Adorable Assistant ? Phantom Menace*? Something else entirely?
*If we have to tell you what that references, please contact us immediately. You are either our kind of human, and deeply regret the prequels, or you are perhaps in need of some education on the matter.
“We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.” – OpenAI website
AI! Chat GPT!!!
Unless you have avoided all news media for the last seven months, you have heard something about these topics. Just like in high school, when everyone did whatever fad was in fashion, it’s everywhere because it’s the new thing!
If you haven’t yet investigated Chat GPT or have no idea what AI means: AI stands for artificial intelligence. Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence tool introduced by OpenAI late last year, with the intent of making research and writing tasks easier for us mere mortals.
Reactions were fast, visceral and mixed.
What a time saver!
It does my research for me!
Less thinking and work! Now I can watch more videos of robots cursing!
“It makes writing so much easier!”- They
It’s going to replace humans!
Students are using Chat GPT to write their papers! It’s an outrage!
There are some very real concerns about AI.
It’s probably not time to begin obsessing over a robot takeover of the world, though.
(I wonder how many times Terminator has been streamed since Nov. 30, 2022??)
My Experience
I tried it out, to write a job posting, using the free version.
It turns out that what you are writing is pretty important in deciding if AI will help or hinder the process.
Chat GPT got me started. After five, yes FIVE, iterations I stopped iterating and started editing, adding and fixing without the “help” of Chat GPT.
Did ChatGPT save me time? No – it takes time for iterations. Starting from scratch, I probably could have written it in about the same amount of time. What I was drafting wasn’t lengthy. I’m an average writer and I knew what I wanted the posting to say.
If you need a place to start and you have nothing, then Chat GPT, AI or a similar tool may be for you. If you already have a document you’ve written that’s similar, that may be a better place to begin your editing.
Conclusion: in this case, Chat GPT did not revolutionize the writing process for me. It’s possible I would have better results with a different type of finished product in mind, and I would try it again.
Chat GPT and AI are tools, but that’s it. Use them for what they are!
In the future, with further advancements in technology could my assessment change? Maybe. Everything changes, that’s the only constant.
In business, clients don’t just purchase your services, to some extent they purchase you. Writing can be an avenue for potential customers to see who you are and decide whether or not they want to establish a relationship with you. The finished product contains your time, your effort, and your creativity. Bring your whole self to your writing.
Chat GPT, AI or any of the other new tools cannot accurately represent you or your company. They are not a replacement for a human. What is the special thing that makes your company great? Emphasize that and watch your business grow.
