ChatGPT Chat with AI or Artificial Intelligence technology. Woman using computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence asks for the answers wants. knowledge on the internet, e-learning, Photo: 123RF
First person - ChatGPT. A few months ago most of us had never heard of it, now you hear about it everywhere you go.
Eager to get on board the train before it left the station, I decided I needed to investigate what this novel AI (Artificial Intelligence) could do and just how much it could be incorporated into my daily life.
When you ask ChatGPT how it can be used in daily life it answered with the following:
A screenshot of Krystal's exchange with ChatGPT. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
Its upbeat tone was amusing. But it was time to put its claims to the test.
Can AI organize my life?
I am a list person. I have so many things going on daily that a good list is sometimes the only way I keep myself on track.
One of the first things I had the AI do was create me a schedule to help me fit everything into my day. After giving it a to-do list here is what it suggested I do:
A screenshot of Krystal's exchange with ChatGPT. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
There were a few interesting choices, like it telling me I should have a shower part way through the afternoon, but overall, it was a pretty good list.
Upon further questioning, ChatGPT was also able to give me a curated exercise routine, meal suggestions, prepare a shopping list, and give me book recommendations (some of which I'd even read and agreed were good recommendations).
However, due to the knowledge cutoff of September 2021, it wasn't able to give me product or movie listings.
Will AI take my job?
As a journalist, I scoffed when I saw a post recently stating News Reporter was one of the 20 jobs AI thought it could replace.
16. Asking GPT-4 for 20 jobs that it will replace: https://t.co/m00x5BOSbQ
— Rowan Cheung (@rowancheung) March 28, 2023
Putting to one side that our jobs involve a fair bit more than writing and fact checking, I decided to put its claims to the test.
I started by seeing how the AI would write articles.
The first article it produced wasn't great, but what was fascinating was how with additional prompts the AI learnt and improved.
It quickly became clear that how you instructed the AI was crucial to its output.
Where it shone was in summarising information and processing information quickly.
A screenshot of Krystal's exchange with ChatGPT. Photo: RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens
But in many cases it didn't have the comprehension or editorial skills of a human and information was sometimes inaccurately interpreted.
Editing was probably my favourite function to test. It was like putting my work through a thesaurus; which was handy when the specific word I was looking for eluded me.
However, due to the lack of comprehension, it also didn't notice errors, and its fact-checking was limited. While it could pick up obvious mistakes like telling it the Eiffel Tower was London, more local or industry-based knowledge didn't register.
AI isn't going to take away our jobs, but someone using it just might
The software is without a doubt revolutionary, but while it might be able to pick up tasks, it cannot replace a whole job and it still requires human guidance.
That said AI could certainly change our job descriptions.
ChatGPT can write and code for example, it is possible that in time our jobs could in part involve giving the AI raw information, then checking over the final product it produces in a fraction of the time it would take to produce it ourselves.
That could have huge ramifications for productivity and the workforce.
But I don't think we're there just yet.
Would I go back to my AI-free life?
Easily. Everything I did on the AI I could have achieved by using my own brain and searching Google.
But it raises the question of how we might be able to use AI to save time, and time is something I think most of us would like a little more of.
This article was written by the human Krystal Gibbens and edited by the AI ChatGPT.
