Could ChatGPT make us dumber?

ChatGPT and artificial intelligence chatbot technology have gained increasing attention and popularity in recent news. People from all walks of life are talking about ChatGPT, an open source, AI-powered chatbot application developed by OpenAI. It uses AI to generate and understand human-like language and conversation. Users can type in text to converse with a chatbot as if chatting with a person, or use it as a tool to solve problems, answer questions, or even generate unique writing based on information pulled from the internet.

With the increasing interest in AI chatbots, the Daily Times thought it appropriate to test out the ChatGPT’s skills on writing news stories. Not to worry though, this newspaper will continue having humans report on local news.

ChatGPT was prompted to write a news article about the low-inventory state of the housing market in Harrison. The content it generated was surprisingly specific and accurate with some exceptions. It described the state of the market as follows:

“The housing market in Harrison, Arkansas is facing a severe shortage of inventory, as the demand for homes continues to outstrip the available supply. With a population of just over 13,000 people, Harrison is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, attracting new residents with its low cost of living, scenic beauty, and thriving economy. However, the lack of available housing options is presenting a major challenge for those looking to move to the area.”

ChatGPT even referred to analyses from local real estate agents. But it painted a more accurate picture of the market a year ago in 2022 according to Franklin Harp, a local real estate agent in Harrison.

It described the housing inventory being at an all-time low. It described how buyers would scramble to bid with higher offers. Harp explained that inventory has recovered from that all-time low in the last couple of months, and bidding wars on homes have not been a common occurrence.

The noted inaccuracy about the current market is consistent with ChatGPT’s disclaimer stating that it has limited information about current events since 2021.

ChatGPT continued to describe the market in Harrison as particularly difficult to find housing at entry-level and mid-range prices. It described how first-time homebuyers and young families are struggling to find suitable homes, compounded by the fact that new construction has been slow to keep up with demand.

The chatbot response was strikingly accurate and detailed. The level of detail in the answer poses questions of how this tech could disrupt various parts of society. Take the education system, for instance. Could a high school or college student use this software to cheat on an essay? Yes. Young people are likely already using it.

Software developers of some plagiarism checkers have already added features to detect chatbot technology when scanning student essays. However, students could bypass the plagiarism checkers by simply paraphrasing the entire text in their own words. Aside from the restraint of an ethical student, the modern AI-based chatbot removes the need for any original thought in order to complete an essay.

The integrity of college essays is not the only front under attack. Math students can use ChatGPT to solve calculus problems and show the work. Computer programming students can use it to generate code.

As a matter of fact, there is no way for a reader to know for sure if ChatGPT was used to write a news article. Even the originality of a news writer’s work is in question.

A resident of Harrison named Denny Johnson, 71, said he was one of the early adopters of ChatGPT, and has studied the technology since its launch in November 2022. He believes that even though AI chatbots like ChatGPT could replace jobs or make various human tasks obsolete, it will also create opportunities for users who study and learn to utilize it. “They call them prompt engineers,” he said.

Prompt engineers are experts at strategically using prompts (the questions or instructions sent to the chatbot) to harness a greater capacity of what the chatbot can do. Prompt engineering is a relatively new professional skill of its own. It has much to do with crafting informative and context-rich prompts to guide the chatbot’s responses. The use cases can range from creating web content or computer code to analyzing data and solving complex business problems.

The idea that AI chatbots will make life easier while, at the same time, minimize the need for human brain power is nothing new to the space of technology. Is tech gradually making people dumber? For decades, people have made the same arguments about smartphones and the internet. There is nothing new under the sun.