Everyone seems to be talking about ChatGPT – but what is it?

Open AI’s Chat GPT is a highly popular AI-based program that people use for generating dialogues. It has been developed to make use of (NLP) Natural Language Processing, fine-tuned for conversational interaction.

Chat GPT’s main feature is generating responses like those humans would provide in a text box and can therefore be used extensively for chatbots and AI system conversations.

It can also be used for more sophisticated writing, for example, generating answers to questions in a more conversational tone, along with essays, stories, blogs and poems. There’s been controversy about whether a chatbot’s output may render school homework meaningless.

Translation, between languages, is another effective use and as, unlike most chatbots, ChatGPT remembers previous prompts, it has even been suggested it could be used as a personalised therapist.

However, it suffers from multiple limitations. OpenAI acknowledged that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers”.

Of course all new developments bring data security questions.

OpenAI’s website says the company reviews conversations with the chatbot and reports in the media say many companies have restricted ChatGPT or advised employees not to enter confidential information into it.

The emergence of chatbots and AI-powered tools inevitably presents new challenges in cyber security.

Cyber criminals are already testing how to use chatbots to create convincing phishing emails, text messages and social media posts to trick people into providing sensitive information or installing malware.

In this respect, this new technology is no different than any other. For advice on cyber safety in a digital age, please contact our team at UK Business IT.