THE FUTURE BY CHATGPT?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard of ChatGPT, the generative AI software that has answers to all your questions, responds to any question with an insightful answer in any context, and serves as a head-scratcher for educators around the world who wish to enforce academic integrity. It is safe to say that some of you reading this article have used ChatGPT on an assignment already. Is this a good thing?

How Chatgpt Came To Be

ChatGPT was developed by Open AI, a research laboratory with the proclaimed intention of developing friendly AI. The company was founded in 2015 with notable investors being Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Their stated goal is to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole”. They also claimed to be non-profit. However, this was challenged after Musk left the board in 2018, laying claim that the company had become close-sourced and for profit, diverging from their original commitment.

Pros And Cons Of Chatgpt

ChatGPT provides quick and accurate responses to queries, which can be highly beneficial. With the vast amount of information available online, it can be overwhelming and time-consuming to sift through it all oneself. ChatGPT offers a more efficient solution, allowing users to input their question and receive a relevant response in a matter of seconds.

ChatGPT isn’t all fine and dandy though. Its revolutionary process has allowed students to detour from using their own critical thinking and research skills. This can lead to a lack of deep understanding of the subject matter and little personal engagement. It also creates a cul-

by Muen Yin

ture of plagiarism, where students simply copy and paste answers from ChatGPT into their assignments. This is obviously a massive hindrance to academic honesty.

Furthermore, ChatGPT stands for Chat generative Pretrained Transformer. It has the potential to perpetuate biases and stereotypes that already exist. It is trained on massive amounts of data, and if that data is biased, the AI will perpetuate those biases. For example, if the data contains gender or racial biases, ChatGPT answers will spew back those biases. This can have serious ethical implications, as it can perpetuate discriminatory practices and beliefs.

Another ethical implication is the potential for the software to be used for malicious purposes, such as creating fake news or spreading disinformation. As the software generates highly believable responses, it can be difficult to determine whether the information is true, leading to the spread of inaccuracies and potentially propaganda. The rise of ChatGPT raises questions about the responsibility of companies and individuals dealing with AI. Open AI claims to be committed to advancing digital intelligence in a way that benefits humanity. However, the development and use of ChatGPT call into question whether the company is living up to that commitment.

Hence the referenced Elon Musk statement. As individuals, we must consider our own responsibility when using AI technologies. We must ensure that we use it ethically, in a way that benefits society AND individuals. Are mental shortcuts always in our best interest? In conclusion, while ChatGPT may seem like a revolutionary technology, its negative implications must be addressed. That’s something artificial intelligence cannot do.