“COMPUTER…Make ChatGPT automate mundane minutiae away from many of our professional lives!”

With the introduction of ChatGPT, which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, from OpenAI in November of 2022, it feels like we are on the precipice of a new era in computing.? I liken it to the many episodes of Star Trek that I enjoyed growing up, where the crew of the Enterprise would often query the “Computer” for solutions that met their needs.??

“Computer calculate the shortest route through the horsehead nebula.”??

“Computer calculate the trajectory of the incoming photon torpedoes and perform evasive maneuvers!”

OK, so ChatGPT isn't going to calculate evasive maneuvers and I am not on the bridge of the Enterprise.? So what exactly is it?? ChatGPT is actually an advanced language model that uses a transformer-based neural network trained on a large dataset of text.? This allows it to generate human-like responses on a wide range of topics. It also has the ability to perform natural language processing tasks such as text summarization, question answering, and text completion with a high degree of accuracy, making it a powerful tool for various applications such as text generation and content creation.

As I continue to test ChatGPT in awe, I find myself substituting ChatGPT for “Computer” in my mind.? My initial impression of ChatGPT is that it’s amazing!? It has saved significant time by helping automate the process of writing by providing text generative capabilities. For example, it can generate analysis based on input data sets or will summarize a large amount of information into concise reports.? I have even asked it to help me with writing python code.??

What ChatGPT does for language, and question and answer, parallels how a calculator automates the process of performing mundane yet complex mathematical calculations quickly and accurately. However, it is still incumbent upon the user to understand the validity of numbers they are using, and the calculations they are answering.? The calculator makes the mathematics easier by removing the repetitive minutiae which allows users to focus on higher-level tasks or concepts.? In many ways ChatGPT stands to do the very same thing for professionals across a variety of disciplines.?

ChatGPT has received a lot of negative publicity in the news recently, centered around students using the platform to help them write reports.? Often this negativity comes with warnings of plagiarizing activity.? When asked for comment, the CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman, who is working on tools that will help educators identify potential plagiarism, stated that ChatGPT is technology we will need to adapt to.? He also stated "We adapted to calculators and changed what we tested for in math class, I imagine. This is a more extreme version of that, no doubt, but also the benefits of it are more extreme, as well (Yahoo).”? Erik Brynjolfsson who is a professor of economics and information technology at Stanford University concurred stating ChatGPT will become the? "calculator for writing," as reported in Bloomberg.

The calculator analogy is an interesting one.? When the first mass-marketed electronic calculator was introduced in 1961, the ANITA Mark VIII, in slightly more than a decade it led to one calculator for every 9 students according to Deedee Pendleton’s article "Calculators in the Classroom (Science News 1975).”? In that article critics contended that calculators would make pencil-and-paper math obsolete. But instructors who were using them took the opposite stand. They said that calculators stretched the student’s interest, allowing for more relevant kinds of problems (how far is it to the moon?) and increased motivation. Because of their speed and accuracy, calculators lent themselves to complicated problems previously avoided by grade school teachers.??

Negative sentiment about calculators and mathematics include the idea that calculators make students reliant on technology and discourage them from developing mental math skills. Others argue that calculators make it too easy for students to perform complex calculations, leading to a lack of understanding of the underlying mathematical concepts. Pendleton’s article asserted that calculators placed more emphasis on estimation, or on learning to judge which of the answers the calculator gives is reasonable, which develops higher level critical thinking.??

This is reinforced by studies which have shown the use of calculators in education has a positive effect on student learning. Such as a study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology which found that the use of calculators in a math classroom improved students' problem-solving skills and their ability to understand complex mathematical concepts. Overall, the data suggest that the negative arguments about calculators and mathematics are not accurate.?

There have always been disruptive technologies.? In the 1980s, there were concerns that synthesizers would take away jobs from musicians as they made it easier for non-musicians to create music. However, these concerns were largely unfounded as synthesizers expanded the range of sounds and styles that could be produced, leading to greater music diversity.? This allowed musicians to experiment with new sounds and styles, which increased the demand for musicians proficient in using synthesizers. Additionally, the use of synthesizers led to the rise of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and the development of technologies which created new opportunities for musicians.

Another technological advancement that has had negative sentiment was self-checkout kiosks.? Yet casually strolling around Walmart, a company that has widely implemented self-checkout lines, I notice as many and if not more employees.? That is because Walmart has evolved and continued to hire workers for other roles, such as e-commerce and logistics, as it adapts towards online shopping.? Many cashiers appear to have been replaced by employees filling those e-commerce orders.

ChatGPT isn’t a panacea for the lazy writers of the world.? To adequately use it, users must bust be engaged in determining if the data it provides are useful or verifiable.? I would contend that just like a calculator, it relies upon and helps develop, higher level of critical thinking from its users. Users should always exercise caution as ChatGPT is merely a language model and not a fact-checking service.?

ChatGPT is trained on a large internet text dataset, which may contain inaccuracies, biases, and outdated information. The model is not able to understand the context of a question or statement and may provide irrelevant or nonsensical responses in certain situations. ChatGPT doesn’t understand sarcasm, irony, or user intent. Therefore, its responses may not align with the user’s goals.? As a language model, ChatGPT does provide information on a wide range of topics, but because it's not able to verify the accuracy of the information, user oversight is always recommended.

That said, ChatGPT is an amazing technology that will only improve with the passage of time.? Its ability to generate human-like text with a high degree of coherence and fluency, and perform various natural language processing tasks such as text summarization, question answering, and text completion makes it an incredibly valuable tool.??

Now for some non ChatGPT Q&A!

• Did ChatGPT write this article? No!
• Could ChatGPT have written this article blindly? No!
• Was ChatGPT used to help write this article? Yes!
• Should you check out ChatGPT if you haven’t already? Yes!

In the immortal words of Jean-Luc Picard “ChatGPT (OK maybe he didn’t specify ChatGPT) .... Make it so!”