What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT – a chatbot created by OpenAI – launched on November 30, 2022, and it’s since captivated the masses. The tool garnered a significant amount of attention almost immediately, and it’s been making headlines ever since. But what exactly is ChatGPT? What can ChatGPT do, and how exactly does it work? If you’re asking questions like these, here’s what you need to know.
What Does ChatGPT Do?
ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that takes user inputs and assesses that information to generate responses. Essentially, ChatGPT has a two-way dialog with people, responding to questions and prompts as if the user and ChatGPT were having a conversation.
Precisely how ChatGPT responds depends on the input it’s given. People use ChatGPT in a variety of ways. Some have asked ChatGPT to fix problems with software code, and others have had the chatbot create poems. In some cases, users are harnessing ChatGPT as a functional replacement for Google searches. It allows them to get answers to questions without having to dig through lengthy search results lists.
Still, that just scratches the surface of what’s possible with ChatGPT.
How Does It Work?
ChatGPT relies on GPT-3.5 language technology, which was developed by OpenAI. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it processes written input from users and creates responses that mimic the way a person would reply.
Mountains of data trained ChatGPT, allowing it to effectively learn how humans respond to various conversational prompts or questions. OpenAI collected large quantities of information from the internet and used that to functionally teach ChatGPT how to reply when given different prompts by users.
OpenAI also uses Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), a process that involves human AI trainers. Comparison data was also part of the process, as well as trainer scoring to teach the model which responses were better than others.
While ChatGPT isn’t perfect every time, it’s continuously learning how to improve its responses to user input. As a result, its capabilities will likely grow as every interaction creates more data that ChatGPT can use to refine its approach.
Pros and Cons of ChatGPT
Like any technology, ChatGPT comes with its fair share of pros and cons. One benefit is that ChatGPT is a potential replacement for more traditional search engines. It can provide answers to questions or summaries of information without the need to sort through long lists of search results. Plus, search results aren’t always overly relevant when specific questions are asked since they’re primarily keyword-based, so using ChatGPT could eliminate some frustration.
Many also consider ChatGPT a fun tool. It will respond to nearly any question or request, so there’s plenty of room for creativity.
On the negative side, ChatGPT isn’t always accurate, so relying on it as a sole source of information can be risky. Sometimes, responses are a bit nonsensical, which is potentially frustrating.
Additionally, many are concerned about how tools like ChatGPT may allow people to create papers for school projects or similar tasks without actually writing them. While the concern primarily focuses on the education industry, it could lead to problems in any field where writing is a major component.
