The Real Danger Of ChatGPT

Summary

This script explores the impact of ChatGPT on various industries, such as writing, coding, and education, discussing its potential to change how we approach tasks like essay writing. The narrator reflects on how AI could lead to a culture of 'editors' and questions the role of traditional writing in a world where machines can generate text. It emphasizes the importance of personal expression and learning through writing, while also acknowledging the inevitability of AI’s growing influence. The script ends by promoting Squarespace as a tool for creating professional websites.

Takeaways

• 🤖 ChatGPT is seen as a major disruptor, potentially replacing several traditional tasks like essay writing, coding, and more.
• 📚 The fear that AI will replace human tasks like writing is often overstated, but ChatGPT has impressed with its ability to generate coherent paragraphs quickly.
• ✍️ While AI-generated writing may never rival the best human writers, it performs at a level comparable to a high school student’s B-minus essay.
• ⏳ The speaker admits they would have used ChatGPT during school for convenience, highlighting the temptation of automating tasks like essay writing.
• 🧮 ChatGPT’s potential parallels how tools like calculators and spell check have taken over certain academic tasks.
• 📝 Essay writing is used in education to assess students' deeper understanding and synthesis of knowledge, a skill machines now encroach upon.
• 📱 With access to vast information via the internet, memorization is less emphasized in education today.
• 🔄 AI tools like ChatGPT might encourage a future where people edit and refine machine-generated content rather than create original work from scratch.
• 🧠 Writing is more than just putting words together; it’s a way to uniquely understand oneself, a process that AI-generated content lacks.
• 🎓 The speaker reflects on their own journey, acknowledging the value of learning writing skills to express personal beliefs and ideas.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the script?

The central theme of the script is the potential impact of AI, particularly ChatGPT, on various fields like writing, education, and creativity, and how humans might adapt to these changes by becoming editors rather than original creators.

Why does the speaker refer to ChatGPT as being on an 'ambitious killing spree'?

The speaker uses 'ambitious killing spree' metaphorically to describe how ChatGPT and similar AI technologies are taking over tasks previously done by humans, such as writing essays, coding, and creating content, thus 'killing' certain jobs or skills.

What is the speaker's attitude toward the use of ChatGPT by high school students for essay writing?

The speaker acknowledges that high school students, like their teenage self, would likely use ChatGPT without hesitation to write essays, valuing efficiency over effort. However, they suggest that this may detract from personal growth and learning.

How does the speaker compare editing AI-generated content to traditional writing?

The speaker sees editing AI-generated content as a lesser form of creation compared to traditional writing. While both involve working within a pre-existing language system, true writing is about unique self-expression, whereas editing AI output is merely refining something created by a machine.

What does the speaker suggest might be the future of writing?

The speaker suggests that in the future, much of basic writing might be outsourced to AI, with humans taking on the role of editors, 'tweakers,' and 'embellishers,' rather than original writers.

How does the speaker view the role of teachers in light of AI advancements like ChatGPT?

The speaker views teachers as heroes who inspire students to value learning over grades. Even as AI becomes more capable, teachers will need to motivate students to engage with writing and critical thinking rather than relying solely on AI tools.

What parallels does the speaker draw between outsourcing writing to AI and other technologies like calculators or spell check?

The speaker compares outsourcing writing to AI with how society has outsourced math to calculators, spelling to spell check, and memory to the internet, suggesting that relying on AI for basic tasks may become as normalized as using these other tools.

What is the speaker's personal experience with writing, and how does it inform their perspective on AI-generated content?

The speaker reflects on their teenage self who would have used ChatGPT for easy grades but contrasts that with their current view as a professional essayist. They believe that the process of writing, not just editing, is crucial for personal growth and self-understanding.

Why does the speaker believe editing AI-generated content is not the same as writing?

The speaker believes editing AI-generated content isn't the same as writing because editing starts with language produced by something else, whereas writing is a process of creating original structures of thought and expression from scratch.

What does the speaker hope future generations will retain despite the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT?

The speaker hopes that future generations will still develop a strong foundation in writing and critical thinking, recognizing its value for self-expression and personal growth, even as AI tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 ChatGPT's Role in Changing Writing and Education

This paragraph discusses how ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, has made a significant impact on various fields, including search engines, copywriting, and coding. It humorously notes that while reports of its dominance may be exaggerated, the bot is undeniably impressive in its ability to generate coherent narratives. The author compares its writing ability to a high school student aiming for a B-minus on a book report and reflects on how, years ago, they would have used the AI for essay writing without hesitation. The writer explores how writing, like math and spelling, might be outsourced to AI as part of a cultural shift toward working 'smarter' rather than harder. However, the paragraph also highlights the educational value of essay writing in fostering personal synthesis of information, a skill AI may soon challenge.

05:01

📚 The Future of Writing and Editing in an AI-Dominated World

The second paragraph contemplates a future where AI is used to draft basic forms of writing, with humans taking on the roles of editors, tweaking and embellishing AI-generated content. The author draws a distinction between writing and editing, suggesting that while editing is important, it starts with the language of someone (or something) else. The paragraph further argues that writing is a unique form of self-expression, essential for personal discovery and understanding. The writer shares a personal journey, explaining how writing helped them explore their identity in their 20s and expressing hope that future generations will maintain this connection to writing, despite the rise of AI. The paragraph concludes by promoting Squarespace as a platform for building professional websites, particularly for video content.

Keywords

💡ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI, capable of generating coherent text based on user inputs. In the video, it represents the central technological advancement that has sparked debate about the future of writing, as it can produce high-quality text similar to that of a high school essay. The script discusses its impact on human tasks such as essay writing, coders, and copywriters.

💡Killing Spree

The phrase 'Killing Spree' is used metaphorically in the video to describe ChatGPT’s rapid replacement or transformation of certain jobs and tasks, such as those performed by copywriters, coders, and students. It suggests a dramatic change where AI takes over activities traditionally done by humans, potentially 'killing' some professions.

💡Working smarter

This concept refers to using ChatGPT as a tool to complete tasks more efficiently rather than cheating. The narrator reflects on how, if given the chance, they would have used AI in high school to avoid writing essays, emphasizing how society often embraces technological shortcuts in the name of efficiency.

💡Outsourcing

Outsourcing in the context of this video refers to the act of delegating tasks like math calculations, spelling, memory, and now writing, to machines or AI systems like ChatGPT. The video discusses the growing trend of humans relying on technology for various intellectual tasks, thereby raising questions about the implications for learning and creativity.

💡Personal synthesis

Personal synthesis is the process of combining information and ideas to form an original perspective or understanding. In the script, the narrator argues that writing essays requires this skill, which until recently couldn’t be outsourced to machines like ChatGPT. It is seen as a valuable human ability that AI threatens to diminish.

💡Editing

Editing refers to refining and improving content after it has been drafted. The script contrasts writing with editing, where the latter is more about polishing language rather than generating original ideas. ChatGPT may allow future generations to focus on editing AI-generated content rather than writing from scratch, raising concerns about losing creative ownership.

💡Memorization

Memorization is mentioned as a traditional method of teaching and learning that has declined over time, especially with the advent of tools like the internet. The script points out that essay writing serves as an alternative way to assess deeper understanding, as it requires students to engage more personally with the material.

💡Grades over learning

This concept highlights a common issue in educational systems where students prioritize achieving good grades rather than truly understanding and internalizing the material. The narrator argues that the availability of tools like ChatGPT exacerbates this problem, as students may focus more on shortcuts that guarantee acceptable grades with less effort.

💡System of language

The 'system of language' refers to the rules and structures we inherit culturally to communicate and express ideas. The narrator discusses how writing allows individuals to create unique interpretations of the world, while AI-generated content relies on pre-existing language patterns. Writing is portrayed as a way to use language innovatively, while AI may standardize it.

💡Professional essayist

The narrator identifies themselves as a professional essayist, someone whose job revolves around writing structured arguments and narratives. This profession is used to contrast the insipid, lazy high school version of the narrator, who would have happily used ChatGPT for shortcuts. This personal evolution serves as a reflection on how AI might impact future writers' development.

Highlights

ChatGPT has been perceived as a threat to various professions such as copywriters, coders, and even essay writers.

The claim that AI will 'change everything' is often exaggerated, with some changes being more gradual or less impactful.

ChatGPT is impressive in its ability to generate coherent paragraphs, comparable to the work of a high school student aiming for a B-minus.

The use of AI like ChatGPT raises questions about the future of essay writing in schools, similar to how calculators changed math education.

Students might start to rely on AI for basic writing tasks, similar to how spell check and the internet have replaced certain memorization and learning practices.

Essay writing has traditionally been a method to assess deeper understanding and personal synthesis of information.

The prevalence of AI tools could lead to a shift from traditional writing to a focus on editing, tweaking, and embellishing AI-generated content.

This shift could result in a culture of editors rather than original writers, where people primarily modify pre-existing content.

The difference between writing and editing is like the difference between creating something new and merely refining existing material.

Writing allows for unique self-expression and understanding, which could be lost if replaced by AI-generated content.

Teachers play a crucial role in imparting foundational writing skills, which are essential for personal development and self-discovery.

Despite the allure of using AI for easy grades, foundational writing skills provide long-term benefits beyond academic performance.

The speaker reflects on their own journey, acknowledging the value of the writing skills learned in school when exploring their personal beliefs and identity.

Future generations may need to find new ways to balance AI assistance with developing their own writing and critical thinking abilities.

The episode concludes with an appreciation for 2022 and a promotional message for Squarespace, emphasizing its utility for creating professional-looking websites.

Transcripts

foreign

[Music]

s chat GPT the artificial intelligence

chat bot built by open AI has been on an

ambitious Killing Spree timelines

overflow with eulogies to its victims

search engines copywriters coders High

School essays and many more now reports

of these impending deaths may be

exaggerated human beings love to write

the words this will change everything

only to shrug a year later when this

changed very little chatgpt might be a

game changer it might not be either way

the bot is undeniably impressive what

really astounds is its rhetorical muscle

its ability to generate paragraphs of

coherent argument or narrative obviously

there are several million humans to

which it can't hold a candle in this

regard but it instantly hurdled several

million others land ending somewhere in

the neighborhood of a high school

student who's perfectly happy with a B

minus on their Pride and Prejudice book

report 20 years ago that was my

neighborhood if I had access to chat GPT

in 10th grade English I would have used

it without compunction why waste a

perfectly good afternoon scratching out

a five paragraph essay on Austin's

depictions of social class when I could

generate this in seconds in America we

don't call this cheating we call it

working smarter maybe the eulogies are

fitting maybe we'll Outsource writing to

chat GPT like we outsourced math to

calculators spelling to spell check

memory to the internet to a certain

extent the prevalence of essay writing

in school reflects the decline of

memorization as a method of teaching and

learning a decline that feels inevitable

maybe even appropriate in a world where

where the totality of human knowledge is

pocket-sized we assign essays because

they allow teachers to gauge a deeper

understanding in their students they

require more than just recall they

require a personal synthesis of

information which can't be outsourced to

a machine or couldn't be until a few

weeks ago pretty soon English teachers

are going to get that question Math

teachers have been getting for decades

when will we ever need this stuff in

real life now won't work here

teens are just too Savvy for that the

truth is that you'll probably never have

to calculate a definite integral once

you leave school and the truth is we'll

likely Outsource many categories of

basic writing to Ai and never look back

now for other more complex kinds of

writing you could simply start with chat

GPT let it provide the basic structure

then edit to your liking editing after

all is another way way to synthesize

information maybe ours will become a

culture of editors Tweakers embellishers

would that be so bad well the insipid

teenage me would probably say no but the

34 year old me the one who ironically

became a professional essayist leans the

opposite way the difference between

writing and editing is like the

difference between writing and reading

reading is enormously important

obviously it closes the gaps of our

ignorance and expands our knowledge but

it does so through the language of

others their words their sentences their

narratives and arguments editing two

begins with the language of someone else

in the case of chat GPT something else

of course to some extent writing is

editing too we inherit our language and

its rules from culture from the past we

express ourselves through a system that

we didn't invent but that system is so

infinitely flexible that we can use it

to create structures of our own language

is how human beings understand

themselves and the world but writing is

how we understand uniquely not to write

is to live according to the language of

others or Worse to live through edits

tweaks and embellishments to language

generated by an overconfident AI chatbot

I doubt this argument would convince the

teenage me to resist a free Magic tool

that promises easy grades for Less work

as ever it's left to teachers to

impassion their students within a system

that prioritizes grades over learning

often they succeed but even when they

don't they still do the heroic work of

giving insipid high schoolers like

myself be basic writing competence in my

20s when I began to wonder who I really

was and what I really believed questions

that come for all of us I discovered

that writing structuring language of my

own was the only way to find out that's

when the foundation teachers worked so

hard to give me proved its immense value

I hope future Generations have a similar

Foundation One Way or Another new

writing is on its way from the future to

make sense of all of us I think we'll

prefer it to be our own

[Music]

hey everybody thank you so much for

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