By Olivia Bowman

In an era where technology has revolutionized the way we communicate, there’s a silent but brilliant companion that’s changing the game – ChatGPT. Whether you’re seeking answers to burning questions, engaging in creative storytelling, or even sparking deep conversations, ChatGPT emerges not just as a tool, but as a trusted companion, offering a glimpse into a future where understanding is just a chat away.

Was the above introduction created by me, student journalist, Olivia Bowman, or ChatGPT? Answer: it was written by ChatGPT itself. Did that paragraph sound like a human wrote it? Could you tell that it was written by an AI? As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow, the technology behind it is expanding greatly, producing an innovation that can emulate our spoken and written language by using “more human” diction and syntax. Could ChatGPT be the future of our generation?

OpenAI logo. Image credit: Trusted Reviews.

ChatGPT, which stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” is a technology “developed as a counter-model to GAFAM with a non-profit organization, OpenAI.” It is one of the first models that can understand the human language and write like a human. While Siri, an Apple iPhone app created in 2011, can speak and bring you to websites, ChatGPT can search the internet, synthesize information, and produce an answer in a clear and concise paragraph. While the addition of the chat box is relatively new, the non-profit organization, Open AI has existed since 2015. Elon Musk, commonly associated with Tesla and X (formerly known as Twitter), was one of the founding members of Open AI. Together with Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, they founded the company OpenAI to focus on advancing artificial intelligence, which they believe would benefit humanity as a whole.

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman. Photo credit: Eric Lee/Bloomberg.

The use of ChatGPT could have both positive and negative impacts on an ever-changing world. On one hand, ChatGPT acts as an extra source of education that provides fast, necessary information. However, this tool may provide outdated information and cause an “information bubble,” limiting our perspectives. 

In November 2022, OpenAI released a demo of the “chat box,” and it immediately went viral on social media platforms, as people shared various ways they were using ChatGPT. ChatGPT can do many things the user asks, from trip planning to writing an email using the prompt given. However, it does have its limitations, including a lack of human-level common sense, and emotional intelligence. For example, ChatGPT can not always respond appropriately to emotional situations and lacks human-like emotion in texts. 

Currently, there are two versions of ChatGPT: version 3.5, which is free; and version 4.0, which is available for $20/month. In the 3.5 version, everyone can access the app by only having to create an account. It can write, summarize, and provide assistance to writers. Collegiate Upper School English teacher and Match advisor Vlastik Svab has used it, saying that, “Recently, I used ChatGPT to find book recommendations, as it gave a more direct response to what I was looking for, rather than advertisements, like a Google search does.” Unlike the 3.5 version, in the 4.0 version, ChatGPT can read images, even if a human is unable to translate difficult-to-read handwriting, and it can produce images and art.

Screenshot of the different plans ChatGPT offers.

A current trend on TikTok is that users are using the ChatGPT 4.0 version to create professional-looking headshots. Again, the positive aspect of this use is that all users have access to high-quality professional headshots; however, negatively, this tool may take the place of professional photographers. Additionally, users can take a picture of the contents of their fridge, and ChatGPT will read the ingredients and create a recipe using the ingredients they have on hand. It can also create a grocery list based on what is needed and not needed for the recipe, and which essential ingredients are not in the fridge. There will be advancements to both versions of ChatGPT, such as possibly producing videos and other media. 

ChatGPT is also able to provide many benefits to students and people seeking advice because it is widely accessible to the public. There have been many debates around school systems using ChatGPT and ways that it can still help students without leading to dishonorable acts, like cheating and plagiarizing. The use of ChatGPT in some schools and districts has even been banned, due to the fear of students cheating and concern that it does not “build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills,” according to Jenna Lyle, press secretary for the New York City Department of Education. Another fear from teachers is that “students are going to think and use this chatbot as if it is a know-all.” While ChatGPT can give students answers and write essays, some teachers have noted that the essays written by ChatGPT are plain and voiceless. For example, teachers have “mock-graded” essays written by ChatGPT; however, the essays only received a passing grade. Furthermore, a user on the social media site X applied the chatbox to take the SAT. The language tool scored a 1060, about the 50th percentile. While ChatGPT can answer questions and write essays, the essays are nothing special and lack personal insight and perspectives. 

A screenshot from ChatGPTs Chatbox.

Open AI stated to The Washington Post that its goal is to work with educators to find useful solutions that can benefit students. Svab says, “I had it create sample word problems for my son when I was helping him study for a math test in 7th Grade. It created the problem, he would solve it, and then we could look at the answer. It was very helpful.” Similarly, Upper School student Anne Randall Berkeyheiser (‘25) says, “I use ChatGPT because my math teacher said we could use it to make practice problems and get extra practice before tests and quizzes.” George Byford (‘25), agrees saying, “I use it now to make test questions to help me study for classes.” 

The Collegiate Upper School policy regarding the use of ChatGPT and AI tools, developed this past summer, states, “The use of ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence tools to complete class assignments and assessments is strictly prohibited unless specifically designated by the instructor.” Upper School history teacher Suzanne Lewis, who co-chaired the committee that wrote the policy with Upper School English teacher Dr. Will Dunlap, says, “There are benefits to using ChatGPT. There is lots of potential and will be a tremendous help to helping people study or as an online tutor. The concern, however, is the balance between having something help you and having something do the work for you. A challenge is making sure students use it as an aid to making them understand the material better, and not causing students to lack the ability to do critical thinking on their own.” 

Some departments and clubs in the Collegiate community are utilizing ChatGPT. For example, the College Counseling office recently sent a long email to Upper School Junior parents, but also included a “Cliffs Notes version of [the] massive junior parent newsletter created by ChatGPT.” The email included a page and a half of bullet points of the most important features of the newsletter, all created with the help of ChatGPT. Additionally, students are using ChatGPT to help with clubs such as Speech and Debate. Speech and Debate member James Galgano (‘25) says, “For Speech and Debate, we use ChatGPT to generate basic ideas for cases, especially for novice teams. Also, if we want to practice a certain concept, like a specific type of debate, we’ll use it to generate a paragraph to use.” 

ChatGPT also provides significant impacts, both positive and negative, across various industries, including customer service. For example, in an article published by the Washington Post regarding ChatGPT’s ability to do a better job at providing customer service than human employees, reporter Pranshu Verma writes that “chatbots can interact directly with customers and solve problems independently – no human necessary.” Thus, the need for human employees is not efficient, rather costly. Additionally, about 48% of companies using ChatGPT reported that it has replaced workers. This percentage is expected to rise as the technology continues to develop. 

While companies are using the app to write emails and help with writing proposals, some companies are strict with not allowing their employees to use ChatGPT. Capital One employee (and my father) Michael Bowman states that “generative AI tools like ChatGPT have not yet been approved for corporate use at Capital One, and analysis is being done to determine when we will be able to take advantage of these new tools.” Additionally, other companies like Apple, Spotify, and Verizon are following similar approaches and investing more in the technology before allowing usage to their employees.

ChatGPT’s ability to produce writing quickly, and at no cost, is leading to many jobs at risk. In an article written for The Insider, Aaron Mok and Jacob Zinkula compiled a list of jobs that are said to be at a higher risk of job loss due to ChatGPT. These include jobs in technology, like coding, as AI technologies can produce computer code faster than humans. Interestingly, Open AI has already considered replacing its own software engineers with AI. Other jobs impacted by ChatGPT include jobs in media, such as advertising, journalism, and any role that involves content creation. 

Companies are beginning to turn to AI for jobs that are replacing human jobs, including a major media company, BuzzFeed. ChatGPT can write articles quickly; however, the articles robotically list fact after fact with no details or personal insights. For example, when prompted by a riddle, ChatGPT does not understand humor and jokes. The classic riddle, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” prompted ChatGPT to respond with a deep explication of the meaning and history of the joke.

ChatGPT’s response to the joke “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

Even teachers may be at a higher risk of losing jobs to this technology, as students can ask questions regarding subjects to ChatGPT and can use the app almost like a tutor. However, the information may not always be completely accurate. Lewis remarked that “we do not know where it gets its information from, as it is pulling from everywhere on the internet and can even make up answers, sounding confident about an incorrect answer, if it doesn’t know right away.”

The use of ChatGPT is widely spreading, and AI technology has also spread to other platforms, such as Snapchat. CNN reported in August that “Snapchat was an early launch partner when OpenAI opened up access to ChatGPT to third-party businesses.” In fact, Snapchat released a new feature to their app using AI and ChatGPT. As Snapchat partnered with the company, the point was to make ChatGPT a seamless and streamlined tool for the Snapchat user. On Snapchat, users are able to customize their AI “character,” by changing the Bitmoji and bringing it into conversations with friends. Additionally, the use of ChatGPT on Snapchat is bringing young adults to the platform who might not have known about AI. 

Screenshot of the “My AI” feature on Snapchat.

However, recently the use of ChatGPT on Snapchat again reignited the fears associated with the use of AI. There have been alarming situations posted by the AI. For example, recently Snapchat users noticed that their “my AI” character posted a small clip on its story of what looks like a wall or ceiling. Some users also reported that the AI chat box stopped responding to messages. Snapchat claimed it was a glitch in their program. Furthermore, Snapchat users are unable to remove and get rid of this feature, without purchasing the version of Snapchat+, which Snapchat recently added with the My AI update.

What is the future of ChatGPT? The use of ChatGPT is predicted to be in a whole new position in just a few months. Furthermore, the program is predicted to respond in a way that understands content better and has more accurate responses. There is also potential for more advanced inputs, such as better interpretation of photos and the analysis and creation of videos. As ChatGPT continues to grow and adapt, it holds the potential to be a beneficial tool in multiple fields, helping students and adults in their everyday lives.