OpenAI came out with ChatGPT in November 2022 as the newest AI tool that can converse, answer questions and pump out coherent essays based on user input.
Those tuned in to the newest artificial intelligence (AI) developments have likely heard about ChatGPT, a chatbot innovated by OpenAI that is gaining the investments of conglomerates like Microsoft.
Though some may doubt the abilities of such a novel invention, Business Insider reported that rival tech companies Google and Meta have already started working on creating their own version of the software to compete with the original.
ChatGPT has a few advantages to it. According to SMU’s Artificial Intelligence Club’s presentation, even if one has minimal coding knowledge, one will still be able to use the software. The tech only requires a command from the user in order to get it started.
Because ChatGPT generates its text algorithms based on human interaction and a large dataset of text, it’s a fast-learning tool. Once ChatGPT knows what key elements to look for, it can generate an AI answer in the style of the data it was trained with.
Essentially, the more it is used, the more it learns.
One of the drawbacks of ChatGPT is its reliance on the always unpredictable margin for human error.
“You don’t really know if there are any biases, for all you know it could be feedback because it is being built off human interaction,” SMU computer science and mathematics major Trevor Dohm said.
ChatGPT’s answers are known to occasionally be wrong; this is called a hallucination. A hallucination can occur despite the large pool of knowledge backing AI software’s answers.
SMU’s Artificial Intelligence Club said the software was designed to create something that merely looks similar to a sentence, so not every word will work perfectly to create cohesive and accurate phrases.
ChatGPT is also known for taking social and political biases. Upon asking ChatGPT about right-leaning, conservative political candidates, the chat box tends to reply negatively and portrays this party in an unfavorable light.
However, upon asking the chat box about liberal, left-leaning politicians, it spews out praise and support. Likewise, the chat box will criticize the oil and gas industry which is often defended by Republicans, yet will promote the green-energy movement typically pushed by Democrats.
ChatGPT has a bias due to the level of intense human interaction required for the software to evolve; thus, it is not a neutral, objective voice.
Thus far, tech industries have been capitalizing on how little the public knows about ChatGPT. Investors are willing to spend as much as millions of dollars on AI engineers who can come up with a viable program in ChatGPT.
By funding these programs, businesses are able to stay ahead of the AI curve, but the industry is quickly evolving and it is difficult for more underfunded institutions to keep up with the trends.
In fact, the growth has become so great that many think it will erase the need for coders.
“I think a lot of programming is going to go away because of this software,” Vice President of the SMU AI Club Nathan Gage said.
New innovations and programs involving ChatGPT have led to less and less need for human creators. The program still runs on human interaction but with this software, there is no need for a human to be the one writing code.
The development of a sophisticated AI tool will modernize businesses and allow the United States to compete among other world players in the race to dominate the AI sector. However, this relatively new, yet increasingly important innovation will still rely on humans to perfect it.
