How is ChatGPT bringing the change: Will it be a boon or a bane?

Ever since its release in November 2022. ChatGPT has had an apprehensive welcome. For some, it meant easy access to the quick written word. For some, it felt like an intellectual theft. Because it is not just writing for you but coding too! So the question is, what exactly is it doing? How is ChatGPT bringing a change? And for whom?

In addition, Mckinsey’s reports claim that out of 2000, 800 occupations have categories of work that can be completed using AI and automation. But there is a silver lining, too, to this claim. They further state that only 5% of total occupations can be fully automated based on the current technological advancements. So what are these? Let’s understand ChatGPT a little better in the following sections.

• Defining ChatGPT
• The experts take
• In ChatGPT’s words
• Jobs aided by chatGPT
• Concerns with ChatGPT
  • Its impact on jobs
    • What you can do better
  • Its limitations

What actually is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT, or Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, was launched by  OpenAI in November 2022 as an Artificial Intelligence model that interacts in a conversational way. The model is trained using Reinforcement Learning From Human Feedback (RLHF), just like InstructGPT (their model for following received instructions and giving a detailed response) to answer the following:

• Followup questions,
• Reject inappropriate requests,
• Admit the mistakes, 
  And 
• Challenge the incorrect inputs.

That’s how OpenAI defines it. In simple terms, it is a chatbot trained over years of available data to interact with its users in a highly realistic way. And thanks to this practical support, now generating elaborate writing pieces is:

• Cheaper
• Quicker
• Detailed

But how much of it is authentic? The version we are all currently using is in its testing phase. Open to humans to get responses better and shape itself.

However, the tool has data set available till 2021. So anything you ask will be dated back to two years ago.

ChatGPT is a form of generative AI that comes after DALL-E, a type of AI graphic generator. That was generating illustrations based on inputs. ChatGPT is modeled in a similar fashion.

The generative tool gives all the answers in real-time. So the moment you feed in your query, the responses come in front of you in seconds. Since it uses NLP (Natural language processing), the interaction with this chatbot seems real, like a human. In fact, Harvard Business Review terms this innovation as a tipping point in AI!

So is it that good? Will it completely change the way we work? Will it act as our substitute? Is that how ChatGPT bringing the change? Let’s get in deeper. 

What are the experts saying about ChatGPT?

So by now, we know that it is an efficiently trained chatbot. Before us, and even when you are reading this, experts are testing the tool and drawing their conclusions.

One of the most valuable insights I came across during my research was by American Linguist Mr. Noam Chomsky. Who says,

“ChatGPT is basically high-tech plagiarism and a way to avoid learning.” And according to him, children are quickly adapting. Which is prone to lead to a massive failure of the education system. Because, of course, professors use tons of tools for the plagiarised check. But generative AI’s progress is going to give them a tough time.

This response comes to light because we now know what it does. It mixes and matches from varied sources to make the piece look ‘unique.’ The linguist got the point there.

However, around 2013, Oxford university economist Dr. Carl Benedikt Frey spooked Americans with his co-authored paper titled “The future of Employment.” He predicted in his research that “47% of US jobs will be fully automated in the next decade or so.”  That is by now. But it is still far-fetched.

The study has had its critics too. But the economist who also served fortune 500 companies predicts that AI will disrupt many industries. And recently, he maintained that it might be good for us in the long run.

In addition, to its seeming brilliance, CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, says,
“The AI chatbot is incredibly limited, but good enough in some things to create a misleading impression of greatness. It is a mistake to be relying on it for anything important right now. It’s a preview of progress. We have lots of work to do on robustness and truthfulness.”

What chatGPT has to say about this?

To understand the system better, I asked the generative AI tool a certain set of questions. And know how it functions. Here’s an overview of the same. 

So this ChatGPT, among large language models does claim itself as the game changer. But admits to having the human brain for assistance. And it is not error-free.

Which jobs will be aided by ChatGPT?

From the previous section, we captured the essence of the jobs that can get aided by ChatGPT. Let’s see what it all is and how.

Majorly, what it aims at is to automate the often repetitive tasks that can be easily automated. So the jobs that it is eyeing for assisting include:

Human Resource

The HR processes like:

• Drafting HR policies
• Writing job descriptions
• Analyzing databases
• Conducting surveys

It could all be done using the tool, where the HRs can utilize their time better in candidate screening, evaluation, strategic planning, and other high-value activities.

Search Engine Optimization professionals

Since generative AI helps professionals with the needed data. It reduces their burden of:

• Generating data
• Manually evaluating them
• Analyzing them

They can now use these reports, evaluate for errors and then draft their strategy as AI-generated content is flagged by Google to be against its guidelines. This will give them an edge to deliver better results.

Programmers

This tool has been found to create coding tests and write off simple codes that can be easily deployed. But it cannot write complex codes. So the tech masters can use the tool to perform small and time-consuming repetitive tasks. From which they can switch to writing better and less faulty codes. As they can evaluate how is ChatGPT bringing the change. Plus, focus more time on writing the tedious ones.

Copywriters/ Content writers/ Journalists

Now the generative tool has been seen as a probable and solid rival for the writing teams. But here again, the tool looks apt in generating creative copies, captions, ad copies, and feature or journalistic writings.

It cannot do without supervision. And it has admitted that in our previous section. As previously mentioned, its data bank is dated. The copies can get repetitive and monotonous. So on the brighter side, this tool can finish off the small content pieces, for which you can objectively judge and better the material.
It can be a good aid for:

• Writing video descriptions/ synopsis 
• Product descriptions
• Shorter and monotonous ad copies 

Besides, this allows you to hybridize your work and make the best of your brain+ technology.

Customer service agents 

Gartner’s study predicts that chatbots will form the effective customer service channel for roughly 25% of companies by 2027. 
But we still wait to connect with an executive to comprehend our problems and help us better. With tools like ChatGPT bringing the change, the responses can be fine-tuned. The redundant responses with chatbot interactions can be made better so that the executives get high-end queries and more time to resolve complex problems.

Apart from the mentioned, this can be used by sales professionals for marketing automation activities, lawyers for summarising case jists, and tons of professionals who need a hand to cramp large piles of the written word.

What are the major issues with ChatGPTs usage?

How is it impacting our jobs?

In the previous sections, we have seen how the tool’s automation is making the industry heads turn and how is it bringing the change. But job displacement is not happening anytime soon. Moreover, if experts are to be believed, the tool can impart an edge to the task. It can help your competitor get better. Besides, World Economic Forum claims that some jobs may become redundant but not people. With AI, new possibilities are bound to come. Just like a new set of jobs emerged with the coming of computers.

What can you do better?

The concern is natural. But you got an edge over the machine in terms of:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Critical thinking
• Empathy
• Novel creativity
• Ability to push through Google’s spam policies 
• In-depth/ Human understanding 

So honing your soft skills and riding over the AI is what will be the new face. The tool may be able to write off a piece of information quickly. But its legitimacy and audience resonation lie with the brain that created it.

What are the limitations of ChatGPT?

So far, we have touched upon the tool’s practical usage, possible impact, and a brief face-off with its limitations. 

Here’s looking at them:
1. Just like it can write the software code for you, it can easily used to write and run malware too. 

2. Backdated data available, which results in content gaps. Say it is only fed with data up till 2021.

3. It cannot comprehend ambiguous queries and fail to counter-ask for clarity.

4. Frequently, it just twists a few words around and gives a similar output for varied queries.

5. It ends up overusing phrases. Thanks to overoptimization and trainer bias. 

6. It is susceptible to phrase tweaks. That is, at one point, it may give you an incorrect response, but once rephrased, you can have a proper answer.

7. At times, the responses are nonsensical, and that’s not something I am saying. OpenAI claims it. Because fixing it is a challenge.

8. The mix-and-match it does, like Chomsky pointed can result in Google marking it as a spam piece. 

In conclusion

Our discussion on the tool comes to a tentative halt for now. From covering the expert take to helping you with its possibilities and limitations. ChatGPT and many generative tools will likely transform the work landscape. It is on us end users to test and run it for compatibility.

This generative AI tool, will be an extended arm of support. So rather than taking steps back. It’s time we uplift and upscale. Be the edge the tech needs and see ChatGPT bringing the change. Because human interference will always be a requirement to run AI.  So a boon or a bane, the technology is on us and we have to decide. In addition, if got any queries or suggestions/ inputs on the subject, please feel free to connect and share with us! Till then, happy reading.