I offered ChatGPT an Internship (Part 1)

Disclaimer: Internships have been of fundamental importance in my experience, nurturing Academy-Industry relations, providing early hands-on experience and fostering innovation. I've promoted probably hundreds of Internships in many companies and will continue to do so.

It's 2023 and ChatGPT is all over. Companies, Schools and even Countries have come forward to express concern or even forbid it. Teachers and pseudo-mentors have come with turn-key recommendations. Many are using, mostly not admitting it. Some are suspicious. A few are trying to get away with it. If you're still asking what it is, it's very simple: enter https://chat.openai.com, tell him what you're going to do right now, ask for help and start learning how to deal with it.

After (admittingly) having used it for some tasks, I started studying how I can incorporate ChatGPT in my daily work. I finally concluded to offer ChatGPT an Internship. This series of articles explains my decision and invite you to think about it.

Internships are not free. I invest some of my time and my team's on every Intern and time is not free. Yes, most Interns aren't paid and yes, many Internships are an integral part of the courses, hence, applied training. ChatGPT sounds the same, it gives me some work to teach him what I want. Some are hoping it can learn telepathy: just letting you know it's a feature not planned.

Interns do produce. I always give real work to interns, not exercises or make up tasks. Yes, some prototypes, some mockups but always real world tasks. I give ChatGPT real tasks too, I found out tests and mockups don't work as well as the real stuff. Giving it fake tasks to make it tumble is probably not worth it.

Interns are not self sufficient. I've never sent a client something made by an intern. I always review the outcome and often make corrections, adaptations or completions. I found myself doing the same with ChatGPT. It's probably to early to retire and put my work in the hands of AI.

Interns are not trustful. I've never excused me behind an Intern, I assume mistakes may happen and responsibility is mine. I always do the same with ChatGPT. Blaming ChatGPT sounds as stupid as blaming a mug for spilling coffee.

So far, there's only two things I know I'll do differently.

I will always ask ChatGPT. Because it is unbelievably fast, it gives me the basics (mostly correct) of any topic. And if I need to go deeper and wider, then I may ask an Intern or a colleague or do the rest by myself.

I will never hire ChatGPT. Although it can do amazing work, it's mostly dumb at understanding. This doesn't mean it won't evolve, but will never have responsibility. And when I hire an Intern, I certainly make sure I've detected it will be capable of being responsible, not just do the work.

Getting here, It's time to ask my new Intern about this idea and share the answer with you.

Me:

Can you give me reasons why ChatGPT is similar to having an Intern?

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here are some reasons why ChatGPT can be similar to having an intern:

1. Availability: Like an intern, ChatGPT is available 24/7, providing you with support and information whenever you need it. You can access it online or through various platforms, ensuring immediate availability without the constraints of office hours.
2. Knowledge and Research: ChatGPT, just like an intern, has access to a vast amount of information. It can provide you with answers to a wide range of questions, help with research, and assist in finding relevant resources or data.
3. Learning and Adaptability: Interns and ChatGPT both possess a learning curve. While an intern learns from their experiences, ChatGPT continuously learns from the interactions it has with users. Over time, it adapts and improves its responses, gaining a better understanding of your needs.
4. Task Assistance: Similar to how an intern can help with various tasks, ChatGPT can assist you in multiple areas. Whether it's answering inquiries, providing suggestions, or offering guidance, ChatGPT can be a valuable resource across different domains.
5. Language Skills: Both interns and ChatGPT have language skills that can be utilized. ChatGPT can communicate in natural language, understand context, and generate responses that align with the conversation. It can help draft emails, write documents, or provide language-related support.
6. Objective Perspective: Just like an intern who brings a fresh perspective, ChatGPT can offer objective insights. It doesn't have biases or preconceived notions and can provide impartial opinions or suggestions based on the information it has been trained on.
7. Workload Assistance: Interns are often hired to help reduce the workload of full-time employees. Similarly, ChatGPT can alleviate some of your workload by handling routine tasks, answering common questions, or assisting with basic support inquiries.
8. Low Cost: Hiring an intern can be cost-effective compared to employing a full-time employee. Similarly, utilizing ChatGPT can be a cost-efficient alternative, especially when you consider the wide range of tasks it can handle without incurring additional expenses.

It's important to note that while ChatGPT can provide valuable assistance, it's still an AI language model and doesn't possess the same level of understanding, creativity, or real-world experience as a human intern.

Thanks Intern.

Expect a sequel. Enjoy.