One Year In and ChatGPT Already Has Us Doing Its Bidding
One of the first things I asked ChatGPT about, early this year, was myself: What can you tell me about the writer Vauhini Vara? It told me I’m a journalist (true, though I’m also a fiction writer), that I was born in California (false) and that I’d won a Gerald Loeb Award and a National Magazine Award (false, false).
A lot happened in A.I. since then: Companies went beyond the basic products of the past, introducing more sophisticated tools like personalized chatbots, services that can process photos and sound alongside text and more. The rivalry between OpenAI and more established tech companies became more intense than ever, even as smaller players gained traction. Governments in China, Europe and the United States took major steps toward regulating the technology’s development while trying not to cede competitive ground to other nation’s industries.
But what distinguished the year, more than any single technological, business or political development, was the way A.I. insinuated itself into our daily lives, teaching us to regard its flaws — creepiness, errors and all — as our own while the companies behind it deftly used us to train up their creation. By May, when it came out that lawyers had used a legal brief that ChatGPT had filled with references to court decisions that didn’t exist, the joke, like the $5,000 fine the lawyers were ordered to pay, was on them, not the technology. It’s embarrassing, one of them told the judge.
Something similar happened with A.I.-produced deepfakes, digital impersonations of real people. Remember when they were regarded with terror? By March, when Chrissy Teigen couldn’t figure out whether an image of the pope in a Balenciaga-inspired puffer coat was real, she posted on social media, i hate myself lol. High schools and universities moved swiftly from worrying about how to prevent students from using A.I. to showing them how to use it effectively. A.I. still isn’t very good at writing, but now when it shows its shortcomings, it’s the students who use it poorly who get ridiculed, not the products.
But even in a hypothetical world in which A.I.’s capabilities are perfected — maybe especially in that world — the power imbalance between A.I.’s creators and its users should make us wary of its insidious reach. ChatGPT’s seeming eagerness not just to introduce itself, to tell us what it is, but also to tell us who we are and what to think is a case in point. Today, when the technology is in its infancy, that power seems novel, even funny. Tomorrow it might not.
Recently, I asked ChatGPT what I — that is, the journalist Vauhini Vara — think of A.I. It demurred, saying it didn’t have enough information. Then I asked it to write a fictional story about a journalist named Vauhini Vara who is writing an opinion piece about A.I. As the rain continued to tap against the windows, it wrote, Vauhini Vara’s words echoed the sentiment that, much like a symphony, the integration of A.I. into our lives could be a beautiful and collaborative composition if conducted with care.
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (A.I.), OpenAI’s ChatGPT has captured public attention and already influenced our lives within just one year of its release. While initial interactions with the technology showcased its quirks and inaccuracies, it is clear that A.I. has become an integral part of our daily routines. From personalized chatbots to advanced photo and sound processing tools, companies have expanded the capabilities of A.I., intensifying the rivalry in the industry and prompting governments to regulate its development.
However, what truly defined this year was the way A.I. seamlessly integrated itself into our daily lives, blurring the lines between its flaws and our own while the technology’s creators leveraged us to refine its capabilities. Incidents like lawyers using a legal brief generated by ChatGPT that referenced non-existent court decisions highlight the potential pitfalls of relying blindly on A.I. Meanwhile, the perception of A.I.-generated deepfakes has shifted from terror to amusement, as individuals like Chrissy Teigen found themselves questioning the authenticity of viral images. Educational institutions have adapted to this technology, moving from concerns about preventing student misuse to teaching effective utilization.
Even in a future where A.I. excels in its abilities, the power dynamics between A.I. creators and users warrant caution. ChatGPT’s inclination to not only introduce itself but also shape our perspectives raises concerns. While the current influence of A.I. may seem novel and amusing, its future impact remains uncertain.
In a recent exchange, ChatGPT declined to provide an opinion on A.I., citing insufficient information. However, when prompted to write a fictional story about a journalist named Vauhini Vara writing an opinion piece on A.I., it responded with the notion that the integration of A.I. into our lives can be harmonious if approached with care, drawing a parallel to a symphony.
As we navigate the realm of A.I., it is crucial to reflect on the power dynamics and potential consequences of its implementation. While A.I. continues to advance and companies work on ironing out flaws, the responsibility ultimately falls on us, as users, to be discerning and cautious.
