So I started poking at some Qwen3.5 models recently. I have a rig for doing AI silliness and decided to see what all the fuss was about. So I did a little ollama run qwen3.5:27b and after it loaded I asked What's the craic? Now I’m sure the lack of a fada has triggered a bunch of you, but the AI seemed to understand the question. But watching it get from my question to it’s final answer was a masterclass in social awkwardness.
The final answer was:
Ah, hello there! Not too bad at all on this end—just keeping busy and ready for a good
chat.
How are things with you? Anything exciting happening today?But this is everything it displayed on my screen as it tried to figure out how to respond. Let me tell you Mr AI thing, I know exactly how you feel as you process the answer to my greeting.
1. **Analyze the Request:**
* Language/Idiom: "What's the craic?" is Irish slang (Hiberno-English) meaning
"What's happening?", "How are you?", or "What's the news?".
* Intent: Greeting, casual conversation starter.
* Tone: Friendly, informal, perhaps a bit witty to match the idiom.
2. **Determine the Appropriate Response:**
* Acknowledge the greeting.
* Respond in kind (using similar tone/idiom if appropriate, or at least showing
understanding).
* Keep it light and engaging.
* Avoid over-explaining the slang unless asked (most people asking this know what it
means, but I should understand it).
3. **Drafting Options:**
* *Option 1 (Literal):* "Hello. The craic is good. How are you?" (A bit dry)
* *Option 2 (Friendly/Reciprocal):* "Ah, not bad at all! Just hanging out. What
about you?"
* *Option 3 (Playful/Irish-flavored):* "Not too
shabby, thank ye kindly. What's the story with you?"
4. **Selecting the Best Fit:**
* Option 2 or 3 is best. Let's go with a friendly
mix that acknowledges the phrase without overdoing the
accent unless I'm mimicking a persona (which I shouldn't
do too strictly). Just being warm and conversational is
key.
5. **Refining the Response:**
* "Hello! Not bad at all, thanks for asking."
* "Just here ready to chat or help out with whatever you need."
* "What about you? How's your day going?"
* Maybe add a nod to the idiom: "Nothing too exciting on my end, but always happy to
make some craic!" (A bit cliché).
* Let's keep it simple and natural.
6. **Final Polish:**
"Hello! Not bad at all, thanks. Just keeping busy and ready to help out. What about
you? How's your day going?"
*Wait, let's make it slightly more spirited to match "What's the craic".*
"Ah, hello! Not too shabby on this end. Just hanging around, ready for whatever you
have in mind. What's new with you?"
7. **Final Decision:** Keep it friendly and responsive.
"Hello! Not too bad at all, thanks. Just chilling here, ready to chat or help out with
anything you need. What about you? How's your day going?"
*Self-Correction:* "What's the craic" is very specific. A slight nod to that warmth is
good.
"Hello! Nothing much on my end, just ready for a good chat. How are things over with
you?"
Let's go with: "Hello! Not too bad at all, thanks. Just hanging about, ready for
whatever you need. What’s the word with you today?"
*Actually, simpler is better.*
"Hello! Not much happening on my end—just here and ready to chat. How are things with
you? Anything exciting going on?"
*Let's try to match the energy.*
"Ah, hello there! Nothing too wild, just keeping busy. What about you? Any good news
or plans for today?"
*Okay, let's settle on:*
"Hello! Not bad at all, thanks. Just hanging out and ready to help. How are things
with you? Anything interesting happening?"
*Wait, I should acknowledge the phrase.*
"Hello! Not too shabby—just keeping things lively here. What about you? How's your day
going?"
*Okay, final version:*
"Hello! Not bad at all, thanks. Just ready to chat or help out with whatever you need.
What’s the story with you today?"
*Wait, I want to be a bit more culturally aware.*
"Ah, hello! Not too shabby on this end. Just ready for a good chat. What about you?
How's your day treating you?"
*Let's stick to standard friendly English but acknowledging the vibe.*
"Hello! Not too bad at all, thanks. Just keeping busy and ready to help. How are
things over with you? Anything exciting happening?"
*Actually, let's keep it concise.*
"Hello! Not too shabby, thanks. Just hanging out and ready to chat. What about
you—how’s your day going?"
*Okay, that works.*
8. **Output Generation** (incorporating the thought process into the final response).
"Ah, hello there! Not too bad at all on this end—just keeping busy and ready for a
good chat. How are things with you? Anything exciting happening today?"
*Wait, one more check.* Is "craic" spelled correctly? Yes. Does it need explanation?
No, just respond naturally.
Okay, finalizing.
"Hello! Not too shabby, thanks. Just hanging about ready to chat or help out. What’s
the word with you today?"
*Let's make it a bit warmer.*
"Ah, hello! Nothing too wild on my end—just here and ready for whatever you have in
mind. How are things with you? Any good news or plans for the day?"
*Okay, that's good.*
*Wait, I need to check if there's any constraint I missed.* No constraints. Just a
greeting.
*Final Plan:*
1. Greet back.
2. Answer the question lightly.
3. Ask back.
"Hello! Not too bad at all, thanks. Just keeping things lively over here. How about
you? What's new in your world?"
*Let's go with that.*
*(Self-Correction during output generation)*: Keep it punchy.
"Ah, hello there! Not too shabby on this end. Just ready for a good chat or to help
out with anything you need. How are things with you? What's the story today?"
*Okay, that sounds natural.*
*(Final thought)*: Since "What's the craic" is Irish slang, adding a tiny bit of
warmth fits well.
"Ah, hello! Not too bad at all, thanks. Just keeping busy and ready to chat. How's
your day going? Anything exciting happening?"
*Okay, let's write it.*
...done thinking.Maybe they are relatable after all. 🤷
