March 6, 2023

The Bright & Dark Sides of ChatGPT

By Barry Sardis

Table of Contents

Introduction

This page contains many links, in rectangular boxes, to articles that when clicked / tapped will open in a new tab. Note that there will be a number that may have a “paywall” or, if you have an ad-blocker, require you to turn it off.

There are also several YouTube videos. Most will contain commercials. In the original presentation (which is recorded-see below) the commercials were bypassed. However, due to some technical issue, the video quality of these videos via Zoom was poor.

The volume of articles, YouTube videos, news stories on TV, etc., has increased exponentially since the public introduction of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. This page reflects that situation.

If you just want a taste, here are two recent references that touch on many of the top factors why ChatGPT is the most important technology since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007.

Iowa universities drill down on ChatGPT technology
Professors weigh pros and cons, set student expectations
73 Important ChatGPT Statistics & Facts For Mid Feb 2023 + Infographic – Nerdy Nav
Here, I’ve added the most up-to-date ChatGPT statistics and facts with sources.

Here is the recording of the Zoom meeting including demonstrations of this new technology in several forms, along with attendee Q&A:

The 1 hour 10 minutes March 6, 2023 SATE meeting

The Last Tech That Upended the Tech Industry

It could connect to the internet using Wi-Fi or EDGE

Commentary on the First iPhone

Why The iPhone Upended The Tech Industry-Time Magazine
It established the grammar for the modern smartphone
The Times Review of the First iPhone: ‘Amazing’ but ‘Not Perfect’ (Published 2017)
Ten years ago, a steady drumbeat of excitement over the iPhone turned into a frenzy. Soon it was being referred to as the “Jesus phone.”
17 of the Best Internet Reactions to the Original iPhone-The Atlantic
“Touch-screen buttons? BAD idea. This thing will never work.”
These Are The People Who Thought The iPhone Would Fail-Forbes
Here’s what some prominent critics thought of the first iPhone, announced ten years ago today

Steve Jobs’ genius was his ability to see the future of technologies and apply that vision to the design of products. About the same time as the iPhone’s introduction, Cloud Computing became generally available. Offering startups access to computing resources and storage, without the need for them to manage those resources, resulted in the explosion of “Apps” which fueled the iPhone’s appeal and rapid growth.

Here Are All the Things Steve Jobs Correctly Predicted 20 Years Ago About the Internet – Inc.
A 1996 interview the Apple co-founder gave reveals just how clearly he saw where the tech industry was headed.

After putting the above together, this Wall Street Journal article appeared on March 2nd:

AI Has Its ‘iPhone Moment’ – WSJ
The launch of ChatGPT has set off a frenzy by companies to show they are in the AI game.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has a long history. Click / tap this infographic to open it in another tab and then click /tap again to enlarge it.

AI History

OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT to the Public

This 9 minute (stop it at 7:50 when a commercial begins) video provides a good introduction to ChatGPT, and the man leading OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

Click / tap the screenshot below to read OpenAI’s November 30, 2002 full announcement of ChatGPT in a new tab.

We are excited to introduce ChatGPT to get users’ feedback and learn about its strengths and weaknesses. During the research preview, usage of ChatGPT is free. 

From OpenAI’s announcement

Further on are instructions on how to sign up, if you are so inclined.

ChatGPT Plus, costing $20 per month, was introduced February 1, 2023, and provides:

  • priority access even during peak demand when free users may be temporarily blocked
  • faster response times
  • priority access to new features and improvements

Third party software products have appeared (discussed later on) that access ChatGPT via an API (application programming interface). This requires the end user to have billing set up after a limited free trial.

Gone Viral

ChatGPT sets record for fastest-growing user base – analyst note – Reuters
ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI, is estimated to have reached 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after launch, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history, according to a UBS study on Wednesday.
ChatGPT Tops 25 Million Daily Visits | Similarweb
A UBS study based on Similarweb data called ChatGPT the fastest-growing app ever to hit 100 million users – and that growth just keeps accelerating.

Impacts

Many articles incorporate both potential positive and negative impacts regarding the usage of ChatGPT in various activities. This March 3rd article is a prime example.

ChatGPT: U-M experts can discuss AI chatbots, their reach, impact, concerns, potential – University of Michigan
As ChatGPT hits three months in operation, its reach and uses continue to widen along with a range of efforts and research to grasp and anticipate the upside and downside of using artificial intelligence to do what humans would normally do. University of Michigan experts are available to discuss Ch

This article is actually a two minute video about what most concerns me personally, at least right now. While he refers to tools being developed to detect students using AI like ChatGPT to “cheat”, perhaps tools will appear to detect the ‘scarier part’?

Scott Galloway on the ‘scarier part’ of AI tools like ChatGPT | CNN Business
ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot that interacts with users and can provide lengthy and thorough responses to questions and prompts, is stunning users. Professor Scott Galloway from NYU Stern School of Business joins CNN’s Anderson Cooper to discuss.

Here’s another insightful article. It is from the prestigious World Economic Forum.

Here’s why ChatGPT raises issues of trust – WEF
ChatGPT might seem like just another information source, but the means by which it produces output raises questions about reliability, a professor says.

Jobs

One of the top impact concerns is job replacement, as it has been with the introduction of many other transformational technologies. But, there will also be new type of jobs created, such as “prompt engineer” – see this Washington Post article.

The following list of roles most likely at risk is from this Business Insider article. Time will tell whether specific jobs will be fully replaced by the use of this technology, partially replaced, or become much more productive due to use of new tools coming out of this technology.

  • Customer service agents
  • Tech jobs: coders and more
  • Media jobs: advertising, content creation, technical writing, journalism
  • Legal industry: paralegals, legal assistants
  • Market research analysts
  • Teachers
  • Finance jobs: financial analysts, personal financial advisors
  • Traders: some Wall Street jobs
  • Graphics designers: DALL-E (another OpenAI offering)
  • Accountants
How A.I. Can Help – New York Times
ChatGPT is changing how people work. That can be scary. But for now, most jobs are still safe.

Education

Students using ChatGPT to “cheat” gets a lot of coverage. The first article, near the top of this page, addresses a number of education-related issues. See this next article for more details, and click or tap the “ChatGPT” under the title in the article page for a lot more.

AI and Education: Understanding ChatGPT’s Impact | Internet Public Library
Despite strong reactions, ChatGPT has forced a rethink on the use of AI in education. Its impact on education and future outlook is discussed in the article.

Tech Industry

Upon the release of ChatGPT, potential impact on Google’s business was seen as significant. Microsoft, which had invested $1 billion in 2019, quickly announced that it will incorporate ChatGPT into its search product, Bing. Subsequently, Microsoft announced an additional $10 billion investment and plans to incorporate more AI into many of its offerings:

Microsoft unveils revamped Bing search engine using AI technology more powerful than ChatGPT
Microsoft on Tuesday announced a revamp of its Bing search engine and Edge web browser powered by artificial intelligence, weeks after it confirmed plans to invest billions in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

Google responded immediately by introducing it’s ChatGPT rival, Bard. But it didn’t go well:

Google shares lose $100 billion after company’s AI chatbot makes an error during demo
Google’s much-hyped new AI chatbot tool Bard, which has yet to be released to the public, is already being called out for an inaccurate response it produced in a demo this week.

Both Google and Microsoft have AI capabilities to rival OpenAI. In the very short video below, Bloomberg opines a way that Google may benefit:

1:28 minute Bloomberg video

I’m looking forward to replacing traditional search with this:

The Race to Build a ChatGPT-Powered Search Engine – Wired
A search bot you converse with could make finding answers easier—if it doesn’t tell fibs. Microsoft, Google, Baidu, and others are working on it.

This next link is one of three AI-powered search tools referenced in the above article.

Neeva – Ad-free, private search
Did you know 40% of search results are ads? Created by ex-Google execs, Neeva only shows you real results. No ads or affiliate links ever.

Investments

Here are two recent articles regarding ChatGPT’s impact on the investment community:

The artificial intelligence war has Wall Street in a frenzy over Google, Microsoft, and anything related to bots – Business Insider
Insider’s Phil Rosen breaks down what Wall Street is saying about the rapidly heating up AI search wars.
ChatGPT mania sends these obscure artificial intelligence stocks soaring as hype extends beyond big caps
The success of ChatGPT has spilled over to small-cap stocks, with investors piling cash into the artificial intelligence craze.

Legal

In addition to the jobs impact, regulation, copyright, and other issues are being discussed. Because ChatGPT was “taught” using information “scraped” from the internet, OpenAI is already facing legal action.

As A.I. Booms, Lawmakers Struggle to Understand the Technology
Tech innovations are again racing ahead of Washington’s ability to regulate them, lawmakers and A.I. experts said.
Intellectual Property in ChatGPT
In this month’s IP blog post, we focus on Chat GPT, the AI tool that everyone liked to try in recent weeks.

China

ChatGPT has thrown gasoline on fears of a U.S.-China arms race on AI – NBC News
The race to develop the next generation of AI isn’t just between tech companies like Microsoft and Google — it’s also between nations, which are working furiously to foster and develop their own technology.

Now for Some Potential Bad News

Security expert warns of AI tools’ potential threat to democracy – PBS
Artificial intelligence has the potential to dramatically alter how we gather information, communicate and work. Experts are also raising questions about how it will affect governance and what it will mean for the future of our democracy. Bruce Schneier, a fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klei…
Cybercrime Meets ChatGPT—Look Out, World – IEEE Spectrum
As with every new technology, the AI-powered chatbot by OpenAI is at risk of being misused. Researchers have found that ChatGPT could be used to create phishing emails. Combined with Codex, an OpenAI natural language-to-code system, ChatGPT could then be used to develop and inject malicious code.

Your “Prompts” (Questions, Commands)

Presentation on ChatGPT Uses and Pitfalls for Seniors

Here are my conversational requests to ChatGPT for an (alternate) hour presentation (note, that I misspelled presentation):

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A few more potential uses for older adults – as told to me in another conversation with ChatGPT:

  • Assistance with writing and communication: ChatGPT can assist with writing emails, letters, and other forms of communication, making it easier for an older individual to stay in touch with friends and family.
  • Reminiscence therapy: Using ChatGPT to generate stories and prompts can be a helpful tool for reminiscence therapy, which can improve cognitive function and overall well-being for older adults.
  • Entertainment: ChatGPT can generate jokes, trivia, and other forms of entertainment, providing a fun and engaging way for an older individual to pass the time.
  • Safety and security: ChatGPT can provide information on safety and security, such as emergency contacts, and can help older adults to stay informed about potential hazards and how to stay safe.

Here’s a article from an Aging and Health Tech expert on the same subject:

Asking Bing and ChatGPT about AI-enabled technologies to help older adults | Aging and Health Technology Watch
Technology trackers, don’t quit your day job yet. But forward motion is detectable. Asked: “What AI technologies are available today to help older adults?” Learning about the interpretation of the question and the selection of responses is interesting. The result of good PR from the companies named…

Prompt Writing

This article was published just a week after ChatGPT was released. It contains some good information and guidance, but there are a lot of pop-ups.

ChatGPT: How to write the perfect prompts – neuroflash
How to write the perfect prompts for ChatGPT. | This way you can achieve the best results and avoid mistakes.
Most Popular ChatGPT Prompts And How To Improve Them – Forbes
This post will help you improve your basic ChatGPT prompts in ways that only a human mind can do (for now).

This is a large collection from a source on LinkedIn. Most are business-oriented, but some are for more general use.

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This nest one is on GitHub, a major site for software developers (acquired by Microsoft in 2018). So it is quite techy.

GitHub – f/awesome-chatgpt-prompts: This repo includes ChatGPT prompt curation to use ChatGPT better.
This repo includes ChatGPT prompt curation to use ChatGPT better. – GitHub – f/awesome-chatgpt-prompts: This repo includes ChatGPT prompt curation to use ChatGPT better.

How To – Techy Stuff

How to Get Started

This is a very popular “ChatGPT Tutorial – A Crash Course on Chat GPT for Beginners.” It is 34 minutes long. The getting started part takes about 10 minutes (I suggest you stop at 10:47 or earlier). Also, note that the left side panel of the ChatGPT interface does not match the current version. If you go past 10:47, he will use a Reset Thread function which no longer exists. You can now delete the thread and start a new one. Also past 10:47 he shows how ChatGPT generates programming code, but after that is more worthwhile information.

How It Works

A 33 minute video by a techy guy for non-techy people

The next article has another take by the semi-famous Stephen Wolfram.

What Is ChatGPT Doing … and Why Does It Work?
Stephen Wolfram explores the broader picture of what’s going on inside ChatGPT and why it produces meaningful text. Discusses models, training neural nets, embeddings, tokens, transformers, language syntax.

Integrations

Chrome Extensions

ChatGPT for Google
Display ChatGPT response alongside search engine results
ChatGPT Suite – Summarize everything!
Quickly summarizes any webpage or Youtube video with AI-powered ChatGPT technology. Get the summary & key takeaways of any article!

Alexa

Here’s one example. There are others, and for other voice assistants too.

https://zapier.com/apps/amazon-alexa/integrations/openai

Apps

Apps are beginning to integrate with it. Just search for ChatGPT or OpenAI in your App Store.

Websites

WordPress is by far the leading platform on which the world’s websites are built, including this one. One reason is the huge trove of “plugins”, that add to, or improve upon, the platform’s capabilities. There are already many such plugins to add ChatGPT to a website as you can see in this listing:

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Learning

YouTube

There are a large, and rapidly growing, number of videos, on many different subtopics, in addition to the ones about learning various aspects of employing ChatGPT. For example, as I write this, there are nine just on using it with Microsoft Excel.

Some Free “Courses” on Udemy

ChatGPT + Unusual Time Mgmt. Tips Course (2 courses in 1)!
ChatGPT To Dramatically Improve Productivity + Unusual Time Mgmt. Tips. ChatGPT Work, ChatGPT Automation, ChatGPT 2023!
ChatGPT + Blogging (A.I website tutorial for beginners)
Complete guide to starting a Website and creating content with ChatGPT
ChatGPT Bootcamp: From Beginner to Pro
Become a ChatGPT Pro with This Comprehensive Course for Beginners

Prompt Writing for Programmers

How do I create a good prompt?
Getting Started with the OpenAI API: How to Create a Successful GPT-3 / Codex prompt
Best practices for prompt engineering with OpenAI API
How to give clear and effective instructions to GPT-3 and Codex