I think we have all heard of ChatGPT by now. It is in the news and our social media feeds, but that doesn’t mean that any of us know what it really is. People scream out that it is AI and it’s taking over the world, but is that accurate? Probably not – technology isn’t nearly there yet. But, as we progress into the future, it is essential to understand the new tools being invented and stay up to date on the progress being made around us. As a digital marketing agency, it’s sort of our job to know what’s happening, and now it’s our turn to teach you.
So, let’s talk about it.
Understanding ChatGPT
ChatGPT was created and launched by the AI research company, OpenAI in November 2022. It was founded by many well-known names, such as Elon Musk, and backed by investors like Microsoft. ChatGPT aimed to create an AI chatbot that uses human-like conversation and language. The language model can respond to questions and compose multiple types of content.
Users are to enter a prompt, and then ChatGPT, a form of generative AI, sends out human-like responses, images, or videos. To compare it to something already existing, it is very similar to the chatbots seen on various websites where customers can ask questions and get answers in return. ChatGPT, however, was designed to produce better and more human-like answers. The GPT part of its name stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, referencing how it is trained to respond– through reinforcement of human feedback.
So… How Does it Work?
Utilizing the GPT in its name, this AI uses specialized algorithms to find patterns in data sequences in order to create better responses each time. The transformer within it uses deep learning, a subset of machine learning, to produce human-like text. This transformer also helps it predict words based on typical responses.
There are human trainers behind ChatGPT that provide conversations and rank them, helping the program understand what is good and bad regarding responses. Users can then upvote and downvote responses, as well, in order to keep training ChatGPT to get better at responding to certain things and help fine-tune the dialogue.
How Are People Using It?
ChatGPT simply needs a question to answer, so it can be used for many things.
For example:
- Coding computer programs
- Solving math problems
- Composing music
- Creating crochet/knitting patterns
- Assisting with job hunting
- Writing articles
- Scripting social media posts
- Summarizing podcasts
It’s No Human, Though
It might seem like this program can do anything, but while it might seem like that on paper, it is not there in execution. ChatGPT is not human, and the things that allow us to love reading books or articles, playing games, or posting on social media are there because of the humans behind their creation.
ChatGPT still doesn’t understand the complexity of human language, falling into grammatical issues and shallow responses while also not understanding sarcasm or irony. This means that responses still sound mechanical and robotic, lacking the charm a human could sprinkle into them. ChatGPT also only summarizes and does not cite sources, meaning it can’t provide analysis or insight into any statistics. This AI has a long way to go before it can start speaking like us, but where it is now, it can be an extremely helpful tool to those who need it.
The digital age is only getting more, well, digital. If you have questions or want to see the benefits of humans being behind your digital marketing, contact the team at Lillian James Creative.