ChatGPT: Everything You Need to Know About the AI Chatbot

ChatGPT: you’ve likely heard this word thrown around quite a bit over the last few months. Is it a robot? Is it…alive? How smart is it? Is it coming for my job? ChatGPT is the newest Internet obsession, and we’re here to share everything you need to know about the hottest AI chatbot on the tech scene—from what it is and how it works to its limitations and possible future uses.

What Exactly Is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) language processing tool created by OpenAI that allows you to have human-like conversations with a chatbot. Simply put, it’s a robot trained to interact in a conversational way. Ask it a question, and it will answer your question like a friend, colleague, roommate, family member, etc. would. And while it’s not alive, it is smart enough to answer questions and help you write emails, essays, grocery lists, and even code.

How Are People Using ChatGPT?

In addition to answering questions, ChatGPT can be used to write social media copy, songs, scripts, essays, tell jokes, generate lists, help with research, and so on—the options are (almost) limitless. Not sure what to get your 10-year-old niece for her birthday? Ask ChatGPT for creative gift ideas. Looking to buy a new bike? Tell ChatGPT what you’re looking for and it can help narrow down your search.

You can head over to chat.openai.com, create an account and give it a shot—perhaps ask it what you should make for dinner tonight to start. The bot can even create a shopping list for you based on the number of servings you’re cooking for.

How Does ChatGPT Work?

Based on a previous model (GPT-3), the pre-trained technology is able to sift through vast amounts of information from the Internet and continuously fine-tunes to better generate human-like responses—in multiple languages to boot. Through a model known as Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), human AI trainers provide the model with conversations while playing both sides—the human (user) and the AI assistant (ChatGPT).

The Limitations Of ChatGPT

While all highly impressive, ChatGPT does have its limitations. In addition to the lack of quality in some delivered responses, the chatbot cannot answer questions that are worded in a specific way. While it may be good at putting words together, the answers don’t always make sense. ChatGPT’s data is also limited to 2021.

The Future of ChatGPT

ChatGPT has the potential to be transformative in a number of industries—from data entry to code-writing to customer service. There are various areas in which it can help streamline daily processes, but does that mean it’s coming for your job? While it can provide efficiencies, it’s not designed to replace the human experience or creativity. Whether you’re all for, or still weary of artificial intelligence, its impact on the market depends on how it will be implemented—and how we, as a society, learn to adjust.