ChatGPT: Responsibly Eliminate the Blank Page

Stephen Schwartz isn't the first person to fall for ChatGPT's tricks. Unfortunately for him, his story stands as a prominent warning about the perils of blindly trusting it.

In case you're not familiar with his tale, Mr. Schwartz, a lawyer, cited non-existent cases in his lawsuit, only to admit later that ChatGPT was responsible for concocting those cases.

These so-called 'hallucinations,' where the tool conjures up random things, aren't glitches; they're actually part of its design. When faced with uncertainty, ChatGPT tends to make up stuff to sound intelligent.

So, what does all this mean for the rest of us?

Well, for those of us in communications, this story presents an opportunity to learn an early lesson. Many of you are already racing ahead, utilizing ChatGPT to improve your work and be more efficient in the process. Others may still be scratching their heads, wondering what all the fuss is about. Many may work for companies that currently have limits on if, when, or how it can be used.

Wherever you are in this journey, Mr. Schwartz's blunder provides an early lesson. We must recognize that we can't ask ChatGPT a question and blindly accept its response as gospel. Whether you're using it to craft a media pitch or draft social media content, it should be regarded as a starting point — at least for now. It excels at generating ideas, producing drafts, providing revision suggestions, and (much, much) more. However, you should carefully review its output before sending that pitch to a reporter or posting that tweet.

In other words, instead of looking at ChatGPT as a complete replacement for your work, think of it as the tool that eliminates the dreaded blank page. Then, check your facts while you infuse your personal touch and make it your own.

Footnote: For those wondering, I wrote the initial and final drafts of this post myself. However, ChatGPT served as my proofreader in the middle of the process.

#generativeai #strategiccommunications #writing