ChatGPT launched on November 30, 2022, marking the beginning of what many describe as the revolutionary age of artificial intelligence. Just a few days after its launch, ChatGPT experienced extreme popularity and went viral.
Screenshots and conversations went viral on social media, and the use of ChatGPT has skyrocketed to a degree that seems to have surprised even its creator – OpenAI.
By January, ChatGPT had 13 million daily visitors, setting a record for the fastest-growing app user base, Science Alert reports.
Generative AI systems like ChatGPT are becoming ubiquitous. Since the release of ChatGPT, mentions of artificial intelligence have seemed mandatory in presentations, talks and articles.
Today, OpenAI claims that 100 million people use ChatGPT every week.
All the major players are betting on AI, and funding for AI startups is booming.
Along the way, ChatGPT has raised a number of concerns, such as its implications for misinformation, fraud, intellectual property issues, and discrimination.
Lessons learned from the first year of ChatGPT
The success of ChatGPT primarily speaks to the power of a good interface. AI has already been part of countless everyday products for more than a decade, from Spotify and Netflix to Facebook and Google Maps.
The first version of GPT, the AI ​​model powered by ChatGPT, dates back to 2018. Even other OpenAI products, such as DALL-E, did not find immediate success after being released as ChatGPT.
The phenomenal success of ChatGPT shows once again that user interfaces are driven by the widespread adoption of technology, from the Macintosh to web browsers and the iPhone.
Design makes the difference. At the same time, one of the main advantages of technology, the creation of believable language, makes it very suitable for producing false or misleading information.
ChatGPT and other generative AI systems make it easier for criminals and propagandists to prey on human vulnerabilities.
The technology’s potential to fuel fraud and misinformation is one of the key reasons for regulating artificial intelligence.
Amid the real promises and perils of generative artificial intelligence, the technology has also provided another case study in the power of “hype.”
This year has brought no shortage of articles about how AI will transform every aspect of society and how the spread of the technology is inevitable.
ChatGPT is not the first technology to be touted as the “next big thing,” but it is perhaps unique in that it is also touted as an existential risk.
A number of tech titans, even some AI researchers, have warned of the risk of superintelligent AI systems emerging and wiping out humanity, though those fears are far-fetched.
