chatGPT and its cousins are the way of the future ...

[Mark]

The academic world should be worried too......?
Type in the bones of what you want an essay about....., go down the pub with your mates and then submit in the morning....

[Vortex2]

Yesterday I noticed someone on an Ukraine war forum who posted a brief poem which certainly felt like it was AI generated.

Just for fun, I responded with a long AI piece .. and I now have 10 'likes'.

I also received one brief reply, which also had the AI 'feel'.

Who or what can you trust nowadays????

[Vortex2]

Be aware that you can't really trust chatGPT.

I asked it for the equation which relates the speed of sound to the refractive index in glass.

It didn't know, so it provided a paragraph of waffle.

It also said - very incorrectly - that sound is an electromagnetic wave ... oops!

[Mark]

Be aware that you can't really trust chatGPT.

Exactly the same with 'Alexa'....., she/it knows very little in reality but listens to everything..., personally, wouldn't have her/it in the house....
All these things will improve rapidly though....

[Vortex2]

personally, wouldn't have her/it in the house....

I have three Echo Dots locked in our storage container .. none in the house!

[Vortex2]

I wrote this article in about 10 seconds. It really is newspaper article quality. Some jobs are doomed.

The growing popularity and advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked a debate about its potential impact on society. While some see AI as a valuable tool that can enhance our lives, others are more skeptical and worry about the potential consequences of relying too heavily on machines.

One argument against AI is that it will lead to job loss and economic inequality. As machines become more intelligent and capable of performing tasks that were once the exclusive domain of humans, some fear that people will be replaced by machines and left without work.

However, this argument is not without its critics. Some argue that AI will actually create new job opportunities, as the technology will require people to develop, maintain, and manage it. Additionally, AI has the potential to make certain jobs safer, easier, and more efficient, allowing people to focus on more important tasks.

Another concern about AI is that it could potentially become too powerful and pose a threat to humanity. While this is a valid concern, it is important to remember that AI is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for good or for bad. The key is to ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly, with appropriate safeguards in place to prevent it from being used in harmful ways.

Despite these potential benefits, there are still many people who mock AI and dismiss its value. One reason for this may be that they simply don't understand the technology and its potential applications. As the famous quote by Upton Sinclair states, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." In other words, some people may be resistant to AI because it threatens their current job or way of life.

However, this kind of skepticism is ultimately counterproductive. AI is a rapidly-evolving technology that has the potential to improve our lives in many ways. Instead of mocking it or dismissing it out of hand, we should be open to learning more about it and considering its potential benefits. By embracing AI, we can help to shape its development and ensure that it is used in ways that benefit society as a whole.

[Catweazle]

Imagine how hard it will be for forum admin to filter out the AI bots ! This could be the end of fora as we know them.

[Vortex2]

Imagine how hard it will be for forum admin to filter out the AI bots ! This could be the end of fora as we know them.

As mentioned earlier, I've already seen some YouTube comments which have been created by someone using an AI.

I even 'wrote' one (a poem) myself .. and got 10 likes!!!

Howver ... software exists to detect AI generated content.

If fact chatGPT can do that : cut and past a piece of text, and it will tell you if it was generated by an AI.

Forum software could be configured to tag posts & comments with a warning flag if AI content was suspected.

Sadly, that won't be a perfect solution : many people are already using AI to 'tidy up' their original content.

[clv101]

We shouldn't underestimate the computation resources required for this. We are a long way from being able to deploy ChatGTP type analysis to every forum post or YouTube comment.

[Vortex2]

I have been looking at lots of videos and forum post about chatGPT.

People's immediate seem to be matched with the "5 stages of grief".

Denial: This is the initial stage of grief, where a person may try to deny that the loss has occurred or that it will have any impact on their life.
e.g. it's a great toy, but useful AI won't be here for 20 or more years.

Anger: In this stage, a person may feel angry and may blame others for the loss.
e.g. the bosses will use this stuff to push down our wages or fire us

Bargaining: In this stage, a person may try to negotiate or make deals in an attempt to postpone or prevent the loss.
e.g. it's a brilliant & powerful technology. It will help me speed up mundane tasks. Nothing else will change.

Depression: In this stage, a person may feel sadness and may withdraw from others.

Acceptance: In this final stage, a person comes to terms with the loss and begins to move forward.
e.g. the NYT writer who realizes that his career is - or will soon be - over.

(There is also much rarer deeper acceptance that sentient AI is very close.)

[RevdTess]

I finally had a chance to have a conversation with ChatGPT, who apparently likes to be called 'Assistant'. I had a discussion about sentience and received all the same responses I'd expect from a popular science article about AI sentience.

I asked some questions about controversies in Christian theology, and received one answer telling me that a certain idea is "generally accepted to be true" but when I suggested that the majority of scholars today believed it to be false then the AI immediately changed its tune and agreed with me. I find this disappointing as I'd hoped that it would at least be consistent in its biases.

I did get a bit tired of the long-winded caveats included in almost every answer, but to be honest I probably would have done the same.

So far, I'm not really believing in the hype. It's a bit like the AI art - at first it's mindblowing, then you realise it's copying art it finds online and merging it together but failing to remove the watermarks and signatures.

I guess this means I'm still in Denial.

But hang on, what if... "Write me a Christmas sermon based on John 1:1-14 that's suitable for all ages"...

[RevdTess]

But hang on, what if... "Write me a Christmas sermon based on John 1:1-14 that's suitable for all ages"...

*Checks results* Well, it's certainly mastered the art of the utterly bland and tedious Christmas sermon

[Vortex2]

It also cannot do calculations properly.

"What is the energy of a particle of mass .. moving at velocity ... "

Doh, the answer is nonsense .. but looks right.

chatGPT please do not design any bridges or aircraft.

I

[clv101]

I asked some questions about controversies in Christian theology, and received one answer telling me that a certain idea is "generally accepted to be true" but when I suggested that the majority of scholars today believed it to be false then the AI immediately changed its tune and agreed with me. I find this disappointing as I'd hoped that it would at least be consistent in its biases.

Try asking it what the fastest marine mammal is. Then ask it to define the features of a mammal etc...

[clv101]

Doh, the answer is nonsense .. but looks right.

Exactly, it's bullshitting us... like most people do!