ChatGPT is here.
Bitcoin. SEO optimization. Minecraft.
All of the above are part of our collective world. They are things we’ve all likely heard of but may not know the ins & outs or why they’re so special to so many others.
Add ChatGPT to the mix. According to the google (add that to the list of things we all know of but don’t truly understand), GPT stands for ‘Generative Pre-trained Transformer’.
This digital tool has been crafted to create, in blistering speeds, content or paragraphs or high school papers based on what you politely ask it to do.
“write me a paragraph about the history of the omelette and why it should be considered as a legitimate dinner option no matter what the waiter says”
*BAM*
If you read it and prefer it to be more humorous or more sincere, just let the author …errr… robot know and you’ll soon see a revised version.
When seeing it for the first time, my thoughts immediately scattered like the pages of an end-of-term paper that fell out of the authors backpack on a windy day as he ran to school because he’s late due to the fact that he stayed up all night writing what could possibly be the greatest term paper to ever be submitted to Mr. Slonowski’s grade 11 history class.
I mean…he did write the paper didn’t he? He didn’t just login into the ChatGP… wait. Nooooooo. Say it ain’t so!!
(...and no, ChatGPT probably won't write run-on sentences even when you think they may be appropriate)
BACK TO MY THOUGHTS SCATTERING
The permutations of use for this tool are virtually endless but after some deep thinking, I think there are two paths the user could take.
Is it a tool for efficiency?
…or is it a cheat code?
If you find yourself writing the same mundane content whether that is repetitive emails or marketing content, I suppose it could be a tool for efficiency.
A Realtor who just listed 123 Main Street, plugs in a bunch of generic info about the home. They are then provided with a write-up about the home to insert as ad copy.
We can all agree that the real estate industry could use some help with their creative output so this would be a welcome efficiency.
It is no secret that there are many who struggle to string together the necessary words to tell a story. As someone who got a 51% in OAC English, I would probably look at this with adoring eyes. And herein lies the problem. Or the moral dilemma. Or the opportunity to advance (cheat) to the front of the line.
REALTOR, DOG TRAINER OR RESTAURANT OWNER
Whether you are in the real estate industry or travel & leisure, dog training or the restaurant industry, the same opportunity exists. Similar to the driver of a car, it is up to you how it is used.
Are you getting ChatGPT to write you a blog and sharing it to the world confidently presenting it as your own?
“write me 10 blogs about living in the Niagara Region”
Click. Save. Drag. Drop. Highlight. Click. Type. Click. Publish.
Look at me! I wrote a blog!
You can buy a hammer to frame a new garden shed but you can also use that same hammer to smash glass and break into the home down the street.
A tool for efficiency or a cheat code.
WHAT TO DO?
With any moral dilemma, there are usually grey areas and “oooh, I’m not sure” segments to think about. As AI grows, we will likely experience our own similar moments.
And the other sad part tucked away in the corner of this discussion, is the potential to lose the human element. The round edges and imperfections of the human experience and creative.
Think about your Top Ten favourite albums. Would you still feel the same about them if you found out they were created by AI?
...check out our YouTube video on this same topic: