If you are finding yourself on this blog and website, chances are you know a good deal about the Halo universe. Most people reading this will know the story of the video games, plus undoubtedly a decent portion of the story from the books, short stories, comics, and other minor canon entries. But what does an AI know about the Halo universe? Programs like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and the like have impressed us over the past year or so with their ability to create original, convincing works seemingly instantaneously, no matter the request. While they are still far from perfect, they are incredibly compelling pieces of software, and hold the knowledge of the entire world at their metaphorical fingertips.
But what about a fictional universe like Halo? Does an AI like ChatGPT “know” the Halo canon? Can it accurately describe the characters and events in Halo as it is presented in the official canon, or will it make rookie mistakes and get confused by the endless sources that provide dubious or just plain “wrong” information?
To answer that question (and to test your Halo canon knowledge), I have asked ChatGPT questions about the Halo universe, and I will post the responses here, unedited. YOUR job, should you choose to accept it, is to determine whether ChatGPT is correct, or whether it is making unforgiveable errors to the Halo canon. Read through these, find any errors, and let us know why ChatGPT is wrong. These aren’t planted errors, so there could be none, or there could be dozens. It is up to you, the fine readers, to catch them all.
In this post, we will explore the most well-known period in the Halo universe, the end of the Human-Covenant War in the second half of 2552. This period has been covered endlessly in the Halo lore, but most notably in the first five Halo games made by Bungie from 2001 to 2010. Even casual Halo fans probably know something about this period having played the games, and a lot has been written about it over the years, both as official lore and as community content. So does ChatGPT know 2552? Let’s find out!
Part One: The Fall of Reach
The Fall of Reach as depicted by DALL·E 2. This feels kind of close to how it is depicted in the lore I think.
Prompt
Write a detailed account of the Fall of Reach, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Fall of Reach was a significant event in the Halo universe that took place between July 2552 and August 30, 2552. It was a decisive conflict in the Human-Covenant War and marked the beginning of the Covenant's full-scale invasion of the human colony of Reach.
Locations involved in the Fall of Reach include the planet Reach itself, the human military installation at CASTLE Base, and the human space station known as the Orbital Defense Platform (ODP) Antioch.
Individuals involved in the Fall of Reach include the following:
Noble Team: A six-member special forces unit of the UNSC (United Nations Space Command), consisting of Carter-A259 (team leader), Kat-B320, Emile-A239, Jun-A266, Jorge-052, and Noble Six.
Dr. Catherine Halsey: The chief scientist of the SPARTAN-II program and the creator of the MJOLNIR powered armor system.
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey's own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel 'Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
The Fall of Reach began on July 2552, with a Covenant attack on the Viery Territory, a region of Reach that was home to numerous military installations and industrial facilities. Over the next few weeks, the Covenant continued their assault on Reach, targeting military and strategic locations, such as CASTLE Base and the ODP Antioch.
On August 30, 2552, the Covenant launched a full-scale invasion of Reach, with their forces landing all over the planet. The battle for Reach was intense and devastating, with heavy casualties on both sides. During the battle, Noble Team was assigned to destroy the Covenant's superweapon, the "Key of Osanalan," which was located in CASTLE Base. While they were successful in destroying the weapon, most of Noble Team was killed in the process, and Reach was ultimately lost to the Covenant.
In the aftermath of the Fall of Reach, the human population of the planet was largely eradicated, and the Covenant was able to use the planet as a staging ground for their invasion of Earth. The events of the Fall of Reach would have far-reaching consequences for the Halo universe and would play a central role in the story of the Halo franchise.
Part Two: The Battle of Installation 04
Prompt
The Battle of Installation 04 as depicted by DALL·E 2. When I said ‘ringworld’, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.
Write a detailed account of the Battle of Installation 04, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle of Installation 04 was a significant event in the Halo universe that took place in September 2552. It was a conflict between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant that took place on and around the Halo installation known as Installation 04.
Locations involved in the Battle of Installation 04 include the Halo installation itself, the human colony world of Reach, the human starship Pillar of Autumn, and the Covenant cruiser Truth and Reconciliation.
Individuals involved in the Battle of Installation 04 include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey's own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Captain Jacob Keyes: The commanding officer of the Pillar of Autumn and father of Commander Miranda Keyes.
Thel 'Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who would later defect to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
The Battle of Installation 04 began when the Covenant discovered the location of Installation 04 and launched an attack on the Pillar of Autumn, which had been sent to the Halo installation to investigate strange readings. After a battle in orbit around Installation 04, the Pillar of Autumn crash-landed on the Halo's surface, and Master Chief was deployed to secure the ship's AI, Cortana, and to destroy the Halo in order to prevent the Covenant from using it as a weapon.
Over the course of the battle, Master Chief encountered a number of other human survivors on the Halo, as well as Covenant forces and the installation's native sentient life-form, the Flood. The Flood, an ancient and extremely dangerous parasitic life-form, had been unleashed on the Halo and posed a significant threat to both the humans and the Covenant.
As the battle raged on, Master Chief and his allies faced off against the Covenant, the Flood, and the Halo's defensive systems, ultimately destroying the Halo and preventing the Covenant from using it as a weapon. However, the Pillar of Autumn was destroyed, and Master Chief and Cortana were forced to evacuate the Halo aboard a Covenant escape pod.
The Battle of Installation 04 marked a critical moment in the Human-Covenant War and was a seminal event in the Halo franchise's central narrative. Its impact would be felt for years to come, shaping the course of the war and the future of the Halo universe.
Part Three: The Battle for Earth
DALL·E 2’s take on the Battle for Earth.
Prompt
Write a detailed account of the Battle for Earth from the Halo universe, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle for Earth was a decisive conflict in the Human-Covenant War that took place between November 17, 2552, and December 11, 2552. It marked the end of the Covenant's campaign of destruction against humanity and the culmination of the Halo franchise's central narrative.
Locations involved in the Battle for Earth include Earth itself, the city of New Mombasa in Kenya, the African city of Voi, the Forerunner Shield World known as the Ark, and the Covenant holy city of High Charity.
Individuals involved in the Battle for Earth include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey's own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel 'Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
Commander Miranda Keyes: A naval officer of the UNSC and a central figure in the Battle for Earth.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
The Battle for Earth began with the Covenant's invasion of the Kenyan city of New Mombasa, where they attempted to uncover a Forerunner artifact believed to be located beneath the city. Over the course of the battle, Master Chief and his allies fought to prevent the Covenant from accessing the artifact and to defend humanity against their invasion.
After the Covenant's defeat in New Mombasa, the battle shifted to the African city of Voi, where Master Chief and the Arbiter joined forces to activate a Forerunner portal leading to the Ark, a massive Forerunner installation located outside the galaxy. At the Ark, Master Chief and the Arbiter faced off against the Prophet of Truth and the Covenant forces, ultimately defeating them and activating the Halo Array, a weapon capable of wiping out all sentient life in the galaxy.
In the aftermath of the Battle for Earth, the Covenant was disbanded, and the threat of the Halo Array was neutralized. However, Master Chief and Cortana were lost in deep space, and the fate of the Halo universe remained uncertain.
The Battle for Earth marked a turning point in the Halo franchise's central narrative and was a seminal moment in the Human-Covenant War. Its impact would be felt for years to come and would shape the future of the Halo universe in ways that are still unfolding.
Part Four: The Battle of Installation 05
I am definitely getting some Flood vibes from this one, despite the AI still not understanding what a ringworld is.
Prompt
Write a detailed account of the Battle of Installation 05, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle of Installation 05 was a significant event in the Halo universe that took place in November 2552. It was a conflict between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant that took place on and around the Halo installation known as Installation 05.
Locations involved in the Battle of Installation 05 include the Halo installation itself, the Covenant city of High Charity, and the human starship In Amber Clad.
Individuals involved in the Battle of Installation 05 include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey's own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel 'Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who had defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
The Prophet of Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
Commander Miranda Keyes: A naval officer of the UNSC and a central figure in the Battle of Installation 05.
The Battle of Installation 05 began when the Covenant discovered the location of Installation 05 and launched an attack on the Halo. Over the course of the battle, Master Chief and his allies faced off against the Covenant, the Flood, and the Halo's defensive systems, ultimately destroying the Halo and preventing the Covenant from using it as a weapon.
The battle was complicated by the presence of the Flood, an ancient and extremely dangerous parasitic life-form that had been unleashed on the Halo and posed a significant threat to both the humans and the Covenant. As the battle raged on, Master Chief and his allies fought to prevent the Flood from spreading beyond the Halo and to secure a critical artifact known as the Index, which was crucial to activating the Halo.
In the climax of the battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter boarded the Covenant holy city of High Charity in an effort to stop the Prophet of Truth from activating the Halo Array. Over the course of a massive battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter fought their way through the city, facing off against the Covenant and the Flood, ultimately defeating the Prophet of Truth and preventing the activation of the Halo Array.
The Battle of Installation 05 marked a critical moment in the Human-Covenant War and was a seminal event in the Halo franchise's central narrative. Its impact would be felt for years to come, shaping the course of the war and the future of the Halo universe.
Part Five: The Battle of Installation 00
Prompt
Not exactly what I had in mind for the Ark, but I guess… closer? And did it lay an egg?
Write a detailed account of the Battle of Installation 00, listing dates, locations, and individuals involved when possible.
Response
The Battle of Installation 00, also known as the Battle of the Ark, was a major conflict in the Halo universe that took place in November 2552. It was a battle between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant for control of the Halo Array and the Ark, a massive Forerunner installation located in the galaxy's outer rim.
Locations involved in the Battle of Installation 00 include the Ark, the Covenant holy city of High Charity, and the human starship Forward Unto Dawn.
Individuals involved in the Battle of Installation 00 include the following:
John-117 (Master Chief): A SPARTAN-II supersoldier and a central figure in the Human-Covenant War.
Cortana: An AI (artificial intelligence) constructed from Dr. Halsey's own memories and a critical ally to Master Chief.
Thel 'Vadam (Arbiter): A former Covenant Elite commander who had defected to the humans after the events of Halo 2.
Sergeant Johnson: A Marine veteran and a central ally to Master Chief throughout the Halo franchise.
343 Guilty Spark: An AI caretaker of the Halo Array who plays a central role in the Battle of Installation 00.
Truth: The leader of the Covenant High Council and the central antagonist of Halo 3.
The Battle of Installation 00 began when the Covenant discovered the location of the Ark and launched an all-out attack on the installation, hoping to activate the Halo Array and fulfill their religious beliefs. Over the course of the battle, Master Chief and his allies faced off against the Covenant, the Flood, and the Ark's defensive systems, ultimately securing the Ark and preventing the activation of the Halo Array.
As the battle raged on, Master Chief and his allies fought to prevent the Covenant from using the Ark to destroy all life in the galaxy. The battle was complicated by the presence of the Flood, which had been unleashed on the Ark and posed a significant threat to both the humans and the Covenant.
In the climax of the battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter faced off against Truth and his forces in a final showdown. Over the course of a massive battle, Master Chief and the Arbiter fought their way through Truth's forces, ultimately defeating him and preventing the activation of the Halo Array.
The Battle of Installation 00 marked the end of the Human-Covenant War and was a seminal event in the Halo franchise's central narrative. Its impact would be felt for years to come, shaping the course of the Halo universe and the future of humanity.
Final Thoughts
A lot of that, in fact a majority of it, actually appears correct. A few facts it got wrong, such as the start of the Battle for Earth, but mostly it seems pretty spot on. One glaring exception is the ODP Antioch, which as far as I can tell, ChatGPT made up from whole cloth. I am not sure what happened there, but it sure does sound like the name of an Orbital Defense Platform. Are there more errors I missed? Let us know in the comments what other inaccuracies you find!
