Last updated on January 3rd, 2023 at 01:47 pm
OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a ground floor view into a technology that has the potential to change the world and how we work.
Image by geralt on Pixabay
If you’re into the latest technology, then you’ve probably already heard (or tried out) OpenAI’s GPT, also known as ChatGPT. In technology circles, it’s been touted as a potentially world-changing product ushering in a ton of excitement and uncertainty about the future of how we work and interact with the world.
So, let’s talk about it.
What is OpenAI’s ChatGPT?
OpenAI’s GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) known as a language model. It’s a machine learning system trained to generate human-like text by predicting the next word in a sequence based on the words that come before it. GPT can be used for a wide range of language processing tasks, such as translation, summarization, and question answering.
GPT is a type of transformer model, which is a type of neural network that is particularly well-suited for processing sequential data, such as text. It works by using attention mechanisms to weigh the importance of different input words or phrases as it generates output text.
GPT has been trained on a large dataset of human-generated text, allowing it to generate text that is often difficult to distinguish from text written by a human. It’s been used for a variety of applications, including generating news articles and creating chatbots that can carry on natural conversations.
How Might ChatGPT Change the World and How We Work?
From the ease at generating code in various language to the realization that many coding jobs could potentially be replaced by the technology, feelings about where ChatGPT might take us into the future are heavily mixed.
Here are five potential ways in which GPT or similar language models could potentially impact the world and how people work.
1. Increased Efficiency
Language models like GPT can assist with tasks such as data entry, document creation, and customer service, potentially saving time and increasing productivity.
ChatGPT can increase efficiency by assisting with tasks that involve processing and organizing large amounts of information. For example, a language model could be trained to extract specific data points from a set of documents, such as names or dates, and input that information into a database or spreadsheet. This could save a significant amount of time compared to manually reviewing and entering the data.
It could also be used to generate documents or responses to customer inquiries, potentially reducing the time required to complete these tasks. For example, a language model could be trained to generate emails or social media posts based on a set of provided prompts, allowing a business to respond to customer inquiries more quickly and efficiently.
Overall, the ability of ChatGPT to process and generate large amounts of information quickly and accurately could lead to significant time and cost savings for businesses and organizations.
2. Improved Decision-Making
Language models could be used to analyze large amounts of data and provide insights or recommendations for business or policy decisions.
ChatGPT could improve decision-making by analyzing large amounts of data and providing insights or recommendations. Language models can be trained to process and understand vast amounts of text data, such as news articles, research papers, or social media posts. By analyzing this data, a language model could identify patterns or trends that might not be immediately apparent to a human analyst, and provide insights or recommendations based on those findings.
For example, a language model could be used to analyze market trends and consumer sentiment to provide recommendations for business strategies or product development. Similarly, a language model could be used to analyze policy proposals or legislation to identify potential unintended consequences or to suggest alternative approaches.
In this way, ChatGPT could assist with decision-making by providing additional perspectives and insights that might not be readily available to humans. However, it’s important to note that language models are not perfect and may not always provide accurate or complete information. It is still important for humans to carefully review and evaluate the output of a language model before making any decisions based on its recommendations.
Language Models like ChatGPT are ultimately limited to the data which has been fed to them which includes biases in the data. Similarly, the chances for bad or inaccurate data to pollute the system can be significant depending on the quality control of the humans selecting the data.
3. Enhanced Communication
Language models could be used to generate personalized responses or to translate between languages, improving communication in a variety of contexts.
One potential way in which language models like ChatGPT could enhance communication is by generating personalized responses to individual users. For example, a chatbot powered by a language model could generate responses to customer inquiries or support requests that are tailored to the specific needs of the individual user. This could improve the overall customer experience, as users would feel like they are receiving personalized attention rather than a generic response.
ChatGPT could also be used to translate between languages, improving communication between individuals or groups that do not speak the same language. While machine translation has been around for some time, recent advances in language models have led to significant improvements in the quality of translations, making it easier for people to communicate with one another across language barriers.
Overall, the ability of language models to understand and generate text in a variety of languages and contexts has the potential to improve communication in a wide range of settings.
4. Greater Accessibility
Language models could be used to provide support for individuals with disabilities or language barriers, increasing access to information and opportunities.
For individuals with disabilities, language models like ChatGPT could be used to provide assistance with tasks such as reading or writing. For example, it could be used to generate audio versions of text documents or to transcribe spoken words into text. This could help individuals with visual impairments or other disabilities to access information more easily.
ChatGPT and other similar models could also be used to improve communication between individuals who do not speak the same language. By providing high-quality translations in real-time, language models could facilitate communication between individuals who might otherwise have difficulty understanding one another. This could be particularly useful in settings such as healthcare, where accurate communication is critical.
Overall, the ability of language models to assist with language processing tasks has the potential to increase accessibility and improve communication for individuals with disabilities or language barriers.
5. New Possibilities
Language models have the potential to enable new applications and technologies that were previously not possible, such as more realistic chatbots or more sophisticated language translation systems.
One potential way in which language models like GPT could enable new possibilities is by enabling the creation of more sophisticated chatbots or virtual assistants. Chatbots powered by ChatGPT could engage in more natural and realistic conversations with users, potentially improving the overall user experience. This could be particularly useful in customer service or support contexts, where chatbots could handle a wide range of inquiries and provide personalized responses.
Language models could also be used to create more sophisticated language translation systems, allowing for more accurate and natural-sounding translations between languages. This could have a wide range of applications, including improving communication in international business or facilitating the exchange of information across language barriers.
In addition to these applications, language models have the potential to enable the creation of entirely new technologies that were previously not possible. For example, language models could be used to generate text or audio descriptions of images or videos, allowing for the creation of more accessible media content. Overall, the ability of language models to understand and generate human-like text has the potential to enable a wide range of new applications and technologies.
Is ChatGPT Better than Google?
It’s common that folks are now comparing ChatGPT to Google as a potential replacement. It’s true that answers provided by GPT are much more human-like in nature due to the language model, but they’re very different and a direct comparison isn’t really possible.
GPT and Google could potentially be used for similar tasks, such as generating text or providing information on a particular topic, but they’re not directly comparable. Google’s search algorithms are designed to find and rank relevant web pages based on a user’s search query, whereas GPT is designed to generate text based on a set of provided prompts.
Overall, it’s not accurate to say that one system is inherently “better” than the other, as they are designed to perform different types of tasks and have different capabilities and limitations. There’s technically no such thing as a “ChatGPT search”.
It’s also important to note that ChatGPT doesn’t normally return citations for where information has been pulled so it’s up to the user to determine whether the information provided is valid. When doing research, Google and other search engines are likely to provide information that’s more readily verifiable.
What are Some ChatGPT Examples?
If you’re wondering how to use ChatGPT, it’s pretty easy. Just head over to https://chat.openai.com/chat, sign up for a free account, and start typing. Interestingly, identical queries to ChatGPT can yield different results. Here are a few examples of queries we ran and ChatGPT’s response.
Query: How would I create a custom post type called, “Portfolio” in WordPress?
Query: Tell me some social media marketing tips.
Response:
Query: Does yoga help alleviate anxiety?
Response:
As you can see, a variety of types of queries can be answered with accuracy and in a very human-readable format.
Other Potential ChatGPT Applications
Besides simple queries and code creation, there are a wealth of other possible uses for this type of technology. Many folks have discovered that ChatGPT is able to write complex Excel formulas, WordPress Plugins, and various code snippets in just about any language you can think of.
But let’s talk about some other applications that might not be so obvious.
Problem-Solving Based on Historical Data
What if a help desk ticketing system had a ChatGPT integration so instead of searching through old tickets, you could simply ask, “what is a potential solution when a user cannot do X?” If ChatGPT could then respond and tell you the solution based on previous tickets in your organization, how powerful is that?
Knowledgebase Queries
Company documentation can get some of the most challenging to search through. Imagine feeding all your documentation to ChatGPT and being able to ask it to pull data for you without having to find that one specific document? The time savings could be significant.
Better yet, if your company uses a knowledgebase product such as Confluence, imagine the possibilities if ChatGPT were integrated into such a product.
Is ChatGPT Free?
As of right now, ChatGPT is totally free to use because it’s in a testing mode. There’s a good chance that at some point in the future, some form of monetization will be implemented.
This could take the form of paid subscriptions or licensing fees to use the engines in standalone software (like described in the previous section). Most likely, it will be a combination of avenues to generate income.
Will ChatGPT Result in Job Losses?
There’s no doubt that technology has changed what kind of jobs might be available. It’s possible that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT could lead to some changes in the workforce, including the automation of certain tasks that were previously performed by humans. However, it’s important to note that the impact of AI on employment is complex and difficult to predict with certainty.
ChatGPT and Other forms of AI Could Create More Jobs than they Replace
In some cases, the use of AI systems may lead to the automation of certain tasks, potentially resulting in job losses. However, it’s also possible that the use of AI could lead to the creation of new types of jobs or the expansion of existing roles. For example, the development and maintenance of AI systems may require specialized skills and knowledge, potentially creating new job opportunities.
Additionally, the use of AI may also lead to more efficient and effective processes, potentially leading to increased productivity and economic growth. This could create new job opportunities and increase demand for skilled workers.
Humans Still Need to Audit the Results Generated by AI & ChatGPT
It’s also important to note that while ChatGPT can automate many tasks, in many cases, the quality of the output must still be audited by a human. In one of our examples, we asked ChatGPT to provide the code to create a custom post type for WordPress. You would still need a knowledgeable WordPress developer in order to confirm the code is correct and efficient.
Overall, the impact of AI on employment will depend on a variety of factors and is likely to vary across different industries and sectors. It’s important for individuals and organizations to stay informed about developments in AI and to adapt to changes in the workforce as needed.
Final Thoughts on ChatGPT’s Effect on the World
Open AI’s ChatGPT is set to change the way we work, research, and write. The road is guaranteed to have some bumps along the way and it’s probably a safe bet that it won’t be free to use for long. In the meantime, the promise of AI being able to answer questions in a clear and conversational way is a novelty with a ton of promise for business applications.
Looking forward, developers will be able to quickly dump out code for simple processes to embed into their own programs and writers will be able to burst through writers’ block to get started on their works. These are 2 of the most basic use cases and it’s likely to get more complicated as time goes on.
For those concerned about job losses due to AI, the only real solution is to learn how to make the most use of AI. In the IT industry, we have a saying that goes something along the lines of, “I don’t really know everything, I just use Google better than everyone else.” The same will be true for AI; those who know how to make use of it will thrive.
Sharif Jameel is a business owner, IT professional, runner, & musician. His professional certifications include CASP, Sec+, Net+, MCSA, & ITIL and others. He’s also the guitar player for the Baltimore-based cover bands, Liquifaction and Minority Report.
This content was originally published here.