ChatGPT - You don’t even know what it is yet….

LinkedIn is awash with use cases, articles, memes and even warnings about ChatGPT. Needless to say I am jumping on the bandwagon a little and hoping that the AI algorithms that drive LinkedIn will bring this article up to the top of your feed and ensure you give it a click. If you have got this far, that must have worked.

Like many, I have tried out ChatGPT for a variety of test cases. Engaging in some friendly questions, seeing how quickly it can explain complex systems (tip: putting “to a 5 year old” is a genuinely helpful prompt) and of course testing whether there are any job related workflows that can be sped up by the use of this tool. It is very easy to go down a rabbit hole and explore other options and ideas – and that is precisely the purpose of the ‘test’ right now. Microsoft see the potential in this – and very much believe in the future. Just days after announcing the lay off of many workers came the news that Microsoft were investing billions in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

Does this mean that Microsoft believe in replacing humans with AI? Not at all. What it does mean is that there is a huge opportunity in accessing, sorting and explaining data in an efficient way. Continued expansion in 5G and the IoT will take this to the next level. Humans should never feel threatened by a tool, but there is lots of concern about the route that Microsoft is taking. AI is not taking jobs, but it is changing jobs. Understanding this nuance and where humans can interact with technology is vital for brands looking to stay true to their core values whilst not being left behind in the latest tech arms race. There are some individuals and companies that will have a huge benefit in the use of ChatGPT – but most just see this as the latest trend.

Recently I saw the news that ChatGPT was launching a subscription fee. Following the classic model of Fremium engagement practices. Spotfiy, YouTube are the best examples of this. Create a place where all the content is, give some of it away for free - and make others pay if they want less ads. But ChatGPT does not have content. Not yet. It’s databases currently shut off from 2021. It is a learning tool. It needs prompts, probes and questions to adapt and improve. And for the millions trialing the channels, it is learning and improving each time. Will a subscription model help this? Or hinder this learning?

“You don’t even know what the thing is yet. How big it can get, how far it can go. This is just the beginning!”         

Charging for usage makes complete sense, but is this a rush too early? I am reminded of ‘The Social Network’ film. Where Justin Timberlake (playing Napster founder Sean Parker) is providing Zuckerberg some advice about not monetising the site too soon – “You don’t even know what the thing is yet. How big it can get, how far it can go. This is just the beginning!”

The beginning it certainly is. An AI tool is in the mainstream news. Used by a mass population. And people are paying for it. I am not sure I would pay yet. And I am not sure if a subscription helps to justify its worth or will end up putting off people that would be valuable to develop the learning. Whilst people are not entirely certain what it will be used for yet, we can be confident it will be paving the way for the more AI platforms to be consumer facing.?