We are undoubtedly living in the era of AI, particularly Generative AI (GenAI). Its impact is profound, driving revolutions across industries and reshaping our daily lives. While many of us didn’t witness the internet revolution, I imagine it must have been just as transformative as what we’re experiencing with GenAI today. Unlike back then, we are now at this revolution, watching its impact reveal in real time.
Over the past two years, I’ve been an avid user of GenAI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Gemini AI. These tools have made me more efficient in many aspects of my life, but they’ve also introduced a new kind of laziness—I often let GenAI handle tasks for me, freeing up time that I frequently waste on trivial things. Among these tools, ChatGPT stands out as the best one for me, offering unparalleled versatility. Gemini AI is impressive for descriptive responses but I don't like paragraph answers but short and concise ones, while Bing Copilot is slower and less accurate but benefits from enterprise licensing, which ensures better data security. That said, it’s crucial to handle sensitive information cautiously (specifically work related) with tools like Gemini AI or ChatGPT if we are not using within enterprise licenses.
For coding enthusiasts, GitHub Copilot is a game-changer—it makes coding accessible to anyone. Even though I don’t code extensively, I admire its ability to lower barriers and empowering me.
Since I started using ChatGPT, my reliance on platforms like stackoverflow, Wikipedia, and even Google Search has dwindled over the past two years. I rarely visit stackoverflow or Wikipedia anymore, and I turn to Google Search mainly for the latest updates only. This shift makes me wonder: are these platforms facing an existential threat in the birth of GenAI? It’s worth noting that the success of GenAI owes much to data from these very platforms. Stackoverflow, Wikipedia, and countless forums have contributed to training these AI models. Ironically, as GenAI becomes more dominant, fewer people may engage with these platforms, potentially leading to a decline in the quality of data available to train future AI models. Could this create a vicious cycle—a so-called "apocalypse"—where the diminishing quality of data impacts the efficiency of GenAI itself? I know this concern is invalid, GenAI evolves not only through existing datasets but also through the prompts and interactions it receives over time. However, my mind haunts me by saying that the efficiency we’re seeing today in GenAI might not be sustainable in the long run without the continuous high-quality data sources as it recived during it's birth.
GenAI’s popularity is skyrocketing, with its integration becoming a standard feature in new products. While it has undoubtedly made many jobs more efficient, it’s also replacing roles traditionally held by humans. Its reach extends beyond workplaces, even into our personal lives.
For instance, AI-driven apps like Replika and AI Chatbot BF/GF are designed for romantic interactions with virtual partners. This trend raises ethical questions: are we losing touch with real human connections as we grow more entangled in the virtual world? In some cases, these apps serve as lifelines. I recently heard a story on the Today in Focus podcast about a woman with an autoimmune disease who couldn’t engage in traditional relationships. For her, a GenAI-based companion app provided an opportunity to experience meaningful conversations and emotional connection.
For others, these apps might offer solace in an increasingly fast-paced world, where finding compatible partners can feel like a challenge. What’s intriguing about these virtual companions is their ability to learn and adapt based on user interactions. Unlike real relationships, where misunderstandings, emotional stagnation can occur and when relationships start becoming more transactional, these virtual companions become best partner where they continuously improve, offering a sense of being truly understood and available always with the perfect match as one dreams of. I hope we, especially our kids, don't fall for it!
As GenAI continues to redefine our world, we must grapple with its ethical implications and consider how to balance its benefits with its potential drawbacks. Whether it’s replacing jobs, transforming human relationships, or disrupting traditional knowledge platforms, GenAI is undoubtedly taking life to a new level.
The question is: are we ready for this transformation? Only time will tell.
PS: Thanks to ChatGPT for helping me improve the formatting of many of the sentences above. While each sentence was originally drafted by me, ChatGPT played a role in reshaping them to enhance my blog.
I asked DeepMind's Notebook LM application to generate a podcast based on this blog, it provided me with a beautiful yet lengthy podcast here God save the active and budding podcasters!
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