The Overlords Are Here…
By now, you’ve read – probably ad nauseum – about ChatGPT or OpenAI, the program that gives real-world (i.e. articulate and readable) answers and/or solutions to questions asked or problems posed. While some people are really excited, others shrug it off as yet another tech irritation to avoid. But not so fast, grasshopper. Without getting portentous- it’s worth paying attention. Even cursory use of the application shows that it has enormous potential to change the way we communicate, learn, write and even create (or not: you can still do it the way you’ve always done it. At least for awhile).
ChatGPT (and similar programs) is a ‘chatbot’, an application that answers pretty well any question you put to it. The difference now is the speed and sophistication of the replies. Ask something like “What events precipitated the War of 1812” or “Why am I here?”, it will give you an essay-length reply good enough to submit as a term paper or web site article (you see where this is headed, right?) A chatbot can converse ‘on topics from history to philosophy, generate lyrics in the style of Taylor Swift or Billy Joel, and suggest edits to computer programming code’. ChatGPT is trained on a vast compilation of articles, websites and social-media posts scraped from the internet. It mimics the grammar and structure of the writing and reflects frequently-used phrases. (Content above in italics was generated by ChatGPT).
It’s all part of the growing field of ‘generative AI’ (Artificial Intelligence), sophisticated applications that reply to questions in real time to produce content. Ask a question, get an essay back; create artwork by asking a question like “Produce a picture of someone exercising, in the style of Monet.” You’ll get something that looks like this, part of TomNewsLetter.
Caveats abound. The chatbot isn’t always accurate: its sources aren’t fact-checked, and potential risks include spewing misinformation and infringing on intellectual property. Interestingly, once you read a few articles generated by AI, its anodyne style becomes apparent. That will probably change as it ‘learns’ more and adapts algorithms to compensate. In the meantime, these caveats won’t stop its rapid development; for instance, Sports Illustrated recently laid off a slew of journalists to ‘pivot’ to AI-generated content.
When the first ‘smart’ phones were released (less than 20 years ago), few people had any inkling of the massive societal changes that would follow, from instant access to social media (and it’s attendant positives and negatives) to having access to the world’s knowledge at your fingertips. Rapid advances in generative AI such as ChatGPT seem to be another big inflection point, and it’s worth exploring.
If you do want to explore, here’s how. Clicking on chat.openai.com will take you to the site. (It is often ‘at capacity’, so you may have to try a few times). You’ll find out how to sign up and log on. It’s free, and as far as we – and the rest of the tech world – can see, there’s nothing nefarious about the process (unlike, for instance, security issues swirling around TikTok).
The reality is, you’ve almost certainly used similar programs already. Every time you use Google, there’s AI involved in the response you get back. For more info (written by humans beans), try this New Yorker article.
And check out the following, which was generated by asking ChatGPT this question: How has AI already been used to change the way we do things?
1. Healthcare: AI has been used to improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare processes, such as diagnosing diseases, predicting patient outcomes, and personalizing treatment plans.
2. Customer service: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants have been used to improve customer service by providing instant support and answers to common questions.
3. Finance: AI has been used to automate and streamline financial processes, such as credit scoring, fraud detection, and portfolio management.
4. Transportation: AI is being used to improve the efficiency and safety of transportation systems, including self-driving cars, smart traffic management systems, and drone delivery.
5. Manufacturing: AI has been used to optimize production processes, improve quality control, and reduce waste in manufacturing industries.
6. Retail: AI is being used to personalize shopping experiences, improve supply chain management, and optimize pricing and promotions.
7. Media and entertainment: AI has been used to personalize content recommendations, generate new music and art, and improve video and audio production.
These are just a few examples of how AI has been used to change the way we do things. AI is a rapidly developing field, and its potential applications are vast, with the potential to impact nearly every industry and aspect of our daily lives.
Don’t be alarmed. Question not the overlords. Go with the flow. Or something.
Tom New