When did I become the skeptic about technological change? With the rise of ChatGPT and AI technology this past year, I feel I have completed the turn into the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey. I need to understand how to use ChatGPT.
I don’t want to be old ahead of my time.
Who wants to be afraid of something they don’t understand. In the case of technology, ignorance is not bliss. News commentators, bloggers, helpful influencers—you name it— people are talking the good and bad of technology. Hackers, virus’s, spamming, online bulling, and identify theft, make for good headlines. Apart from not using any technology, it’s not safe to remain ignorant.
So, 2024 is the year to understand how to use ChatGPT.
Each month I’ll use ChatGPT to help me with something. Explore, with me, how to use ChatGPT as a tool, not as a replacement for education and/or actually doing work. Let’s find a use for AI technology; one driven by possibilities rather than fear of understanding.
To start, let’s look at
ChatGPT versus a digital assistant.
I have more of an understanding of a digital or virtual assistant. Let’s see what ChatGPT has to say on the subject. Here is what I typed into ChatGPT.
How is ChatGPT different than asking Alexa a question?
“ ChatGPT and Alexa serve different purposes and operate in distinct ways:
- Purpose:
- ChatGPT: It’s a language model designed for natural language understanding and generation. It’s capable of engaging in conversations, answering questions, and generating text based on the input it receives.
- Alexa: Primarily a virtual assistant developed by Amazon, Alexa is designed to perform various tasks through voice commands. It can control smart home devices, provide weather updates, set alarms, and more.
- Interaction:
- ChatGPT: Engages in text-based conversations and responds to queries through written communication.
- Alexa: Primarily operates through voice commands and responds verbally.
- Capabilities:
- ChatGPT: Has a wide range of capabilities, including answering questions, providing information, generating creative content, and more. It relies on text input and output.
- Alexa: Focuses on tasks such as controlling smart home devices, playing music, setting reminders, and accessing information from the web. Its capabilities are more task-oriented, and it interacts through voice.
- Learning and Adaptability:
- ChatGPT: Learns from a diverse range of internet text and adapts to various conversational contexts. It doesn’t have memory of past interactions within a session.
- Alexa: Can store certain user preferences and data for personalization, offering a more personalized experience over time.
In summary, ChatGPT is a text-based conversational AI model, while Alexa is a voice-activated virtual assistant with a focus on performing tasks and controlling devices. They cater to different preferences and use cases.”
-ChatGPT
Ha, this is all semantics. My kids certainly think they are having a conversation with Alexa, when they ask her to what the weather is, to spell something, or to tell them a joke. The rest of ChatGPT’s response is top level information
Question and answer or command and respond is the key to both AI & VA technologies.
Both work, whether oral or written, by asking questions or stating a command. Let’s use “Tell me a joke.” The difference is that the smart speaker/digital assistant in this case Alexa repeats a joke it found on the internet. ChatGPT in theory should create a joke. The joke I got, wasn’t a new one. Chat GPT wrote: “Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! To be more specific I asked ChatGPT to write a new joke. Chat GPT replied: “Why did the scarecrow win an award?” Because he was outstanding in his field!” That one I had never heard before. Google search prediction could finish the scarecrow question; it’s not a new joke.
My specific question, wasn’t specific enough. Think about what “new” means. I implied that a joke be created. But, if I have a new outfit, it doesn’t necessarily mean I made the clothes too. A new joke, may be one recently created. Implications won’t get the desired results with either ChatGPT or a Virtual Assistant device.
In learning to understand ChatGPT at its fullest, for myself (and as a parent and educator) understanding implication is a great teaching moment.
How do you use language to communicate effectively? This is a skill that bridges both human and digital conversations. How many times do I get frustrated with my kids for not extrapolating on my instructions? Think about the “okay, your turn to do the dishes after dinner” scenario. In our house, that is code for clean the kitchen. Time and time again, pots and pans, water bottles, wiping off the table, etc. are missed with the excuse “you just asked me to do the dishes.” How can I argue with the literal?
So join me for a year learning how to use ChatGPT with grace and wit.