Reviewing ChatGPT Through The Lens Of Marshall McLuhan’s Tetrad

With the explosion of ChatGPT recently — and the imminent emergence of GPT-4 — I’ve been thinking a lot about artificial intelligence and its impact on society, people, organizations, schools, and so on.

First off, I’m a big fan. The raw power of platforms like ChatGPT illustrates how useful they can be in our lives and at work.

But tools like ChatGPT are just that: tools. And with every tool, the adults in the room should be prepared to define the pros and cons of it, helping others understand how it might positively or negatively affect their way of life.

Imagine handing an automobile over to a 16-year-old without ever teaching them the rules of the road or the damage a car can do to themselves and others. After all, a vehicle is a tool. And I don’t want to get hit on my bike by them!

ChatGPT is no different. In this case, it’s not just a tool but a new medium. That led me to run it through Marshall McLuhan’s Tetrad. (Officially: Marshall McLuhan’s Tetrad of Media Effects)

McLuhan’s Tetrad suggests we should ask four questions about a particular new medium or tool.

1) What does the tool/medium enhance?

2) What does it make obsolete?