ChatGPT: Concept vs. Reality
In today’s world, technologies such as artificial intelligence are developing each day. With these new advancements, conversational AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are being used for a variety of applications and tasks. Initially designed to serve as a multifaceted conversational tool, ChatGPT has evolved far beyond its original design, branching out to applications in a variety of fields and forever changing the way we generate information.
This article explores the original intentions behind OpenAI’s development of ChatGPT, how the program is being utilized now by the public, both positively and negatively, and how these types of conversational AI tools have transformed industries, businesses, education, and everyday lives of people all around the world. From customer support to idea generation to writing assistance to research and reviews, ChatGPT’s journey from concept to reality demonstrates the adaptability and potential of using AI in our modern world.
Intended Uses of ChatGPT: Revolutionizing Conversational AI
ChatGPT is designed to be an adaptable and versatile artificial intelligence tool that can be applied to a variety of tasks and applications. The detail and speed at which the program answers the user’s prompt is revolutionary and is a large reason the program has gained such popularity in such a short period of time, since the program was only launched for public use in November of 2022. Among its most popular uses and features include:
· Brainstorming and Idea Generation: ChatGPT can generate ideas and explore creative concepts for a large range of prompts and problems. Whether it is planning a trip, coming up with ideas for a party or present, generating new recipes, etc., ChatGPT can be a great tool.
· Conversational Tool: The main intention for ChatGPT is to be a conversational tool using Natural Language Processing. The program can engage in text-based conversations, answer questions, provide insight and explanations, and assist users in a wire range of conversational-based tasks.
· Educational Assistance: ChatGPT can help with homework and help provide explanations to questions. The program can assist with a wide range of academic subjects and topics and serve as a 24/7 tutor for kids who need it.
· Writing Assistance: ChatGPT can help users with writing applications, such as proofreading, grammatical corrections, and suggesting ideas for written content such as emails, reports, social media posts, and creative writing. I have used this feature a few times, both in my corporate job and in my personal life. I use ChatGPT regularly at work to assist in writing LinkedIn posts and draft emails to clients. Personally, I recently used it to draft a speech I will be giving at a pre-wedding party for my childhood best friend.
· Customer Support: ChatGPT uses data from all over the internet to generate responses, therefore, it can be utilized as a great tool for customer support if needed.
· Content Creation: ChatGPT is able to generate several types of content, by using contextual awareness and language geared towards whatever content the program is creating. Whether it is asked to write a LinkedIn post, an article, a creative story, or a code snippet, ChatGPT will adjust its language and formatting for an appropriate result.
Unintended Uses of ChatGPT: What Was Unexpected
With any form of new technology, there will always be issues regarding the technology being used in ways that deviate from its original intended purposes. ChatGPT is no exception, especially since the program is so user-friendly and has such a large user base. Because of these unintended uses, ChatGPT receives a lot of backlash and criticism, and many people are against it being commonplace in the variety of settings it has been brought into. The most talked about unintended uses of ChatGPT so far have been:
· Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: Educational institutions have noticed an increase of AI programs, including ChatGPT, being used to generate essays and assignments, harming students’ ability to learn, comprehend, and critically think.
· Phishing and Scam-Related Content: Scammers can implement ChatGPT to generate convincing phishing emails, messages, or scripts for phone calls to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information or clicking malicious links.
· Oversaturation: The employment of ChatGPT to create articles, reviews, etc., although valid and can result in the production of content at a higher rate, can also result in low-quality oversaturation of content around the internet.
· Spreading Misinformation: Among the largest concerns regarding ChatGPT among users and critics is the spread of misinformation. ChatGPT can generate convincing text that deviates from the original intent of AI to provide accurate and reliable information. Examples of this include creating fake reviews and testimonials, political manipulation, and software errors.
· Offensive Content: Whether it is hate speech, harassment, or inappropriate content, ChatGPT can be used to generate offensive content, which goes against OpenAI’s policies and goals for this program.
· The Decline of Face-to-Face Interaction: An example of this is how people are using ChatGPT as a free therapist or counselor and is harmful to society as we grow more and more dependent on technology and less inclined to interact with other people. Check out the video below for more about this topic!
Effects of Intended & Unintended Uses of ChatGPT
When thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of tools such as ChatGPT, I cannot help but join the conversation about how artificial intelligence is slowly replacing a variety of jobs. As someone who works in a corporate setting, I can already see how it is assisting with many day-to-day tasks, and wonder how ChatGPT will evolve to do even more, eventually making humans filling those roles unnecessary. There are people whose entire jobs revolve around content creation, writing, customer support, idea generation, etc. These are all tasks that ChatGPT can be used for, therefore, potentially replacing individuals filling these roles in workplace settings and limiting opportunities.
Unintended uses of ChatGPT are affecting our society already. One of the examples I am most interested in is the effect it will have on childhood development as it is being used in a school setting. When a student uses ChatGPT to generate an essay, answer their homework questions, etc., it takes away a lot of what students learn in the long-run: Critical thinking, comprehension, work-ethic, time-management, etc. All of these things are then applied in the work-setting post-graduation, which begs a few questions.
· How are new generations going to develop these skills adequately?
· How are businesses going to be affected when young professionals do not possess these skills to the degree in which older generations do?
· How is education going to change now that AI is here to stay?
· Will there be a rise in learning disabilities and mental health disorders due to AI being present in developmental years?
Personal Opinions & Experiences
Personally, I love ChatGPT. I think it is a great asset to users, businesses, etc. However, I do not think it should be used as anything other than a tool used to assist and increase productivity. With any new technology, there will be errors and misuse, therefore, it is important that people work alongside these tools to ensure correct and reliable information is being produced. I use ChatGPT for applications such as planning vacations, drafting emails, generating LinkedIn posts, etc., but I do not follow the outputs blindly. I do my own research, add my own ideas, and correct the mistakes the program might make. Just like how I would never blindly use Google Translate to translate an entire document into another language and expect it to be perfect, I simply use ChatGPT to assist where it makes sense.
Conclusion
ChatGPT is a revolutionary piece of technology, with many applications and potential uses. It is up to us as a society, however, to know where to draw the line when it comes to how artificial intelligence is used, when it is appropriate, and how we as humans will adapt to it being applied in more and more settings, so that the overall impact is not an exceedingly negative one.
For more insight into ChatGPT potentially replacing mental health professionals, check out this video by Therapy in a Nutshell on YouTube!
Other Sources:
What Does ChatGPT Mean for the Future of Business?
40 ChatGPT Use Cases in 2023
