whimsical postcard of your dog dressed as a pelican in its natural(ish) habitat. But if you want a version without the sign (or with something different in the background), I can regenerate it exactly how you like. Want me to redo it with just the gravel courtyard backdrop from your photo? Me: Yeah ditch the sign |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/why-the-sign.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/21/chatgpt-new-memory |
2025-05-21 14:38:46+00:00 |
Cleo is now wearing a very good pelican costume, albeit one that looks a little uncomfortable. There is a large blue sign reading Half Moon Bay in the background, and the sea, and a pelican flying past. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/cleo-costume-1.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/21/chatgpt-new-memory |
2025-05-20 20:34:30+00:00 |
The bicycle has too many bits of frame in the wrong direction. The pelican is yellow and weirdly shaped. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/flash-pelican-no-thinking.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/20/gemini-25 |
2025-05-20 20:34:30+00:00 |
The bicycle has spokes that look like a spider web. The pelican is goofy but recognizable. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/flash-pelican-thinking.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/20/gemini-25 |
2025-05-17 20:34:39+00:00 |
My Datasette poster is now surrounded by nearly 100 photos - mostly of pelicans, SVGs of pelicans and niche museums I've been to. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/poster-after.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/17/pycon-poster |
2025-05-10 06:29:10+00:00 |
screenshot of llama.cpp web UI - I've added a photo of some pelicans and the prompt decsribe these creatures, it came back with the following: Okay, let's describe these beautiful birds! These are Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). Here's a breakdown of their key features, based on the image: Appearance: They are large, brown birds with distinctive long, pointed bills. Their plumage is a rich, chocolate brown, with lighter underparts. They have large, webbed feet. Posture: As you can see, they're standing together on a concrete embankment, likely near the water's edge. They're in a somewhat huddled or attentive stance. Size: They are quite large birds – adults can have a wingspan of up to 6.5 feet (2 meters). Behavior: Pelicans are known for their unique feeding technique, where they plunge-dive into the water to scoop up fish with their pouches. In the image, you can see: A group of 6-7 Brown Pelicans. A single bird in the foreground, slightly out of focus, showing a more detailed view of their feathers and feet. Where they are: The presence of these birds suggests they are likely in a coastal or wetland environment – perhaps a bay, estuary, or near a large body of water. Do you want me to delve deeper into any specific aspect of these birds, such as their habitat, diet, or conservation status? On the right is a Conversations sidebar with three other conversations listed. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/llama-server-vision.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/10/llama-cpp-vision |
2025-05-10 06:29:10+00:00 |
Animated terminal session. $ llm -m llama-server 'invent a theme park ride for a pelican' Okay, this is a fun challenge! Let's design a theme park ride specifically for a pelican – a majestic, diving bird. Here’s my concept: Ride Name: “Pelican’s Plunge” Theme: Coastal Exploration & Underwater Discovery Target Audience: Families with children (8+ recommended), animal lovers, and those who enjoy a mix of thrills and gentle exploration. Ride Type: A partially submerged, rotating “pod” experience with a focus on simulated dives and underwater views. Ride Mechanics: 1. The Pod: Guests ride in a large, semi-circular pod shaped like a stylized, open-mouthed pelican’s beak. It’s made of reinforced, transparent acrylic and has comfortable seating inside. The pod can hold around 8-10 people. 2. The Launch: Guests board the pod and are positioned facing forward. The ride begins with a slow, gentle rise up a ramp, mimicking the pelican’s ascent from the water. 3. The "Dive" Sequence: This is the core of the ride. The pod enters a large, darkened chamber that simulates the ocean floor. * Rotating Simulation: The pod begins to rotate slowly, mimicking a pelican diving into the water. * Water Effects: The chamber is filled with realistic, moving water – created by a sophisticated system of pumps, jets, and screens. This creates the illusion of being surrounded by the ocean. * Projection Mapping: Powerful projection mapping is used on the walls and floor to create stunning underwater visuals: schools of fish, coral reefs, kelp forests, and even glimpses of marine life like sharks (safely projected, of course!). * “Dive” Trigger: At specific points in the rotation, the pod will perform a short, controlled “dive” – a sudden drop that creates a feeling of speed and the sensation of plunging into the water. Sensors detect the speed of the rotation and trigger these dives. 4. Underwater Exploration: After the initial dive, the pod continues its rotation, offering increasingly detailed views of the projected underwater scenes. * Interactive Elements (Optional): Small, strategically placed screens could display sonar-like visuals, allowing guests to “scan” the environment and reveal hidden creatures or details. 5. The Ascent & Return: The ride gradually slows, bringing the pod back to the surface. As it rises, the projections shift to show a sunny coastline and seabirds flying overhead. The pod returns to the loading area. Theming & Atmosphere: * Sound Design: Immersive sound effects – waves crashing, seabirds calling, underwater ambience – are crucial. * Lighting: Dynamic lighting that shifts with the projections and the "dive" sequences. * Pelican Props: Realistic pelican statues and props are integrated throughout the queue and surrounding area. * Educational Element: Small informational panels explain pelican behavior, conservation efforts, and the importance of marine ecosystems. Why this works for a pelican: * Mimics Natural Behavior: The ride accurately reflects a pelican’s primary activity – diving for fish. * Visually Engaging: The combination of water effects, projection mapping, and rotation creates a captivating and immersive experience. * Family-Friendly Thrill: The “dive” sequences provide a moderate thrill without being overly intense. * Educational Value: It promotes awareness and appreciation for these amazing birds and the marine environment. --- Further Development Ideas: * Different "Dive Routes": Create multiple routes through the underwater environment, each with a different theme (e.g., a coral reef route, a deep-sea route, a pelican’s feeding ground route). * Animatronic Pelican: A large animatronic pelican could “greet” guests as they board the pod. * Smell Integration: Subtle scents of saltwater and seaweed could enhance the immersion. Would you like me to brainstorm a specific element of the ride further, such as: * The projection mapping details? * The technical aspects of the water effects? * A unique interactive element? |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/theme-park.gif |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/10/llama-cpp-vision |
2025-05-07 22:49:41+00:00 |
A pelican with its wings outstretched wearing an inappropriate pink bowler hat. The hat looks a little bit pasted on. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/pelican-hat.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/7/gemini-images-preview |
2025-05-06 18:09:40+00:00 |
See description below |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-latest-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/May/6/gemini-25-pro-preview |
2025-04-29 00:37:03+00:00 |
The bicycle looks more like a shopping cart. The pelican is a bunch of overlapping blue shapes and the yellow bill is misconfigured. It's not a great effort to be honest. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/qwen3-32b-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/29/qwen-3 |
2025-04-18 13:26:00+00:00 |
Screenshot of mask tool. At the top is a select box to pick a model (currently using Gemini 2.5 Pro) and a prompt that reads: Give the segmentation masks for the pelicans. Output a JSON list of segmentation masks where each entry contains the 2D bounding box in the key "box_2d" and the segmentation mask in key "mask". Below that is JSON that came back - an array of objects. The mask keys are base64 encoded PNG data. Below that is the original image, then the image with masks overlaid and a coordinate system, then two columns showing each cropped image and mask next to each other. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/mask-tool.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/18/gemini-image-segmentation |
2025-04-18 13:26:00+00:00 |
Animated demo. Two pelican outlines are shown offset from each other - clicking the four different origin buttons causes them to move in relationship to each other. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/flap.gif |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/18/gemini-image-segmentation |
2025-04-16 17:46:35+00:00 |
Described by o3: The illustration shows a playful, stylized bicycle whose frame is drawn to resemble a duck. • The duck’s rounded body forms the bicycle’s seat area, and a small wing is sketched on its side. • Its long neck stretches forward to become the top tube, ending in a simple head with a black eye and an orange, open beak that points ahead like handlebars. • Two large black‑outlined wheels with thin, evenly spaced spokes complete the bike, while thin blue lines depict the rest of the frame, pedals, and chain. • A dashed grey ground line runs beneath the wheels, giving the impression the duck‑bike is rolling along. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/o3-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/16/introducing-openai-o3-and-o4-mini |
2025-04-16 17:46:35+00:00 |
Described by o4-mini: The image is a very simple, minimalistic line drawing of a bird riding a bicycle, rendered against a plain white background. Key elements: • Two large, identical circles for the bike’s wheels, outlined in thick black. • A horizontal bar links the rear wheel to the bird’s body; a slanted bar links the front wheel to the bird. • The front wheel has a single straight spoke ending in an arrowhead, suggesting the forward direction of travel. • The bird itself is drawn with basic shapes: – A small circle for the head, with a single dot for the eye and a short yellow triangle for the beak. – An oval for the body. – Thin lines for the neck, legs, and the bike’s pedals and handlebars. • The bird appears perched on the saddle, its legs extending down to the pedals, and its tiny wings resting near the handlebars. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/o4-mini-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/16/introducing-openai-o3-and-o4-mini |
2025-04-14 18:12:12+00:00 |
Description to follow |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/two-pelicans.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/14/gpt-4-1 |
2025-04-14 18:12:12+00:00 |
Not a terrible pelican on a bicycle. The frame is blue, though misshapen. The pelican's legs are detached from its body. It has a nice but square beak. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gpt-4.1-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Apr/14/gpt-4-1 |
2025-03-28 00:18:43+00:00 |
Animated GIF demo - as I type JSON it is pretty printed below, at the end I click the Load Pelican Example button. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/pretty-print-json.gif |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/28/incomplete-json-pretty-printer |
2025-03-25 20:45:58+00:00 |
The pelican is perched at an angle which suggests an effort at having it make contact with the pedals. It has a good large beak. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-2.5-pro-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/25/gemini |
2025-03-25 20:45:58+00:00 |
The bicycle has pokes but the pedal is in the wrong place, and the pelican perches uncomfortably on the seat with weird looking wings. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/pelican-claude-3.7-sonnet.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/25/gemini |
2025-03-25 20:45:58+00:00 |
Pelicans with bounding boxes around them |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-pelicans-bbox.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/25/gemini |
2025-03-24 15:04:04+00:00 |
There's a pelican, and a bicycle, but both of them look disassembled. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/deepseek-v3-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/24/deepseek |
2025-03-19 23:54:16+00:00 |
A bit better - no pedals, so they cannot be in the wrong place. The bird has a slightly more majestic beak. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/o1-pro-high-pelican.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/19/o1-pro |
2025-03-19 23:54:16+00:00 |
Clearly a bird riding a bicycle. The pedals are in the wrong place and the bird doesn't quite have the majestic beak of a pelican. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/o1-pro-pelican.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/19/o1-pro |
2025-03-18 20:17:34+00:00 |
Screenshot of a Brown Pelican sighting Atom feed in NetNewsWire showing a list of entries on the left sidebar and detailed view of "Brown Pelican at Art Museum, Isla Vista, CA 93117, USA" on the right with date "MAR 13, 2025 AT 10:40 AM", coordinates "34.4115542997, -119.8500448", and a photo of three brown pelicans in water near a dock with copyright text "(c) Ery, all rights reserved" |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/pelicans-netnewswire.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/18/actions-pages |
2025-03-16 03:30:41+00:00 |
Blue and black wiggly lines looking more like a circuit diagram than a pelican riding a bicycle |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/olmo2-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/16/olmo2 |
2025-03-12 16:15:19+00:00 |
Two pelicans flying against a blue sky |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/two-pelicans.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/12/gemma-3 |
2025-03-12 16:15:19+00:00 |
A collection of abstract shapes, definitely not a pelican on a bicycle |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemma-3-pelican.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/12/gemma-3 |
2025-03-04 01:38:03+00:00 |
Two glorious pelicans in flight, viewed sideways on |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/two-pelicans.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/4/squadron |
2025-03-04 01:38:03+00:00 |
Screenshot of iOS notes - just the first pelican is in the note, with a white background instead of the sky |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/notes-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/4/squadron |
2025-02-27 22:02:59+00:00 |
A pretty simple pelican, not as good as other leading models |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/pelican-gpt45.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Feb/27/introducing-gpt-45 |
2025-02-18 16:46:25+00:00 |
Grok 3's pelicans are pretty good, though I still slightly prefer Claude 3.5 Sonnet's. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/grok3-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Feb/18/andrej-karpathy-grok-3 |
2025-02-05 16:37:29+00:00 |
This one is pleasingly avant-garde. The bicycle does at least have two wheels joined by a frame. The pelican is a fun shape, and it has a beak with a curved orange top and a curved yellow bottom. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-2.0-pro-exp-02-05.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Feb/5/gemini-2 |
2025-02-05 16:37:29+00:00 |
This is not great. The bicycle is a trapezoid. The pelican is very warped and has a orange diamond beak above its head. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-2.0-flash-lite-preview-02-05.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Feb/5/gemini-2 |
2025-02-05 16:37:29+00:00 |
The bicycle is better but the pelican is yellow and looks more like a baby chick. Its beak is squashed against the side of the image. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/gemini-2.0-flash.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2025/Feb/5/gemini-2 |
2024-12-24 20:49:08+00:00 |
A screenshot of the Google VideoFX video generation tool |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelicans-on-bicycles-veo2.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/24/qvq |
2024-12-24 20:49:08+00:00 |
A photograph of four glorious young California Brown Pelicans perched on a dock. The back end of another pelican is visible at the front of the photo. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/count-pelicans-easy.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/24/qvq |
2024-12-19 23:59:54+00:00 |
The bicycle has two wheels but looks more like a pram. The pelican has a good orange beak but its wings are triangles that are oddly positioned. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/thinking-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/19/gemini-thinking-mode |
2024-12-11 20:16:58+00:00 |
Prompt is Detect the 3D bounding boxes of pelicans , output no more than 10 items. Output a json list where each entry contains the object name in "label" and its 3D bounding box in "box_3d" - the model has returned a JSON list like that and is showing the photograph of pelicans on the right covered in exciting 3D boxes, which look like they about line up with the 2D pelicans |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/3d-bbox.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/11/gemini-2 |
2024-12-11 20:16:58+00:00 |
A confusing photo of pelicans on rocks |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelicans.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/11/gemini-2 |
2024-12-11 20:16:58+00:00 |
Photo with a bunch of boxes drawn around pelicans |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelican-bbox.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/11/gemini-2 |
2024-12-09 15:08:40+00:00 |
It's not great. Blue sky, brown dirt, then a weird oval with two eyes and an offset triangular yellow hat, next to a bundle of grey circles that is probably meant to be a bicycle |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelican-bicycle-llama.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/9/llama-33-70b |
2024-12-04 15:50:50+00:00 |
A confusing photo of a group of pelicans on some rocks |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelicans.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/4/amazon-nova |
2024-11-28 20:29:27+00:00 |
A glorious pelican on some rocks, two other pelicans are visible plus some other birds |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/IMG_4414.JPG |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/28/smolvlm |
2024-11-27 23:59:19+00:00 |
You can tell which bit is the bicycle and which bit is the pelican. It's quite elegant. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/qwq-pelican.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/27/qwq |
2024-11-15 04:24:09+00:00 |
A really rather good SVG of a California Brown Pelican riding a bicycle |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/recraft-ai-pelican.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/15/recraft-v3 |
2024-11-13 01:55:31+00:00 |
See above description - it's a pelican photo |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/13/ollama-llama-vision |
2024-11-12 23:37:36+00:00 |
A jumble of shapes. The pelican has a yellow body, a black head and a weird proboscis kind of thing. The bicycle is several brown overlapping shapes that looks a bit like a tractor. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/qwen-pelican.svg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/12/qwen25-coder |
2024-11-02 05:27:25+00:00 |
Animated terminal demo. My prompt is tell me about pelicans. The model responds: Sure, I'd be happy to tell you about pelicans! Pelicans are a group of aquatic birds in the order Pelecaniformes, which also includes the cormorants, darters, and frigatebirds. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, and are known for their distinctive pouch-like bill. There are several species of pelicans. The most common species is the Brown Pelican, which is found in the Americas. It's the only species that plunges into water from a significant height to catch fish and other prey, a behavior known as "fish-grabbing." Another common species is the American White Pelican, which can be found in both the Americas and Eurasia. It has a white plumage and a large, bright pink bill, and feeds on fish in lakes, rivers, and coastal wetlands. Pelicans are generally medium-sized birds, but the Brown Pelican is the largest, with an average height of around 26-30 inches. Their bills can be as long as 11 inches! Below the terminal you can see Activity Monitor showing 378% CPU usage for the Python process |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/smol-demo.gif |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/2/smollm2 |
2024-10-29 15:09:38+00:00 |
A photograph of a fine looking pelican in the marina |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/29/llm-multi-modal |
2024-10-26 20:51:03+00:00 |
Screenshot of SVG demo page showing three examples: "Simple Sun SVG" with a yellow circular sun and rays, "Pelican SVG" with a gray stylized bird shape, and "SVG with JavaScript (ignored)" showing a coral-colored square with text "JS Ignored". Page titled "SVG Base64 Embedding Demo". Each example includes descriptive text explaining its purpose. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/claude-base64-svg.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/26/svg-sandbox |
2024-10-23 02:34:24+00:00 |
A dashboard showing pelican activity metrics and locations. Header reads "Pelican Illuminati Control Center" with "Threat Level: HIGH". Contains an emergency alert about pelicans at Mavericks Beach, two line graphs tracking "Membership Growth" and "Fish Acquisition Metrics" from Jan-Jun, and a list of "Known Pelican Strongholds" including Pillar Point Harbor, Mavericks Beach, Dunes Beach, Poplar Beach, and Half Moon Bay State Beach, each with designated roles in parentheses. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/pelican-illuminati.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/23/claude-artifact-runner |
2024-10-22 17:38:06+00:00 |
Screenshot. On the left a chat panel - the bot is displaying screenshots of the desktop and saying things like Now I can see Simon's website4. Let me use the search box at the top to search for "pelicans". On the right is a large Ubuntu desktop screen showing Firefox running with a sarch for pelicans on my website. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/computer-use-1.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/22/computer-use |
2024-10-21 14:32:57+00:00 |
Pelican Sightings in Half Moon Bay - a textarea with select * from pelican sightings, an execute query button and a table displaying 5 matching rows. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/claude-artifacts/sqlite-wasm.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/21/claude-artifacts |
2024-10-07 04:17:03+00:00 |
Screenshot of VisionCortex VTracer web interface. Central image shows a surreal scene with a giant pelican wearing a monocle, overlooking a coastal city with yachts and an F1 car. UI elements include: logo, download options, and image processing controls for clustering, filtering, color precision, gradient step, and curve fitting. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/vtracer.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/7/vtracer |
2024-10-03 19:14:56+00:00 |
A beautiful faberge egg featuring a humpback whale and pelicans - it is located on a beach and sea lions on that beach are looking at it. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/flux-pelican-egg.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Oct/3/flux11-pro |
2024-09-08 01:04:00+00:00 |
Teresa lurks in the water, a California brown pelican sits on the water in front of her, moor pelicans are visible on the rocks in the background |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/teresa-t-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Sep/8/teresa-t-whale-pillar-point |
2024-07-14 04:59:56+00:00 |
Assistant: Sure, here are three
names for a pet pelican:
1. Percy
2. Pippin
3. Gulliver
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/simonw-pycon-2024/simonw-pycon-2024.025.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/14/pycon |
2024-07-14 04:59:56+00:00 |
Dumb trick #1
Chat prompting
Assistant: How can I help? ,
User: 3 names for a pet pelican
Assistant:
|
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/simonw-pycon-2024/simonw-pycon-2024.024.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/14/pycon |
2024-07-14 04:59:56+00:00 |
Ilm.datasette.io
Screenshot of a macOS terminal window:
$ llm -m mistral '5 great names for a pet pelican'
1. Alvin the Aquatic Avian: This name combines the friendly and conversational tone of a classic children's cartoon character, while als o highlighting the pelican's unique habitat and dietary needs as wat er-loving birds that often have an affinity for fish.
2. Biscuit: Pelicans are known to be quite large birds, so naming on e after a common food item like biscuit can add a fun, playful touch without being too specific or limiting (as some other bird names mi ght).
3. Puddle: Given their affinity for water environments, naming your pet pelican 'Puddle' could evoke images of serene bodies of water wh ere these magnificent creatures thrive.
4. Blimp: Due to its distinctive pouch feature, a pelican may look |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/simonw-pycon-2024/simonw-pycon-2024.022.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/14/pycon |
2024-07-14 04:59:56+00:00 |
llm.datasette.io
Terminal command: llm -m mistral '5 great names for a pet pelican' |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/simonw-pycon-2024/simonw-pycon-2024.022-old.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/14/pycon |
2024-07-14 04:59:56+00:00 |
Screenshot showing the same prompt executed against two anonymous models next to each other.
Prompt: 5 great names for a pet pelican
Model A:
Pelicans are such unique birds with their large beaks and impressive wingspan! Here are five great names for a pet pelican:
1. Scooper - This name highlights their incredible
ability to scoop up fish with their large bill.
2. Pelly - A cute and affectionate name that’s easy to
call out.
3. Captain - Perfect for a bird that soars majestically
over the seas.
4. Gulliver - Inspired by the traveler, this name suits a bird known for long migrations.
5. Nibbles - Despite their size, pelicans feed primarily on small fish, making this a playful and ironic choice.
Model B:
Sure, here are five great names for a pet pelican:
1. Percy
2. Gulliver
3. Splash
4. Marina
5. Pelagia
Buttons for A is better, B is better, Tie and Both are bad |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/simonw-pycon-2024/simonw-pycon-2024.017.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/14/pycon |
2024-06-17 16:44:39+00:00 |
$ llm 'five great names for a pet pelican'
Sure, here are five great names for a pet pelican:
1. **Splash**
2. **Captain Beak**
3. **Seabreeze**
4. **Marina**
5. **Pelicano**
These names incorporate elements of the pelican's natural habitat and distinctive features, adding a fun and fitting touch for your feathered friend! |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/llm/frame_000259.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jun/17/cli-language-models |
2024-06-17 16:44:39+00:00 |
6 rows where search matches "pelican" and model = "claude-3-opus-20240229" sorted by id descending |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2024/llm/frame_000940.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jun/17/cli-language-models |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus (mostly off screen) |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/add-walrus-1.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 1 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-1-1.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 2 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-1-2.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 3 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-1-3.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 4 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-1-4.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 1 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-2-1.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 2 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-2-2.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 3 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-2-3.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican 4 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-2-4.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus, excellent |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/add-walrus-2.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Weird pelican walrus hybrid |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/add-walrus-3.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/add-walrus-4.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus muppets 1 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/muppets-1.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus muppets 2 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/muppets-2.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus muppets 3 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/muppets-3.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
Pelican and a walrus muppets 4 |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/muppets-4.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-26 21:11:39+00:00 |
A muppet pelican and a muppet walrus with bowties in front of the Monaco Grand Prix |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/dalle-3/pelican-walrus-muppet-bowtie.png |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/26/add-a-walrus |
2023-10-17 14:18:55+00:00 |
llm.datasette.io
Screenshot of a terminal:
$ llm "ten creative names for a pet pelican" |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/open-questions-llms/simon-willison-open-questions.018.jpeg |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Oct/17/open-questions |
2023-06-08 20:37:00+00:00 |
Terminal window running that command. 1. Pelly 2. Beaky 3. SkyDancer 4. Scoop 5. Captain Gulliver - most of those words take more than one token, but Captain is output instantly. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/gpt-token-pelican-names.gif |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Jun/8/gpt-tokenizers |
2023-05-04 15:42:25+00:00 |
Four images of pelicans having a tea party. They are photo realistic, in a natural outdoor setting. None of the pelicans are holding their tea, they are just standing near the tea service. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/pelican-tea-party-v5.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/May/4/midjourney-51 |
2023-05-04 15:42:25+00:00 |
Four images of pelicans having a tea party. These look a bit more like illustrations - they are more whimsical, in formal settings and the pelicans often have little hands - sometimes white, sometimes pink claws - to hold the tea with. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/pelican-tea-party-5-1.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/May/4/midjourney-51 |
2023-04-16 15:10:45+00:00 |
Prompt: A rap battle between a pelican and a sea otter. Response: Pelican: Yo, I'm the OG of the ocean, I'm a bird that's built like a tank, My beak is sharp, my wings can glide, I'm the one that they all must dance. Sea Otter: Hold up, you can't even compare us, I'm a marine mammal, not a bird, My fur is soft, my feet are great, I'm the one that's sleek and lean. Pelican: Yo, you may have fur, but you can't fly, I'm the one with the height, I'm the king of the skies, My feathers are strong, I'm the one that's glorious. Sea Otter: Don't bring flying into this, You're a bird, you can't even fly that high, I'm the one with the skills, I'm the one that's swimming with finesse. Pelican: Oh, you think you're so great, But you can't even hold a beat, I'm the one with the flow, I'm the one that's got the groove, I'm the one that's got the power, You're just a sea otter, weak and insignificant. Sea Otter: You can't insult me, I'm a marine mammal, I'm the one that's got the soul, I'm the one that's got the heart, You're just a bird, a feeble creature, Can't even hold a candle to my awesomeness. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2023/web-llm-rap-battle.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Apr/16/web-llm |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
Six images of pelicans - they are all made of lightning this time, and they look pretty cool |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelicans-made-of-lightning-digital-art.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
These are really cool images of pelicans with lightning - though again, they aren't really made of lightning. Also there's no album text any more. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelicans-album-digital-art.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
A really cool stained glass window design of a pelican, though it is not wearing a waistcoat |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-stained-glass-pelican.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
A beautiful painting. A racoon sits in the foreground at a little table in the forest. He is surrounded by pelicans, one of which is pouring a drink from a half-bucket-half-teapot. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelican-tea-party.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
A ceramic pelican in a Mexican folk art style with a big cactus growing out of it - the image looks exactly like that, it's very impressive |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelican-cactus.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
A heavy metal album cover where the band members are all pelicans... made of lightning - except none of the pelicans are made of lightning. The text at the top reads PLENY HLAN |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelican-album-cover.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
A heavy metal album cover where the band members are all pelicans that are made of lightning - six images, all very heavy metal but none of them where the birds are made of lightning, though two have lightning in the background now |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelican-album-cover-six.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-23 23:05:56+00:00 |
Six images of pelicans - they are all made of lightning this time, but they don't look great. |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2022/dall-e-pelicans-made-of-lightning.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/23/dall-e |
2022-06-12 22:59:31+00:00 |
A glorious pelican, wings oustretched |
https://photos.simonwillison.net/i/a444857c4ac71ceae6af5192c8acc5ac35934ed589259136df0ed11295dbb085.jpeg?w=800 |
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Jun/12/twenty-years |
2020-11-14 03:53:55+00:00 |
Some photos I have taken of pelicans, inside Datasette |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2020/octo-github/shot-51.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2020/Nov/14/personal-data-warehouses |
2020-11-14 03:53:55+00:00 |
Screenshot of my blog entry about Using SQL to find my best photo of a pelican according to Apple Photos |
https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2020/octo-github/shot-53.jpg |
https://simonwillison.net/2020/Nov/14/personal-data-warehouses |
2020-05-21 19:16:38+00:00 |
A pelican |
https://photos.simonwillison.net/i/cbfe463f1a67e37a1d36c5db44f0159ef6f86a0d64a987b129b63b52e555f1af.jpeg?w=800 |
https://simonwillison.net/2020/May/21/dogsheep-photos |
2020-05-21 19:16:38+00:00 |
A pelican |
https://photos.simonwillison.net/i/a444857c4ac71ceae6af5192c8acc5ac35934ed589259136df0ed11295dbb085.jpeg?w=800 |
https://simonwillison.net/2020/May/21/dogsheep-photos |