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So, today I tooted about some videos by Riley Brown on tiktok of all places on how to use #ChatGPT and #Obsidian as a way to kick off research.
Seeing as I'm a little stagnated on an article I want to write, I thought I'd try it out and blog the experience.
Last week I tooted a thread on the closure announcement of TradeLens, and I felt that to do it proper justice, I should explain in more detail what an Electronic Bill Of Lading is, and why the main issues around digitalisation of logistics documentation is not technological but legal, and so I created that note in Obsidian, and left some placeholder text to the toot thread.
This note needs expanding, and so I thought that I'd try out the method in the videos. For what it's worth, I do have a background in Logistics, though I am not an expert in this particular field, I do think I know more than the average person.
So, with a chai horchatté and a chocolate croissant to accompany me, I set off to try this out.
So, the video posits that you need to ask ChatGPT a somewhat leading question that allows you to go further, so copying his example:
Give me ten research questions regarding electronic bills of lading and the factors that are limiting their use
- What are the main challenges and barriers to the adoption and implementation of electronic bills of lading?
- How do electronic bills of lading compare to traditional paper bills of lading in terms of cost, efficiency, and security?
- What are the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the use of electronic bills of lading in different countries and regions?
- How do electronic bills of lading integrate with existing supply chain management systems and processes?
- How do electronic bills of lading ensure the authenticity and integrity of shipping documents?
- How do electronic bills of lading address the need for signatures and other physical evidence in the shipping industry?
- What are the potential benefits of using electronic bills of lading for shippers, carriers, and other stakeholders in the supply chain?
- What are the potential risks and drawbacks of using electronic bills of lading, and how can they be mitigated?
- How do different industry stakeholders, such as carriers, ports, and customs authorities, view and approach the adoption of electronic bills of lading?
- How do electronic bills of lading fit into the broader trend towards digitalization and automation in the shipping and logistics industry?
That's a very broad list of questions, but then again I didn't limit the question much.
The video then suggests I paste that list of questions into Obsidian, which I did, into the Electronic Bills of Lading note, and then paste it back again into ChatGPT and then press the button to get answers.
And I got, well, an answer:
I apologize, but I am a large language model trained by OpenAI and do not have the ability to browse the internet or conduct research. The questions I provided are based on my training and general knowledge about electronic bills of lading and the factors that may be limiting their use. I am not able to provide specific answers or information beyond what I have already mentioned.
Which was honest, but not really helpful, and not what the video promised at all.
Thankfully there's a helpful "Try Again" button which yielded a much more verbose response:
- Some challenges and barriers to the adoption and implementation of electronic bills of lading include resistance to change and the need for a critical mass of stakeholders to adopt the technology, as well as technical and infrastructure challenges such as the need for robust and secure digital networks and systems.
- Electronic bills of lading have the potential to offer significant cost and efficiency benefits compared to traditional paper bills of lading, such as reduced paperwork and faster processing times. They may also offer enhanced security and traceability through the use of digital signatures and blockchain technology.
- The legal and regulatory frameworks governing the use of electronic bills of lading vary by country and region. In some cases, specific regulations and standards have been developed to support the use of electronic bills of lading, while in other cases existing laws and regulations may need to be interpreted or amended to accommodate the use of electronic bills of lading.
- Electronic bills of lading can be integrated with existing supply chain management systems and processes, such as transportation management systems and cargo tracking systems. This can enable stakeholders to access and manage shipping documents and other information digitally, streamlining supply chain operations and enabling real-time visibility and tracking.
- Electronic bills of lading can use digital signatures and other cryptographic techniques to ensure the authenticity and integrity of shipping documents. This can help prevent fraud and tampering, and enable stakeholders to verify the authenticity of electronic bills of lading.
- Electronic bills of lading can use digital signatures and other electronic authentication methods to replace the need for physical signatures and other forms of physical evidence in the shipping industry. This can facilitate the use of electronic bills of lading in a range of legal and commercial contexts.
- Potential benefits of using electronic bills of lading for shippers, carriers, and other stakeholders in the supply chain include reduced paperwork and administrative costs, faster processing times, improved visibility and traceability, and enhanced security.
- Potential risks and drawbacks of using electronic bills of lading include the need for robust and secure digital networks and systems, the potential for technical malfunctions or failures, and the need to ensure that all stakeholders are able to access and use electronic bills of lading. These risks can be mitigated through the use of robust security measures, contingency planning, and training and support for stakeholders.
- Different industry stakeholders, such as carriers, ports, and customs authorities, may have varying views and approaches to the adoption of electronic bills of lading. Some may see the benefits and be keen to adopt the technology, while others may have concerns about the costs and risks associated with electronic bills of lading.
- Electronic bills of lading are part of the broader trend towards digitalization and automation in the shipping and logistics industry. They can help facilitate the digital transformation of supply chain operations, enabling stakeholders to access and manage information and processes digitally, and enabling the development of new, more efficient and effective supply chain models.
These answers are very fluffy, there's not a lot of substance to them.
The video then extols the virtues of going through the list and creating links to notes as a way to expand on some ideas, and build your document graph in Obsidian.
Though, that being said, they're a tad difficult to read later. Question-answer pairs make more sense.
Reading the answers, I'm far from bowled over by their insightfulness. It certainly won't tell people much about the subject, and there's a lot of boilerplate.
That being said, it is helpful in one sense. Like all people who have acquired knowledge in a domain, you may forget that basic concepts need explaining to the lay person, and even if you do remember that, you may be unable to judge how basic the concepts need to go. This has given me a list of concepts I'll need to lay out so that the content is at least approachable.
More to the point, the structure in this set of notes is not particularly helpful, so rather than continue down the road the video suggests, I'm going to try something a little different
I'm going to build a document outline. I was originally going to do it manually, but I decided to let ChatGPT have another go. So I pasted the above answers back into it, and then asked it to pull out key concepts I need to use to explain electronic bills of lading to the average person.
Extract a list of concepts from the below document that I would need to explain to an average person
- Electronic bills of lading
- Barriers to adoption and implementation of electronic bills of lading
- Resistance to change
- Need for critical mass of stakeholders
- Technical and infrastructure challenges
- Robust and secure digital networks and systems
- Cost and efficiency benefits of electronic bills of lading
- Reduced paperwork
- Faster processing times
- Enhanced security and traceability
- Digital signatures
- Blockchain technology
- Legal and regulatory frameworks
- Regulations and standards
- Existing laws and regulations
- Accommodation of electronic bills of lading
- Integration with supply chain management systems
- Transportation management systems
- Cargo tracking systems
- Digital access and management of shipping documents
- Streamlining supply chain operations
- Real-time visibility and tracking
- Digital signatures and cryptographic techniques
- Prevention of fraud and tampering
- Verification of authenticity of electronic bills of lading
- Electronic authentication methods
- Physical signatures and other forms of physical evidence
- Range of legal and commercial contexts
- Reduced administrative costs
- Improved visibility and traceability
- Risks and drawbacks of electronic bills of lading
- Technical malfunctions or failures
- Stakeholder access and use of electronic bills of lading
- Robust security measures
- Contingency planning
- Training and support for stakeholders
- Carrier, port, and customs authority views on electronic bills of lading
- Digitalization and automation in shipping and logistics
- Digital transformation of supply chain operations
- Development of new, more efficient supply chain models.
That's a list that is maybe a little too thorough. And not thorough enough, I note "Bill of Lading" is not in that list.
Remember to specify a maximum length to your lists, or you'll get a LOT of information!
I duly pasted it into my note, and tried to pare it down a bit. I realise quickly it's not going to help me too much, but it might serve as a checklist of concepts to talk about.
So instead, I decide on a different approach:
Outline in no more than ten headings a document explaining what bills of lading are, what the challenges are to making it an electronic bill of lading, and what the current challenges are to widespread adoption
- Introduction to bills of lading
- What is a bill of lading?
- Traditional paper-based bills of lading
- Electronic bills of lading
- Benefits of electronic bills of lading
- Challenges to making bills of lading electronic
- Resistance to change
- Technical and infrastructure challenges
- Legal and regulatory frameworks
- Current challenges to widespread adoption of electronic bills of lading
That's a tad generic, but it's the closest I've found to a structure as such. So into the note it goes, as a base to play with. I decide to delete the rest of the stuff, though for future occasions, what I might do is create a scratch note where I can keep the interactions and refer back to them, much as I am here.
So I'm going to create a document outline from this. I promote everything to headings, and remove the "Introduction" section. I also add a section on blockchain, as it's part of the meat fo the document.
Let's see if ChatGPT can write this document for me, or at least help me get some sections out.
What is a bill of lading?
A bill of lading is a document that serves as a contract between a shipper and a carrier for the transportation of goods. It lists the details of the goods being shipped, the parties involved in the shipment, and the terms and conditions of the shipment. It also serves as a receipt for the goods, confirming that they have been received by the carrier and are being transported to the specified destination. In the case of international shipments, the bill of lading may also serve as a document of title, enabling the consignee to take possession of the goods upon arrival at the destination port.
That's accurate, but pretty dry and full of unexplained jargon.
Can you explain that less formally, and with less jargon?
Sure. A bill of lading is a document that is used in the shipping industry. It acts as a contract between the person or company sending goods (the shipper) and the person or company transporting the goods (the carrier). The bill of lading lists important information about the shipment, such as what is being shipped and where it is going. It also serves as a receipt, showing that the carrier has received the goods from the shipper. In some cases, the bill of lading can also be used as a kind of "ownership" document, allowing the person or company receiving the goods (the consignee) to take possession of them when they arrive at their destination.
That's much better. I copy that in and edit it a bit. But I like the "document of title" bit, as it's relevant to several points below. Let's see if I can get more information:
Can you explain more about the document of title bit?
A document of title is a document that serves as evidence of ownership or possession of goods. In the context of international shipping, a bill of lading can serve as a document of title, allowing the consignee to take possession of the goods upon their arrival at the destination port. This is because the bill of lading typically includes information about the consignee, as well as the terms and conditions of the shipment. When the goods arrive at the destination port, the consignee can present the bill of lading as evidence of their ownership or possession of the goods, and take possession of them from the carrier.
That's not really explaining much, I particularly want to see more about endorsements
What other things can be done with it?
In addition to serving as a contract, receipt, and document of title, a bill of lading can also be used for a number of other purposes. For example, it can be used as evidence in case of disputes over the terms and conditions of the shipment, or to prove that the goods were delivered in good condition. It can also be used as collateral for a loan, or to facilitate the transfer of ownership of the goods from the shipper to the consignee. In some cases, the bill of lading may also be required by customs authorities in order to clear the goods for import or export.
That's misunderstood me, but does give me some nice colour to explain more about what a B/L is. So I run with it a little:
Can you say that a little less formally?
Sure. A bill of lading is a document that has a few different uses in the shipping industry. It can act as a contract between the shipper and the carrier, and it can also serve as a receipt showing that the goods were received by the carrier. In some cases, it can also be used to take ownership of the goods when they arrive at their destination. A bill of lading can also be used to settle disputes or prove that the goods were delivered in good condition. It can also be used as collateral for a loan or to transfer ownership of the goods. Sometimes, customs officials might also need to see the bill of lading in order to clear the goods for import or export.
I paste the highlighted bit into my article.
Let's get back to more specifics about documents of title.
Can you explain more about documents of title, with specific information about legal status, endorsements, similarity to cheques and what this is used for by importers and banks
...answer elided
Can you explain that less formally?
Sure. A document of title is a document that shows who owns or has possession of goods. In the case of international shipping, a bill of lading can serve as a document of title, allowing the person or company receiving the goods (the consignee) to take possession of them when they arrive at the destination port. This is because the bill of lading typically includes information about the consignee, as well as the terms and conditions of the shipment. When the goods arrive at the destination port, the consignee can present the bill of lading as evidence of their ownership or possession of the goods, and take possession of them from the carrier.
In some cases, a document of title like a bill of lading may have legal status. This means that it is recognized by the law as a valid document that can be used for certain purposes. For example, a bill of lading may be considered a negotiable instrument, which means that it can be transferred from one party to another by endorsement and delivery. This is similar to how a check can be transferred from one party to another by endorsement and delivery.
Documents of title are often used by importers and banks to help finance international shipments. For example, an importer might borrow money from a bank to pay for the goods they are importing. The bank might ask for the bill of lading as collateral for the loan, which means that the bank can take ownership of the bill of lading if the importer doesn't repay the loan. The importer can then use the loan to pay the shipper for the goods. Once the goods have been shipped and the bill of lading has been issued, the importer can endorse the bill of lading to the bank, transferring ownership of the document to the bank as collateral for the loan. The bank will hold onto the bill of lading until the loan is repaid.
In this way, documents of title like bills of lading can be used to manage the risks of international trade and make it easier for goods to be shipped and delivered. They provide a way for importers and banks to protect themselves and ensure that the goods are delivered safely and securely to their destination.
The highlighted bit is useful for my article, if a little verbose.
This might actually become a section in its own right on my page.
Lloyd Davis just added some interesting context to what this process looks like:
I think my best model of that TikTok guy is that you’ve hired three interns, one of whom has worked out a way to get the other two to do most of the work for them.
Your experiment seems to an exercise in putting yourself temporarily in the place of the “smart” intern. And then as a junior manager, you’re writing a report on your blog to be later analysed by your boss-brain superior self (and if it’s interesting enough, the board of other smart (in some cases!) folk you consort with - your readers).
each level requires a compartmentalisation of what you actually know, a temporary suspension, while working at the lowest level, of your actual domain knowledge. And I think that’s a type of behaviour that @snowded calls ‘aporia’
I feel more detail is needed on endorsement. So I ask ChatGPT for more help.
What is endorsement and delivery?
Endorsement and delivery are two steps that are involved in transferring a negotiable instrument, such as a check or a bill of lading, from one party to another.
Endorsement is the process of signing the back of a negotiable instrument to transfer ownership to another party. This is typically done by writing the name of the person or entity to whom the instrument is being transferred, followed by the words "pay to the order of" and the person or entity's signature. For example, if Alice wants to transfer ownership of a bill of lading to Bob, she would write Bob's name on the back of the bill of lading, followed by the words "pay to the order of" and her own signature. This indicates that Alice is transferring ownership of the bill of lading to Bob.
Delivery is the process of transferring possession of the negotiable instrument to the person or entity to whom it has been endorsed. This can be done physically, by handing the instrument to the person or entity, or it can be done electronically, by transferring the instrument through an electronic network. For example, if Alice endorses a bill of lading to Bob, she would then need to deliver the bill of lading to Bob in order for the transfer of ownership to be complete.
Together, endorsement and delivery are the two steps that are involved in transferring a negotiable instrument from one party to another. By signing the instrument and transferring possession of it, the parties involved in the transfer can establish the new ownership of the instrument and ensure that it can be used for its intended purpose.
That's about half right, but wrong enough that I don't want to use it. It doesn't really explain what the transfer of ownership means in real terms (that the new owner can retrieve the goods), it uses the phrase "pay to the order of", which is correct on a cheque, but not on a bill of lading, where something more akin to "deliver to the order of" is correct.
The third paragraph is the clincher - delivery through an electronic network is what this article is supposed to be about, and it's certainly not that simple.
In the end, I write my own paragraph about it.