The race to replace traditional search engines with AI chatbots is on and seems to be getting tighter every day. Google’s Bard and OPENAI’s ChatGPT top the chart in leading the way to this Promised Land, a new-found technological revolution. The signs are everywhere, the fears palpable, and the feeling undeniable that very soon, traditional search engines might give way to a question-answering AI chatbot known as ChatGPT. Here are the ChatGPT merits and pitfalls as we look to the future.
ChatGPT
Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer or ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence language model chatbot developed by OpenAI, which can interact with users and provide responses to questions in a conversational manner.
It is a question-answering AI that makes use of human trainers to provide human-quality responses. Launched on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT’s language model is based on 3.5 GPT architecture, an AI neural network for natural language that has the primary function of creating content, translating languages, and serving as a chatbot.
ChatGPT chatbot stands out today as the fastest-growing AI bot of our time, with 100 million active users in January 2023 less than two months after its launch. With a technology that generates text in response to a short prompt, it makes use of conversational and natural language to respond to users and allows for engaging interactions. Its language model is based upon two major approaches: Supervised and Reinforcement learning.
“ChatGPT chatbot stands out today as the fastest-growing AI bot of our time, with 100 million active users in January 2023 less than two months after its launch.”
-Jude Chukwudozie
ChatGPT’s Functionalities
ChatGPT is trained through a database of information from the internet. It has a conversational interface, which allows it to answer follow-up questions, reject certain requests, and recognize when there is a malfunction or error. Most chatbots have a small selection of automated pre-programmed replies, but ChatGPT can respond directly to a query and adapt itself in conversation much like a human being.
For this new-found technology, the grass is all green as Microsoft has invested $10 billion in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research laboratory based in the United States, which developed ChatGPT. Using an enhanced version of the AI model called Prometheus which has knowledge and understanding of current events, Microsoft plans to bring ChatGPT into Bing as well as its full Edge browser. So far, following the release of ChatGPT, Open AI’s valuation is estimated at US$29 billion in 2023.
Merits of ChatGPT
ChatGPT AI chatbot is not magic. It cannot do everything but to its numerous active users, it has proven to serve some good purposes.
#1: Versatility
ChatGPT is versatile and can perform a number of assignments like answering test questions, simulating chat rooms, composing music, explaining quantum physics, generating short essays and articles, or even writing a poem. In February 2023, Microsoft demonstrated that ChatGPT can be used in robotics and drone AI technology.
#2: Accessibility
ChatGPT is highly accessible and gives detailed responses and articulate answers across many fields of knowledge, reducing harmful and deceitful responses.
#3: Removes Inappropriate Requests
Discriminatory, offensive, or inappropriate requests are removed by ChatGPT. Questions that have homophobic, sexist, or hateful leanings are immediately discarded by the AI bot to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
#4: Text Generation
The AI chatbot can be used as a tool to generate text or complete language-based tasks and can remember previous prompts made in a particular conversation.
Pitfalls
As good as it may be, ChatGPT still has a lot of improvements to make.
#1: Uneven Accuracy
The AI chatbot has uneven accuracy when it comes to the multiplication of two-digit numbers. Issues like this have raised significant concerns about unauthorized applications that are used for business communications and transactions. Between 2021 and 2022, for instance, US securities regulators slammed a $2 billion fine on more than a dozen banks and financial firms for failure to effectively control the use of private messaging services by its employees.
#2: Inaccurate Information
ChatGPT makes unjustified claims, generates false or incorrect answers, and gives inaccurate and misleading information, a term that has come to be known as artificial intelligence hallucination. Concerns around third-party software controls as above, for example, triggered JPMorgan Chase & Co. to restrict its staff from using the ChatGPT chatbot.
#3: Algorithmic Bias
ChatGPT has been identified to suffer from algorithmic bias and prejudice. In one instance, it was found to show a preference for white and male persons over women and persons of color. In addition, it has limited knowledge and an incomplete understanding of post-2021 world events. When asked the question, “When did Russia invade Ukraine?” the AI chatbot answered about the 2014 annexation of Crimea. When asked again, “which date did Russia invade Ukraine in 2022?” the AI chatbot answered that “Russia has not invaded Ukraine in 2022”
#4: Malicious Attacks
ChatGPT is prone to malicious adversarial attacks which can cause the AI to derail from its set objectives, perform tasks that are not assigned to it, or even divulge information about its inner technical operations.
Future Path
If ChatGPT can be brought to Bing as Microsoft plans, then it can further be integrated into most of the common applications and everyday technologies we use regularly in homes, schools, workplaces, or even churches. ChatGPT AI, for example, can be blended with basic computer applications like Microsoft word, Excel, or PowerPoint to improve their overall functionality, efficiency, and user experience. This would be a ground-breaking technological achievement.
There is a need for software that would enhance the Responsive Feedback Mechanism between users and the AI chatbot. Through the data thus collected, the general performance of ChatGPT would be improved and greatly enhanced over time.
Higher Level Application Programming Interface (API) as well as regular and frequent model updates are extremely important and must be adopted to curb or eliminate unintended behavior from the AI bot.
Specific regulations would be required to govern the use and application of ChatGPT in particular and AI in general for low and middle-income countries as exploitation and unequal access will constitute a barrier to the acceptability and growth of the technology.
Conclusion
AI is now an integral part of our world. A world without AI would be boring, uneventful, and not worth living and very few humans would sign up for such a world. Like every great achievement which usually starts with a dream, the AI chatbot, ChatGPT has happened and come to stay.
Though a lot of work still needs to be done, however, the milestone accomplishments recorded in a very short time bring the hope that ChatGPT is tech’s next bubble and boom. With it, the future of AI chatbots is here and these are the ChatGPT merits and pitfalls.
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- Artificial Intelligence
- Consumer IoT
- Artificial Intelligence
- Consumer IoT