Allow us a prediction at the end of the year: one of the topics that will be discussed the most during our holiday season family gatherings will be the ChatGPT computer robot.
Between two mouthfuls of turkey, we are going to talk about it because everyone who has tried it will ABSOLUTELY want to testify to their experience to explain how fascinating it is.
There will be heated discussions as this technological breakthrough truly shows us for the first time just how much potential artificial intelligence has to transform our lives in the coming decades.
Maybe even tempers will warm up a bit…
Because as remarkable as ChatGPT may be, the possible repercussions are concerning and require further ethical consideration.
Some fears have already started to emerge. Several Quebec media have reported, over the past week, to what extent ChatGPT is likely to very quickly shake up the education community.
Just test the tool to be convinced.
ChatGPT, created by the Californian company OpenAI, is a conversational robot. You use a window similar to that of Google, in which you ask a question.
But the comparisons with the popular search engine end there.
In fact, ChatGPT is so incredibly effective that you’d think Google was its great-grandfather and Siri was its great-grandmother!
You can ask ChatGPT about a variety of topics ranging from the role of language in the work of Réjean Ducharme to the Vietnam War, to the importance of biodiversity for cities. He will often offer you complete, even complex answers.
You can also test his creativity in every way possible and imaginable. Suggest, for example, that they create poems, opinion pieces, plays on various themes. Or to invent a new scene of District 31 !
We can even ask him to create a joke about the orange cones in the style of Martin Matte. To which he will reply: “Why do orange cones always look sad? Because they are constantly under construction! Well, OK, that wasn’t funny, but at least the orange cones do their thing job ! »
To test it, we also asked for a 200-word editorial on “the potential impact of ChatGPT on the world of work”. The result, which you can read below, is impressive.
This robot remains imperfect, but we understand that what it is already able to accomplish opens the door to all sorts of useful feats, but also to worrying possibilities and potential abuses.
Thus, the upheavals to come on the labor market will be major. Especially since artificial intelligence is also being used – in a remarkable way – to create images. Among other things with the Dall-E image generator software.
Gains in productivity are to be considered, so much the better. We need solutions to the labor shortage. But there is reason to wonder about the future of a whole series of professions. Those whose job is to create or teach content, for example.
Some even already use ChatGPT as a therapist! Others have realized that it can detect errors in writing lines of computer code.
The coming social changes are difficult to predict, but they are likely to be substantial.
Let’s go back to the middle of education, because it is a very good example of the challenges posed by this new robot. The usefulness of ChatGPT with regard to learning is obvious. But so are the problems it will create. For example, a teacher will probably no longer be able to detect that it is this robot and not his student who wrote the assignment he must assess.
Other legitimate concerns arise, not least because what ChatGPT emphatically claims isn’t always true. Due, too, to the notorious biases of the algorithms, like the one hiding behind this computer robot.
And forget the transparency, we have no idea what data is used to obtain these results. This raises questions about the reliability of sources and respect for copyright.
What is also important to understand is that developments in artificial intelligence are happening at breakneck speed.
Are you surprised by current ChatGPT exploits? Next year’s should blow you away, say experts in the field.
No doubt about it, it’s all starting to look like a revolution.
Are we ready?
Of course not.
Some are already thinking about a possible framework for such developments. We need only think of the Montreal Declaration for the responsible development of artificial intelligence, made public in 2018.
It is a series of principles, among other things to ensure that privacy is protected, that the autonomy of humans is preserved or that the development and use of these technologies contribute “to the achievement of a just and equitable society”.
But for now, these are just wishful thinking.
And we cannot say that our elected officials are very proactive in marking out the space and the shape of the land that must be occupied by artificial intelligence if we want to take advantage of its advantages without its shortcomings causing us too much suffering.
However, this is the only way to try to control, as much as possible, the changes that will affect our societies for better and for worse.
Here’s the 200-word op-ed by the bot “about the potential impact of ChatGPT on the world of work”
The arrival of ChatGPT, a natural language processing tool designed to help companies automate certain tasks, raises many questions about its potential impact on the world of work. While this technology may indeed replace some workers in some industries, it’s important to note that it will never completely replace unique human skills, such as creativity, empathy, and the ability to solve complex problems. In addition, it is possible that ChatGPT also creates new job opportunities by facilitating certain tasks for human employees.
It is important to emphasize that ChatGPT is only a tool and its impact will depend on how it is used and integrated in businesses and organizations. If automation is used responsibly and fairly, it can allow human workers to focus on higher value tasks and free up time for other activities. However, if used in a way to replace human workers without considering the consequences for their lives and well-being, it can have negative effects on society and the economy.
It is therefore essential to ensure that ChatGPT and other natural language processing technologies are used responsibly and fairly, with regulations and standards in place to protect workers and ensure that all members of society take advantage of their benefits. Ultimately, ChatGPT’s impact on the world of work will depend on how we choose to use it and integrate it into our lives and organizations.