Let’s talk about Chat
The world changed while I was not looking. In a flash, artificial intelligence (AI) was melded to real life. Of course, there was warning, but I was among the majority that did not read the signs.
AI is rewriting how we approach everything, from gene sequencing to designing crochet patterns. But at this point, the most profound manifestation for many of us is Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, or Chat GPT, developed by the research lab, OpenAI.
ChatGPT is a “chatbot” (a ’bot you chat with), a language processing tool, that was released just the other day – in November 2022, to be precise. People I know have variously responded with panic (AI is going to take our jobs, control our minds and kill our mothers) and excitement (AI is going to make our lives and jobs better).
It changed some more
Then the world changed some more while I was trying to start to get my head around this new reality and write this piece.
Bard, Google’s chatbot, edged ahead. ChatGPT processes known information before 2021 only, but Bard uses up-to-date data. Wait a minute! That was yesterday. Today, ChatGPT is connected to data after 2021.
And the day before yesterday (or thereabouts), Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, told a US Senate hearing: “There will be an impact on jobs … But I’m very optimistic about how great the jobs of the future will be.”
He also said: “I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.” He cautioned that “regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful models”.
Alrighty then.
Mini-revolutions?
For a fleeting second, I felt I’d been here before – I lived through a radical (back then, it was radical) series of what felt like mini-revolutions on newspapers. When I started working on a daily newspaper in the 1980s, computers had not even entered the building.
We would design pages on paper, with our em rules like our third hands. As sub-editors, we’d count characters to write a headline to fit set spaces and scale pictures to crop them to exact dimensions. If necessary, we’d cut pieces of text (yes, with scissors) and paste them back together into a story – this is where the term, “cut and paste”, comes from.
As reporters, we’d spend ages in the newspaper library searching through files of clippings (the Librarian was always spelt with a capital L) to research a story. Now, of course, we use a search engine to find all kinds of information in seconds (Bing and ChatGPT have made that even faster).
With computerisation, we could write headlines on screen and easily move things around to edit stories or cut them to the required length. We’d still design and crop on paper and dash to the Works department to cut copy “on the stone” if we’d got it wrong.
Fear of the unknown
The biggest leap was being able to lay out and design entire pages, entire newspapers, on screen. It brought in huge efficiencies and saved masses of time. I was part of a small team (someone call us the “Swat” team) to train and help ease people on several newspapers through this leap – there was fear of this new unknown.
Jobs were lost at every step. The Works department eventually disappeared completely; there were efforts to retrain people and, in time, new jobs and skill sets emerged.
I’ve realized that these were not mini-revolutions at all. They were just steps leading up to full pagination. And the whole thing took more than a decade to unroll.
The rise and evolution of AI, in contrast, is happening as fast as lightning, at least. An industry is rapidly forming around it: wherever you look, someone has a newsletter or tools to offer. Experts don’t come for free.
Embrace it
Ignoring it or panicking won’t help. I think we have to embrace it and use it as a tool. In my line of work – writing and editing – I can see that it could remove a lot of the donkey work, the almost rote checking for grammar and punctuation, for example. That will free me and others in my field to focus more on creativity and originality.
AI could summarise long waffles of text to the main points. That will save me heaps of time that I can channel to crafting an original piece that has heart and hopefully people will want to read. AI gathers (at super speed) what is already out there – impressive, but nothing original.
Facts matter
I’m learning how to use the chatbots, and I even got AI to generate most of the pics for this post. But I will definitely always check accuracy. There are many instances where ChatGPT has been downright wrong. This article talks about how the bot actually made up a study; it describes the bot as trite and superficial in, for example, generating resumes and job descriptions. Both Bard and ChatGPT warn that their results may not always be accurate.
Accuracy is one concern. Another, I think, is that AI could dumb us down and feed out laziness. Why do we need to think? But that, truly, is a choice we will each make.
I wonder, too, if AI could become yet another tool for people in rich countries to make their lives better. ChatGPT is free now as it’s in a research stage. The paid-for version costs US$20 a month – close to R390 at today’s rate in South Africa. That’s several days’ earnings for many people. Bard is free (so far).
AI-free
I wrote this far without the help of ChatGPT or Bard. Then I asked each of them this question: I am a writer and editor. How can I use AI to enhance my work?
If you are interested, these are the answers to my question (unedited). I especially liked ChatGPT’s caution to “maintain a human touch” and “always review and refine the output to ensure the highest quality and maintain your unique style”.
Bard’s answer
There are many ways that AI can be used to enhance the work of writers and editors. Here are a few examples:
- Grammar and spelling checking: AI-powered grammar and spelling checkers can help writers and editors identify and correct errors in their work. This can save a lot of time and effort, and it can also help to ensure that the writing is error-free.
- Style and tone checking: AI can also be used to check the style and tone of writing. This can help writers and editors to ensure that their writing is consistent and that it communicates the intended message effectively.
- Idea generation: AI can also be used to generate ideas for writing. This can be helpful for writers who are stuck or who are looking for new ways to approach a topic.
- Content optimization: AI can also be used to optimize content for search engines. This can help to ensure that writing is visible to potential readers and that it ranks well in search results.
- Content creation: AI can also be used to create content. This can be helpful for writers who need to produce a lot of content quickly, or for writers who want to experiment with new writing styles.
- Overall, AI can be a valuable tool for writers and editors. It can help to improve the quality of writing, save time and effort, and generate new ideas.
Then it suggested using specific writing tools.
ChatGPT’s answer
As a writer and editor, there are several ways you can use AI to enhance your work. AI technologies can assist you in various stages of the writing and editing process, from generating ideas and improving your writing style to enhancing your productivity and efficiency. Here are some specific ways you can leverage AI:
- Writing Assistance: AI can help you generate ideas, overcome writer’s block, and improve your writing style. You can use AI-powered writing assistants, such as Grammarly or ProWritingAid, to receive real-time suggestions for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style improvements. These tools can also help you enhance readability, eliminate repetitive words or phrases, and offer vocabulary suggestions.
- Content Generation: AI can assist you in generating content for specific topics or formats. For example, you can use AI-powered tools like Article Forge or Articoolo to automatically generate articles based on keywords or prompts. While these tools can provide a starting point, it’s important to review and edit the content to ensure accuracy and coherence.
- Language Translation: If you work with multilingual content, AI translation tools can be invaluable. Services like Google Translate or DeepL can help you quickly translate text from one language to another. However, be cautious with complex or nuanced translations, as AI may not capture the full context and subtleties of the original text.
- Editing and Proofreading: AI-powered editing tools can help streamline the editing process by automatically detecting errors, inconsistencies, and stylistic issues. Additionally, you can use text analysis tools like Hemingway Editor to assess the readability and clarity of your writing, highlighting areas that may need improvement.
- Plagiarism Checking: To ensure the originality of your work, AI-based plagiarism checkers like Turnitin or Copyscape can help you identify any potential instances of content duplication or improper citation. These tools compare your writing against a vast database of sources to highlight similarities.
- Research and Fact-Checking: AI can aid in gathering information and fact-checking. Tools like Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, or JSTOR can assist you in finding relevant academic papers and research. Additionally, fact-checking platforms like Factmata or Full Fact employ AI to verify the accuracy of claims and statements.
- Productivity Tools: AI-powered productivity tools can help you organize your writing process and streamline your workflow. Project management tools like Trello or Asana can help you manage deadlines, track progress, and collaborate with other team members. Virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa can also help with tasks like setting reminders, scheduling, or finding information.
Remember, while AI can be a powerful tool, it’s crucial to maintain a human touch in your writing and editing process. Use AI as an aid rather than relying solely on its suggestions. Always review and refine the output to ensure the highest quality and maintain your unique style.
