ChatGPT: No One is Talking About the Real Implications
This is a lot more than an advanced Google
Like about a zillion other people, I have been playing with ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence bot that can answer questions, write, and gather information that reads and sounds like it was composed by a human. It is uncanny, though it can veer off into being hilariously wrong.
Most of the commentary I’m reading is treating it like an advanced technology toy, a gimmick that can be played with in ways a conventional search engine cannot. But the search engine metaphor falls flat when you start building real world things with it, like getting it to do your homework for you.
Which, I am quite certain about a million students* are already doing without mentioning it to their teachers or parents. Lots of other scenarios come to mind, like automating it to spread disinformation on almost anything.
*Since I wrote this, my home state of New York announced it is banning its use in education. Which seems completely symbolic because they have no way to enforce this and it is openly available to anyone.
That means no source of information can be trusted anymore. Think about that. I could start a media site that sounds authoritative with nothing more than a few prompts.
