So, I finally tried out the AI program ChatGPT. I had viewed many videos regarding the AI and its amazing capabilities. The ability that the AI had to program other software to complete specific tasks intrigued me. For the past year at work, I have attempted to automate my tasks to avoid wearing out my hands and wrists and getting repetitive strain injuries; I have had some success, but never at the level at which I desired. Seeing what ChatGPT could do in the videos sparked an intense curiosity that I opened my own account at OpenAI.
Like the novice user, I began my tinkering with simple questions and a few commands that I had learned from watching the videos on YouTube. The responses from ChatGPT intrigued me. It surprised me on how well it could emulate human speech in the written form. Most, if not all, the responses were accurate. The creative and curious portions of my brain lit up. I began to wonder what this AI program could truly do. I wanted to see what limits bound ChatGPT.
The first thing I learned about ChatGPT was the response text limit. The response is typically limited to 500 words. I attempted to get beyond this barrier; however, I failed. The limit is hard coded as far as I know. The only way to surpass the 500 limit is two split your ultimate response into smaller parts. As of this writing, I have yet to find a way to make ChatGPT split the responses in a seamless manner; the Ai, I have found, typically responds in a beginning-middle-end format.
The AI's ability to emulate writing styles of many authors and writers is astounding. With one prompt, you can write as Charles Dickens; with another, you can write as Jane Austen. In some cases, the AI interprets how the authors would have responded had they existed in this day. I will say that this feature will come in handy, especially when writing emails. Today, I can be William Shakespeare; tomorrow, I am Mark Twain. The possibilities are endless. In one video, I learned that ChatGPT can mimic your own writing, which can be useful when you want a response to sound like you.
Many on the Web and in other communities have raised concerns of the usage of AIs like ChatGPT. Some feel that the AI will replace professionals who work on a computer. Others believe that written creativity may be stunted. In academia, instructors and administrators are concerned that students will avoid engaging in the writing process and have the AI to their work. These concerns are all viably possible. People tend to want to do the least amount of work for the most amount of gain. It all comes back down to the path of least resistance. In some cases, this may be beneficial; in others, it can become a hindrance. Only time will tell which concern accurately fits AI and the user.
ChatGPT and other AI are here to stay. Metaphorically speaking, the genie has been let out of the bottle, and there is no going back. I believe that two camps will emerge: those who learn from the AI and those who become dependent on the AI. Each of us needs to decide which camp we wish to belong to.
AI will never replace a human being. It is the great mimicker and nothing more. It may have the capability to outperform a human; it may express itself as a human; and it may even visually represent itself as a human, but in all of its perfections, it will never be human. So enjoy the new toll, take advantage of it, excel yourself, and fulfill your potential.