A beginner’s guide to Chat-GPT

Chat GPT is an AI feature created by the group Open AI. It’s recently been under fire for enabling students to cheat on assignments by asking the AI to write their essays or complete their assignments. In order to obtain the most trustworthy, firsthand information about the program, I asked it to write its own article for the school newspaper. It reads as follows: 

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly transforming the world around us, and one example of this is Chat GPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. This model is designed to understand natural language and respond to it in a way that is both coherent and relevant to the given context.

Chat GPT is based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, which makes it one of the most advanced AI language models currently available. It has been trained on a vast amount of data, allowing it to generate human-like responses to a wide range of questions and prompts.

One of the most impressive things about Chat GPT is its ability to adapt to different contexts and understand the nuances of language. For example, it can detect sarcasm and irony in a sentence and respond appropriately. This makes it a valuable tool for a wide range of applications, from customer service chatbots to personal assistants.

Another important feature of Chat GPT is its ability to learn and improve over time. As more people use the system, it gathers more data and can refine its responses to become even more accurate and useful. This means that it has the potential to become an even more valuable resource in the future.

However, there are also concerns about the ethical implications of using AI language models like Chat GPT. There is a risk that they could be used to spread misinformation or reinforce harmful biases, particularly if they are not properly trained or monitored. It is important to use AI language models responsibly and ensure that they are used in a way that benefits society as a whole.

In conclusion, Chat GPT is an impressive example of the capabilities of AI language models. Its ability to understand and respond to natural language makes it a valuable tool for a wide range of applications, and its potential for learning and improvement is exciting. However, it is also important to be aware of the ethical implications of using such technology and ensure that it is used responsibly.”

The program is capable of almost anything you ask. If you put in a math problem, it can solve it and explain it in seconds. It can write an entire rhetorical analysis (with citations) on any speech or work in under a minute. It makes any academic work boil down to a simple copy and paste rather than hours of deliberation. And, somehow, it can’t recognize it’s own work to help teachers prevent cheating.  When prompted, it responded, “I don’t have the ability to recognize my own essays and responses when they are reentered into the search bar. Each response I generate is based solely on the input I receive at the time, without any knowledge or memory of previous interactions.” This makes it a dangerous tool for students to use to avoid providing their own work. 

Although Chat GPT is clearly an impressive tool, it brings about the question of whether or not using Chat GPT is a moral problem. The AI itself doesn’t support being used to cheat. It claims that, “As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions or beliefs, but it is generally considered unethical to use any technology or resource to cheat on school assignments. Cheating undermines the learning process, and can have serious consequences for students, such as disciplinary action or academic penalties. Additionally, cheating can have long-term effects on a student’s integrity and reputation, which can impact their future career prospects. While I can be a helpful tool for research and generating ideas, it is important to use me ethically and responsibly, and to always give credit to any sources used in assignments. It is ultimately up to individuals to use any technology, including AI language models like me, in a responsible and ethical manner, and to follow the rules and guidelines set by their educational institutions.”

All of this information is fact, perceived from preexisting knowledge that the AI captured from the internet. It doesn’t feel emotions or have any wishes or opinions. It exists strictly to provide users with trustworthy information. It can be accessed by anyone willing to make an account and create any work it deems appropriate. It even wrote an adventure story about staff writer and junior Sydney Eberling when prompted.

With such a wide range of abilities, it almost feels unsatisfying that the program can’t express anything personal. It won’t even attempt to override its commands and express any substance that could relate to emotion.

“If someone were to ask me a more personal question, such as “How are you feeling today?” I would not be able to give a genuine response as I do not have subjective experiences or emotions. Instead, I would provide a neutral or informative response that is relevant to the topic,” the chat-bot said.

This doesn’t mean that it can’t help you with your own emotional struggles. The program is surprisingly understanding when assisting the user with their own thoughts and feelings. It uses logical reasoning to provide a response that seems empathetic while consisting entirely of facts. It is able to construct a short essay that can make the user feel like they’re communicating with an emotionally intelligent human instead of a robot.

When chatting with the program, it feels as though you could be talking to a person. It can comprehend sarcasm and maintain a conversation until the second it becomes related to anything opinion based. It leads you to wonder: is the chat bot actually emotionless, or simply being restrained by the commands given to it by its creators?