4/27/23 By: Blake Wilson

Technology breakthroughs are inevitable and occurring infinitely more often in modern times. 

However, equally inevitable are the skeptics that cast technology in a negative --or even rapacious-- light. The iPhone, for example, when released in 2007 sparked a tremendous shift in everyday life. The compactness of the three-in-one device made information and socialization accessible with a single, pocket-sized unit. That’s revolutionary.

This revolution provoked a surge of naysayers, who proclaimed it as redundant.  Among these people was former Palm CEO Jon Rubenstein in 2007 who said, “Is there a toaster that also knows how to brew coffee? There is no such combined device, because it would not make anything better than an individual toaster or coffee machine. It works the same way with the iPod, the digital camera, or mobile phone: It is important to have specialized devices.” Regardless of the prospect of technology, there will be those who renounce or doubt it. But are the doubters right about the recent emergence of Chat-GPT? Here’s 3 reasons why they may and may not be.

While detailing the implications of Chat-GPT is an extensive task, some broader explanations can paint the picture.

Time-saving

You’re scrolling through an article, your head is hurting from all the information, the webpage seems to be endless. You reach the bottom, capping off your exploration of the page with zero results. Chat-GPT can scan the same page and retract data you need in seconds. This technology removes the dull aspect of research– instead providing concise, quick results. According to Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, "Language models can automate routine tasks and simple requests, allowing humans to focus on more complex and valuable tasks that require human intervention." AI can do the ‘dirty work’(the more dreaded tasks)  and allow humans to adhere to the creative and constructive aspects of work.

2. Education

AI is the future of education, with prospective methods of engagement and revolutionary ways to inform. Among these specialties, "Chatbots and conversational agents can be used as educational tools to help individuals learn new languages, improve writing skills, and gain knowledge about various topics." (Appel et al., Computers in Human Behavior, 2021). Mass-application of this tech is unforeseeably beneficial to our youth.

3. Communication

Chat-GPT can blend cultural separations and abolish the language barrier. It trumps google translate in both speed and accuracy. It can detect, translate, and explain languages in a fraction of the time that other translators require. This notion is supported by Sebastian Ruder, a research scientist employed by Google, who said “AI language models can serve as a universal communicator by helping individuals to communicate with others who speak different languages or dialects, thereby improving communication efficiency and facilitating intercultural exchange." AI can transcend our everyday interactions and establish a door through the language barrier. 

The promise of AI is undeniably appealing– attractive, even. But the negative consequences are imperative in determining where and how to use the technology. 

Dependence

One of the most prominent fears is becoming overly reliant on ChatGPT– the notion that one may overuse and then become incapable of doing a task themselves. While most users may not reach this state, their capability will lessen with time.

2. Job displacement

AI can perform the same repetitive task as a human at a fraction of the cost. Many jobs are threatened by the prospect, and with some fine-tuning AI will be ready to replace the human. Carl Benedikt Frey, a published economist, acknowledged the susceptibility of job displacement and said, "Language models and other forms of AI have the potential to replace human workers, leading to unemployment and economic instability." (Frey and Osborne, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2017)

3. Misinformation

Polluting social media, distorting the truth, misinformation is already an epidemic in modernity. Whether used as a weapon to inspire hate or a spreading of animosity, it is hard to contain and detrimental. AI can be programmed by foreign influences to spread malcontent, "Language models can perpetuate and amplify biases that are present in the training data, leading to discriminatory or harmful responses." (Bender et al., Proceedings of the 2021 Conference of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics: Human Language Technologies, 2021) Misuse of AI will stoke the blaze that is misinformation in the online world.

So, is it worth it? Well, the future of AI is going to be thoroughly explored. Will it lead us to an apocalyptic pop-culture future, such as The Terminator. Probably not. But understanding the risks is key in preventing them.

We’ll have to see what the future holds.

Keywords: ChatGPT, Effects, Chatbot, AI language, AI