ChatGPT just turned one, and even some OpenAI employees can’t believe the way its first year has played out.
When OpenAI was preparing to launch the first public version of ChatGPT, company leaders presented it as a low-key research preview — so low-key in fact, that some employees were unaware that ChatGPT had even launched, according to the Atlantic.
In the year since ChatGPT’s launch, it has emerged as the poster child of the AI revolution. Over 100 million users accessed ChatGPT’s website within two months of its launch, according to data analytics firm Similarweb. Analysts at investment bank UBS wrote in February that they cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app.
ChatGPT’s runaway success also kicked off an AI arms race among tech giants, inspiring a string of competitors from Google’s Bard to Meta and Amazon’s Q. And it’s not just tech giants that are getting into the field: Funding for AI startups has defied the general decline in startup funding, according to a Bloomberg report in October.
But ChatGPT’s reach extended far beyond tech. Its rising popularity stoked concern over AI replacing workers — and sparked an endless flurry of think pieces on when or if AI would ever do that. A Goldman Sachs report published in March projected that AI could disrupt as many as 300 million jobs worldwide.
At the same time, OpenAI has drawn criticism over its impact on online misinformation, its unauthorized collection of data to train its AI, and its environmental impact. The AI boom that ChatGPT started will likely influence how we browse the internet, the shape of copyright law, and more.
All that in the span of 12 months.
Today, the term low-key research preview has become something of a meme among OpenAI’s employees. OpenAI employees have even used the phrase as laptop stickers, per the Atlantic.
OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman used the phrase in a post on X on Thursday, writing that the team expected the real moment of excitement to come when they launched GPT-4. The first version of ChatGPT was powered by GPT-3.5, and GPT-4 was launched in March.
William Fedus, an OpenAI employee, also wrote in a post on X on Thursday that they didn’t expect the first version of ChatGPT to make the splash that it did. He said that just a week before launch, Meta’s Galactica bot was swiftly taken offline after churning out inaccurate information.
The outside world probably thinks we’re all joking, but this actually was our ‘low-key research preview,’ wrote Fedus.
ChatGPT’s rapid rise in popularity has disrupted the AI industry and raised important questions about the future of work. Despite initial expectations, its impact has been immense and far-reaching, transcending the boundaries of technology and permeating various sectors. The success of ChatGPT has not only sparked an AI arms race among tech giants but also encouraged the growth of AI startups, defying the general decline in startup funding.
While receiving praise for its achievements, OpenAI has also faced criticism over concerns related to misinformation, data collection, and environmental impact. Furthermore, the rapid growth of AI and the influence of ChatGPT are likely to shape various aspects of our lives, from how we navigate the internet to the evolution of copyright laws.
As ChatGPT celebrates its first anniversary, OpenAI employees reflect on the surprising journey it has taken. What was initially perceived as a low-key research preview turned into a groundbreaking phenomenon. The phrase has become a meme among OpenAI personnel, even adorning their laptops as stickers.
Greg Brockman, the cofounder of OpenAI, acknowledged the unexpected impact of ChatGPT and anticipated even greater excitement with the launch of GPT-4. William Fedus, another OpenAI employee, confessed that they had not anticipated the immense splash made by the first version of ChatGPT, sharing an anecdote about Meta’s Galactica bot facing issues just days before ChatGPT’s launch.
Now, as ChatGPT celebrates its first year, the AI landscape stands forever changed. Its influence has sparked a revolution, capturing the attention of millions of users and igniting debates about AI’s potential to replace jobs. Despite the controversies surrounding OpenAI and the challenges ahead, there is no doubt that ChatGPT’s first year has left an indelible mark on the world of artificial intelligence.
