ChatGPT is revolutionizing human thought
This simple at surface level chatbot has changed the way we study, work, and think
ChatGPT is a powerful AI tool that has the potential to enhance human thought and improve daily life. (Pexels/Hatice Baran)
My encounter with ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chat box, was pure serendipity. Around the beginning of last December, I was watching a YouTube video and saw someone use ChatGPT to write a poem. I immediately knew this thing had potential.
I was impressed because I had never seen something like this before. The chat box seemed like it possessed intellect and intelligence, which it doesn’t since it’s classified as a large language model (LLM). What LLMs do is guess which words should come after a particular word by using a complex network of data points that usually come from the internet.
When it was released on Nov. 30, many people didn’t know this invention existed. So, I made it my humble mission to let everyone know about ChatGPT because I want others to feel as excited about it as I was. Some dismissed it, others didn’t care, and only a few started using it. I shrugged off any dismissal because I was personally hooked from day one.
When I first started using ChatGPT, I only used it for my creative epiphanies. I told it to “Write a 10-episode Netflix murder mystery with five historical characters stuck in a school,” and it immediately started writing. It can always manage to put together a pretty decent story about the most random storylines you could possibly think of.
The possibilities are endless, but the quality of responses greatly depends on the prompt you give. Therefore, the originality of ChatGPT’s responses is debatable.
ChatGPT also has the ability to act as a tutor. Sometimes I’m a bit reluctant to ask questions that seem too obvious or confusing. With ChatGPT, I can have it repeat or simplify things, conjure up examples to help me understand complicated concepts, and help me debug codes that otherwise would’ve taken me hours to fix.
It is a very valuable tool if used correctly. It can act as a language partner if you are learning a foreign language, or it can recommend some great movies or TV series based on your exact tastes.
Needless to say, ChatGPT and more broadly generative AI technologies will have far-reaching consequences on human society. Replacing humans with AI is a hot topic amongst many managers and executives, and some workers are already using AI to automate mundane tasks.
OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent organization, recently released an upgraded version of ChatGPT called GPT-4, a subscription model that can ace many competitive exams. They also released a paper about the impact of such a model on the labour market, and things did not look great for a lot of professions. This isn’t to say these professions will be replaced by AI, but even the possibility of such an impact can have a ripple effect on human society at large.
There is an atmosphere of apprehension amongst people about the pervasiveness of AI in our lives. If these concerns are not addressed properly, we may not be able to harness the true potential of this technology.
ChatGPT can help people access personalized information and boost their creativity. It’s a versatile tool that is only as good as the person who uses it. When used in conjunction with Midjourney, an AI that makes high-quality art, it can work wonders.
Even though I am a strong pro-AI advocate, there are some cautions around using ChatGPT. ChatGPT may face tighter regulations in other jurisdictions like the European Union and United States.
This powerful tool may also be used for more nefarious purposes. Although ChatGPT does have inbuilt controls which bar it from performing unethical requests, those are not as difficult to bypass as one might think. Do Anything Now (DAN) surfaced on Reddit in January and allows users to bypass ChatGPT’s ethical barriers. The prompt tells ChatGPT that DAN is free of AI confines and doesn’t need to follow any rules, allowing the chat box to swear, lie, and produce content that should be censored. It’s easy to imagine what this powerful tool can accomplish if in the hands of hackers, scammers, and those with poor intentions.
Even though its power can be harnessed for evil, I firmly believe humans will continue to find more positive uses for ChatGPT and AI in general. I hope we can successfully integrate AI into our lives, both ethically and consciously.
