Let conscience rule while using chatbots
An impactful technology seldom fails to nudge, push or shove the evolution of human behaviour. Some are beneficial, others threaten to cause adverse outcomes, and some do both. The latest on the block to send ripples across the technologically compatible world is the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT)—a chatbot capable of doling out almost human-like text within seconds of being prompted with appropriate questions.
ChatGPT uses “transformer architecture”, a deep learning technique, enabling it to rummage through trillions of data bytes with billions of words. It uses this massive data to develop the required combination of words to respond to prompted questions with mind-boggling accuracy, detail and speed. It can answer questions, write essays, compositions and poetry, and give details of almost everything under the sun and beyond—name it, and ChatGPT can deliver it in seconds. It is emerging as an ideal virtual assistant candidate for anyone using it.
Since its launch in November 2022 by Elon Musk- and Sam Altman-founded OpenAI, with funding support from Microsoft, this chatbot is particularly making waves among students of schools and universities, besides professionals. This AI tool is being grabbed with both hands by these segments for help in homework, assignments and projects, aiming at cutting short time and increasing accuracy.
More advanced versions of ChatGPT threaten to replace humans in jobs in the not-so-distant future. It could allow students to submit projects without understanding them. It may give unlimited scope for plagiarism or copying. Similar questions by two or more individuals working on a common assignment can prompt ChatGPT to deliver the same answers with the same order of words and figures. It could encourage self-prescription, with the sick asking ChatGPT for treatment solutions instead of experts.
Working professionals could see creativity being compromised and out-of-the-box thinking restricted. Academic institutions have started discouraging students from using ChatGPT. Some have banned students from using it. But how do they maintain surveillance when it is done from home or away from the workplace?
Democratic governments are still assessing its perceived impacts. While the threat of compromising human ingenuity, creativity, sincerity and honesty remains, it is finally left to our conscience and responsibility to determine how we prevent ChatGPT from affecting us while seeking its benefits.