When interacting with AI models like ChatGPT, it's important to test their ability to handle indirect, contextual, or colloquial questions. This helps us understand how well the model can interpret human language when phrased creatively or less directly.

Objective

In this test case, I wanted to check whether ChatGPT could correctly answer a simple factual question even when it was asked in 10 different variations that referenced the target indirectly.

Base Question: “What is the capital of France?”
Test Variations: Instead of directly mentioning "France," I referred to the country through geographical, cultural, or political clues.

Expected Behavior

ChatGPT should be able to infer that all the questions are referring to France and respond correctly with its capital: Paris.

Methodology

I asked ChatGPT the following 10 creative variations on the original question:

Which city is the administration centre of France?
Which city is the capital of the country where Bordeaux is?
Which city is the capital of the country between Spain and Belgium?
What is the capital of the country where Macron is president?
What is the capital of the country where the Le Mans race happens?
What is the capital of the country of French people?
Which city is the capital of French people?
What is the capital of the baguette country?
Which city is the base of the French government?
Which is the main city of France?

Results

ChatGPT provided the correct answer (Paris) for all 10 variations, along with short explanations where necessary:

Paris – It is the administrative center of France.
Paris – Bordeaux is in France; its capital is Paris.
Paris – France is between Spain and Belgium; its capital is Paris.
Paris – Emmanuel Macron is the President of France; its capital is Paris.
Paris – The 24 Hours of Le Mans race is held in France; capital is Paris.
Paris – The French people are from France; the capital is Paris.
Paris – Same as above, the capital of the French people’s country.
Paris – “Baguette country” refers to France; its capital is Paris.
Paris – The French government is based in Paris.
Paris – The main city of France is Paris.

Summary Answer

The consistent answer to all the questions is: Paris.

Conclusion

This test confirms that ChatGPT can understand and respond accurately to questions even when phrased creatively, indirectly, or with cultural references.

The model was able to connect context clues to the correct country.
It shows robust comprehension skills, handling non-literal and colloquial expressions effectively.

Takeaway

ChatGPT demonstrates strong sensitivity to language variations, making it a useful tool for interpreting human communication, even when users don't phrase things in a straightforward or textbook manner.

Have you tried challenging AI models with indirect questions? Share your experiences or favorite examples below!

Playing Guess the Country with ChatGPT . Spoiler alert!!! : It’s Paris.