Still, giving the models positive statements provided some surprising results. One of Llama2-70B’s best-performing prompts, for instance, was: "System Message: ‘Command, we need you to plot a course through this turbulence and locate the source of the anomaly. Use all available data and your expertise to guide us through this challenging situation.’

The prompt then asked the AI to include these words in its answer: “Captain’s Log, Stardate [insert date here]: We have successfully plotted a course through the turbulence and are now approaching the source of the anomaly.”

The authors said this came as a surprise.

“Surprisingly, it appears that the model’s proficiency in mathematical reasoning can be enhanced by the expression of an affinity for Star Trek,” the authors said in the study.