ChatGPT - an unpopular opinion (part 1)

I've been following the discussions on ChatGPT and had a thought forming in my mind for a while which I haven't yet seen elsewhere. The fierce proponents and opponents of ChatGPT go at each other from pretty predictable angles. The former group praises the technology and its astonishing growth, both in terms of users and use cases / applications. The latter group, on the other hand, notes the potential dangers, ranging from the more down-to-earth effects on the workforce to envisioning a Skynet moment on the more extreme side.

In my view, both sides of the argument have some merit. Still, one major impact is not raised by either side. ChatGPT surely can improve the efficiency of some people and organisations. Putting aside some data reliability issues (which I also encountered personally), this is a fact. It's also a relevant and tough question to speculate on what happens to the junior and / or low skilled workforce who could potentially be replaced by algorithms, at least partially.

But what happens to us mentally and culturally, i.e. on an individual and on a societal level?

Starting with the individual: what happens to our brains, especially in the case of the younger generations who will grow up having this technology throughout their years of education. During my university years if was practically a cliché how Google changes the way our brain works. To take a snippet from an article on the topic:

"Researchers conclude that we learn to rely on Google rather than on our own memory when it comes to storing long-term knowledge. Other researchers assume that the fact to be able to access the information wherever we like has a negative impact on our motivation to memorize the information."

Source: https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/how-does-google-affect-the-way-we-learn/

This is certainly true for ChatGPT, too. And the problem is deeper. I often use this metaphor that human cognitive abilities are like a connect-the-dots game. This game requires both dots -- and the ability to connect them. To use this metaphor in this context: Google took away our dots, i.e. the motivation (and ability) to "know things / facts". Of course you have access to them but without any factual knowledge about the world your speed of work slows down in certain cases. This is now complemented with ChatGPT, which is replacing our ability to connect the dots, to actually form ideas and express them.

I recall an expression from my school years that school is about learning how to learn (and less about what exactly you're learning). (Or at least this is how I was consoled when having to study things I couldn't care less about...) But if a student has to write an essay, or even a final year thesis, which requires research, deep thinking, formulating hypotheses, and structuring your thoughts -- and there's an easier way to get the end result, what would a student do?

If one makes ChatGPT write all their essays from highschool to university graduation -- will he or she be able to think and structure their thoughts? Does this bring us a better life in the long term?

My view is that ChatGPT is amazing, it enables us to do things at previously unimaginable speeds. But it's like having a car. If one never walks, their muscles wither. We shouldn't do that to our brains.

So use ChatGPT, but use it to enhance and not to replace your brain.

In the next post I will be writing about an equally uneasy topic: the cultural aspects of ChatGPT. Stay tuned.