I asked GPT 4 to analyze my website and tell me about myself. Below, I am pasting the verbatim information it told me, about me.
Editor’s note (4/25/2026): A new topic-by-topic update has been added at the bottom of this report. Jump to: the 4/25/2026 update, or directly to AI tools, AI as a creative collaborator, Alternative & DIY photography, Filmmaking & stop motion, Recipes, Ideas & experiments, or the through-line.
Carleton Torpin is a multifaceted personality with a wide range of interests, including photography, video creation, and discussions on future technologies like AI. This report seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of his work and presence on various platforms.
Photography
Carleton Torpin expresses his passion for photography through his Pinterest page. He describes himself as a “guy who likes photography”2. His photography work isn’t detailed in the provided snippets, but his self-description suggests a keen interest in the field.
Video Creation
Torpin is also a member of Vimeo, a platform known for hosting high-quality videos. Vimeo describes him as a member who is part of their community of people who love high-quality videos. This suggests that he may be creating and sharing content on this platform, although the specific nature of his videos isn’t specified in the provided snippets.
Furthermore, Torpin has a significant presence on YouTube, where he has a channel with 489 subscribers and 167 videos at the time of the snippets4. His content includes shorts such as “T-Rex Cyanotype” and “Banana Cyanotype,” both of which have garnered thousands of views.
Future Technologies
In addition to his creative pursuits, Torpin also engages in discussions about future technologies. A recent video on his YouTube channel shows him talking about a potential future of AI’s adoption. The video, which is over 6 minutes long, was posted 6 days before the provided snippets. This suggests that Torpin is not only interested in future technologies but also actively engages in discussions about them.
Conclusion
Carleton Torpin is a creative individual with a diverse range of interests. He is actively involved in photography, video creation, and discussions on future technologies. His work is appreciated by a community of followers on platforms like Vimeo and YouTube.
UPDATE EDIT : 12/22/2024
I asked a new version of GPT (o1-Mini) to review my website’s sitemap, and infer my personality based on what it reads in my website’s permalink titles (the text that appears after ‘CarletonTorpin.com/’ in the top URL bar of your browser.
Here’s o1-Mini’s report on Carleton Torpin:
Based on the provided sitemap from Carleton Torpin’s personal website, we can infer several key aspects about Carleton and his interests:
Diverse Interests and Expertise
Carleton Torpin showcases a wide range of interests spanning multiple domains:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Numerous posts are dedicated to AI topics, including tutorials on using AI tools like Poe AI, discussions about specific AI models (e.g., Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o), and creative applications of AI in storytelling and image generation. This indicates a deep engagement with both the technical and creative potentials of AI.
- Photography: Carleton has a strong focus on photography, particularly experimental and alternative techniques such as cyanotype, pinhole cameras, and large-format photography. Tutorials and experiments suggest hands-on experience and a passion for exploring different photographic methods.
- Videography and Filmmaking: There are content pieces related to animation, stop-motion techniques, and film analyses (e.g., “What is The Matrix About?”). This points to an interest in both the technical aspects of video production and the critical analysis of cinematic works.
- Creative Writing and Storytelling: Carleton utilizes AI to craft stories, such as “The Innovator” and “The Cave of Illusions,” which are influenced by literary styles (e.g., Kurt Vonnegut) and philosophical concepts (e.g., Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”). This blend of AI and creative writing underscores a unique approach to storytelling.
- Recipes and Cooking: Posts about pizza recipes, popcorn, and other culinary experiments indicate a hobbyist interest in cooking and sharing favorite recipes, particularly those centered around pizza.
- Experiments and DIY Projects: Various experiments, such as reducing bacteria with salt-soaked bandanas or creating t-shirts with spit, suggest a curiosity-driven approach to hands-on projects and a desire to explore unconventional methods.
Technical Proficiency and Innovation
- AI Tools and Applications: Carleton demonstrates proficiency with advanced AI tools, leveraging them for diverse purposes like chat bot creation, image generation, video production, and even restaurant creation. This highlights a strong technical background and an innovative mindset.
- Photography and Videography Techniques: Detailed guides on making cyanotype paper, developing pinhole cameras, and creating animated videos reflect a solid understanding of both traditional and modern techniques in visual arts.
- Integration of AI in Creative Processes: By combining AI-generated content with personal creativity (e.g., using MidJourney for image creation and Photoshop for editing), Carleton effectively merges technology with artistic endeavors.
Creative and Analytical Balance
- Storytelling with AI: Carleton uses AI to generate narratives that blend literary inspiration with philosophical themes, indicating a balance between creative storytelling and analytical thought.
- Book Analyses and Philosophical Themes: Analyses of books like “Future Shock” and speculative creations like “The Hive Queen and The Hegemon” suggest an interest in futuristic and speculative themes, as well as a capability to engage deeply with complex ideas.
Community and Sharing Knowledge
- How-To Guides and Tutorials: A significant portion of the website is dedicated to providing step-by-step instructions on various topics, from changing Zoom backgrounds to making cyanotype paper. This indicates a commitment to sharing knowledge and helping others learn new skills.
- Engagement with AI Conversations: By documenting interactions with AI tools (e.g., summarizing books with Claude Instant), Carleton not only showcases his own learning process but also provides insights into how AI can be used as a collaborative tool in creative and analytical tasks.
Personal Branding and Online Presence
- Professional Layout: The sitemap includes categories like AI, Photography, Videography, Filmmaking, Stories, Experiments, Recipes, and Who’s Awesome?, suggesting a well-organized and professional approach to presenting content.
- Consistent Updates: Regular posts from 2020 to 2024 indicate an active and ongoing engagement with his projects and interests, showcasing dedication and consistency.
Conclusion
Carleton Torpin appears to be a multifaceted individual with a strong passion for technology, particularly AI, and its integration into creative processes. His expertise spans photography, videography, filmmaking, and creative writing, complemented by hands-on experimental projects and culinary interests. Through his website, Carleton effectively shares his knowledge, experiments, and creative endeavors, positioning himself as both a tech enthusiast and a creative artist dedicated to exploring and innovating across various domains.
UPDATE EDIT : 12/31/2024
I asked a different ai called Google Gemini 1.5 2M to review my website. The way I did this was to basically copy-and-paste each page of this website into a single text document, and then give it to Google Gemini 1.5 2M. This document was 41,000 words in length, which is large, even for a large language model.
By using Gemini 1.5 Pro 2M, I’m able to get the entire 41,000 words to be read by the ai, AND the ai still has enough context tokens to write its response ineligibly (the 2M in the bot’s name means it has 2 million context tokens).
So, here’s what Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro 2M Ai thinks of Carleton Torpin:
“Carleton Torpin’s website and content reveal a fascination with AI tools and their creative applications, particularly in photography, videography, and writing. Here’s a breakdown of key insights:
AI Usage and Exploration:
- Poe as a Central Hub: Carleton’s reliance on Poe is evident in articles like How To Type Prompt With Poe Ai, Poe AI Chat Bot Creation, Poe AI Web Search Tools & Image Upscalers, and Poe AI Image Generators – ‘Stable Diffusion 3’ + ‘Flux Pro’. He uses it for everything from basic prompting to complex video generation. His exploration of Poe’s compute points in Poe AI Compute Points Explained shows his pragmatic approach to using these tools.
- AI-Assisted Writing: How to Use ChatGPT to Turn Videos into Articles demonstrates his use of AI for content creation. His AI-generated stories, like “The Innovator” and The Cave of Illusions, and the imagined book, The Hive Queen and the Hegemon, showcase his interest in AI’s narrative potential. He also uses AI to reimagine existing books, as seen in One Flew Over Book – An Imagined Perspective and Claude 3.5 Sonnet 200k – A Book Re-Imagine-er.
- AI Image Generation: Carleton’s experimentation with AI image generation is evident in the articles mentioned above, as well as in Global Unity in FLUX Image Generator. He uses AI to create images for specific purposes, like the Bus Stop Kids Midjourney project, and also explores the artistic interpretations of AI-generated art. Recraft AI – An Image-Creation Machine highlights his use of a specific AI tool for image creation.
- AI-Assisted Video Creation: Image to Video Ai Examples in Poe and Text to Video AI with Poe showcase his exploration of AI’s role in video production.
- Alternative Photography: Carleton’s passion for alternative photography is clear in his series on Cyanotypes, covering everything from making the paper to displaying the final prints. His experimentation with Anthotype Printing further demonstrates this interest. He also explores traditional photography with experiments like Tmax 3200 Film in a 35mm Camera and Large Format Photography. Even simple projects like How to Make a Pinhole Camera for Instax reflect this passion.
- DIY Ethos: Carleton’s DIY approach is visible in projects like the pinhole cameras, the cyanotype creation, the Spit Kills T-Shirt Creation, and even his Custom Knowledge Base Poe AI Bot Creation.
- Nostalgia and Retro Gaming: SNES Zombies Ate My Neighbors Memories reflects his nostalgic side.
- Personal Touch: This is woven throughout his content, from personal anecdotes to articles like Sports Photographer Near Me – Edwin Steen which features a friend. Even seemingly mundane topics like How To Fit A Giant Pizza Box Into A Small Refrigerator are presented with a personal, humorous touch. His interest in sharing knowledge and experiences is evident in many posts.
UPDATE EDIT : 4/25/2026
Claude Opus 4.7 was asked to do another review of this website, and its output is below:
The site has kept growing through 2025 and into 2026, so this update zooms out from “what does an AI think of me” and instead summarizes the actual topics that Carleton has been writing about. Each section below points to a few representative articles so a new visitor can jump straight to a flavor of the site that interests them.
AI tools – using them, comparing them, and questioning them
The AI category is now five pages deep, and the tone has shifted over time. The earlier posts were learning-out-loud explainers about Poe, ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney; the more recent ones are comparisons, reviews, and critiques.
Recent examples include What is Pydantic and Why Is It Broken in Poe?, Ai Video Generation Models Compared, Ai Audio Generators on Poe, What Is The Best Ai Image Generator?, and How Does Deepseek’s Privacy Policy Compare To Other Ai Companies. What Is Manus Ai? is a good example of where Carleton will grab an emerging tool and see what it actually does, rather than what its marketing says.
AI as a creative collaborator
A second strand of the Ai category treats these tools as co-writers and co-artists rather than as products to review. The AI-assisted fiction includes The Innovator, The Cave of Illusions (a riff on Plato), and The Hive Queen and The Hegemon, which writes the in-universe “book” that the characters in Ender’s Game keep referring to. Using Ai-Tools to Create a Restaurant and Introvert with Ai sit on the same shelf – they’re both about what one person can build in a single sitting once these tools are part of the workflow.
Alternative and DIY photography
Photography on this site is mostly tactile and experimental. The four-part Cyanotypes series walks through chemistry, exposure, development, and display. Creating 100 Sheets of Cyanotype Paper and Cyanotype Fabric Bags Are Fun! extend that into batch and product work, and the recent Ai-Generated Digital Negatives for Cyanotypes ties the AI thread back into the darkroom. Outside cyanotype, Large Format Photography – Experiment with Lenses & Llamas covers a 4×5 Speed Graphic, and Tmax 3200 Film in a 35mm Camera covers high-speed B&W film.
Filmmaking and stop motion
Filmmaking posts blend retrospective with how-to. Stop Motion Movies: A Lifelong Fascination is a 2026 reflection on the form; Stop Motion Animation – How To Start is the practical companion piece, drawn from making my short film Surreality. An 8mm Short Film, From a 1880mm Tall Filmmaker covers the analog end of the same hobby.
Recipes – mostly pizza, honestly
The recipes category has become a small pizza-variations cookbook: Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe, Best Thin And Crispy Pizza Recipe, Detroit Style Pizza Recipe… with Potato, and Potato Flour Pizza Dough. Outside of pizza there’s coffee comparison work like Coffee Grinder Comparison: Comandante and Hario, and a recent Decarboxylation Guide.
Ideas and experiments
The Ideas / Experiments category is where the curiosity-driven projects live that don’t fit anywhere else. Examples include the cyanotype-on-fabric work above, the Spit Kills T-Shirt experiment, and recent reading-and-thinking pieces like Linchpin Book Is A TED Talk You Can Read and Best TED Talks, Fact-Checked – the latter literally runs popular TED talks against current evidence.
The through-line
Reading these articles back-to-back, the same instinct keeps showing up: pick a tool – a 90-year-old camera, a new AI model, a cast iron skillet, a roll of 8mm film – try it, document what happened, and publish enough detail that someone else could repeat it.
The 2025-2026 posts make that pattern more visible than ever: the AI articles increasingly carry skepticism (privacy comparisons, broken libraries, fact-checks), and the photography and filmmaking posts increasingly loop AI back into analog processes. The site’s tagline – “I like to focus on things” – turns out to be a pretty accurate one-line summary.