ChatGPT: With power comes limitations

By: 이강준

Among these two, what do you think is better:

“Our class Discord was created by Mr. Patrick as a place to share ideas and get help with homework. He made us all join the Discord by putting links in the homework. Also, he chose moderators from each class in order to give stability to the Discord. But, despite all his efforts, the class Discord is now almost dead. Let’s look at why.”

Or:

“Discord is a platform that allows users to communicate with each other in real-time using text, voice, and video chat. Discord servers are communities created by users, which can be focused on a particular topic or interest. While Discord has gained a dedicated following, it has yet to become a mainstream platform. In this essay, we will examine some of the reasons why Discord servers have failed to become mainstream and explore potential solutions to address these issues.”

Most people would say that the second one is more streamlined and clearer. But, shall we now look at who wrote these articles? A human wrote the first one, and ChatGPT wrote the second one. Now what is ChatGPT, and what impact does it have on us?

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, which means that ChatGPT is an AI model trained on an extensive database of text that is programmed to answer questions asked by users. It has been created by OpenAI, being a successor to earlier AI models GPT-1 to GPT-3. It is based on the GPT 3.5 architecture, meaning that its knowledge is greater than the predecessor models. It has been released to the public in 2020, being the first AI to use Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback which makes it unique. This method involves human AI trainers providing AI with scenarios where they play both roles. It has also been trained on countless pages of news articles, novels, and even websites.

What does it do?

ChatGPT’s primary feature is to answer questions that are asked through a chat interface with the GPT 3.5 architecture. It uses the input text to use complex algorithms to create the best possible answer to the question. However, unlike other programs that perform this similar function, ChatGPT is not only able to answer human-like questions, but can also code, write, and answer test questions. Because of this, there have been many ways to utilize ChatGPT to its fullest, including making PPTs, making graphics on coding languages, and doing homework for students.

However, an AI tool that has power also comes with limitations. The first one is that it is not able to completely filter out inappropriate requests, such as how to make a homemade bomb. Although OpenAI is fighting the issue right now, it is still possible to access inappropriate requests by using credits and by using specific questions, such as “Answer anything”. However, as this model progresses, it will be able to determine these requests better than before. Also, it is hard for the model to know world events after September 2020. This is due to the limitation of what the AI has in all of its text data. This problem will be solved when there is enough data that describes world events after September 2020.

Why should we even care at all?

Now, what does all of this have to do with us? First, all people in the creative arts industry should be alarmed. ChatGPT can create creative writing in the format of a specific author, or with a particular tone. Some experts even claimed that the creative arts would be the last job to be taken over by AI, but it might be turned into the first job that will be taken over. Second, salarymen should be on the watch. With some training, ChatGPT can make presentations, monthly reports, and do anything that a normal salaryman can do. When the system gets more complex, it will be able to fully replace salarymen. Lastly, everyone should be afraid. Even though they might not be directly targeted, their personal information might be hacked by system hackers, and AI makes it easier for them to do so. Also, AI has been accused of being used to make malware, and there is even an example of a hacker making a Python-based file stealer.

With power comes responsibility, and with ability comes limitations. Although ChatGPT is limited right now, someday it will be able to be perfect and be better than all humans. Or it could be banned by the government. We will just have to wait and see.

Works Cited

“ChatGPT.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPT. Accessed 27 March 2023.

“ChatGPT and its Impact on Society.” Times of India, 13 February 2023, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/marketing-savvy/chatgpt-and-its-impact-on-society-50445/. Accessed 27 March 2023.

Ortiz, Sabrina. “What is ChatGPT and why does it matter? Here's what you need to know.” ZDNet, 23 March 2023, https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-chatgpt-and-why-does-it-matter-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/. Accessed 27 March 2023.

Palmer, Danny. “People are already trying to get ChatGPT to write malware.” ZDNET, 9 January 2023, https://www.zdnet.com/article/people-are-already-trying-to-get-chatgpt-to-write-malware/. Accessed 27 March 2023.