As I’m juggling the demands of work and school, I desperately opened another tab on my browser and searched for ‘ChatGPT.’ As the page loaded, I couldn’t help but recall the debates surrounding this controversial artificial intelligence on social media. While some argue that ChatGPT tarnishes the integrity of academic learning, others are excited about how this technological advancement can improve the education system.
After being on the waitlist for a few minutes, I finally got in. The interface of this app looks quite familiar, as it emulates the standard chat layout. To ease my uncertainties with this chatbot, I threw some questions to test its skills by asking a range of questions, from the most basic ones to the more advanced topics such as generating copy suggestions, summarization and even writing songs in different languages.
This technological advancement can solve problems related to communication, information access and business collaboration. I’m instantly impressed with ChatGPT’s exceptional responses. As the chatbot learns from and makes connections between its responses to my earlier questions, our chats felt very human-like. I felt a thrilling sense of discovery as if I had made an intelligent companion who replies fast and never leaves me on read.
A sarcastic idea struck me suddenly, so I typed the following query, still in a state of desperation, wondering if ChatGPT was the solution to my problems: “Hey, ChatGPT, can you finish my degree?”
ChatGPT responded promptly, staying true to its programming and values. It acknowledged my humor, but also recognized the reality of obtaining a degree. ChatGPT stated, “I’m sorry, but I cannot finish your degree for you. Obtaining a degree requires significant effort, dedication and hard work. It involves attending classes, completing assignments, studying for exams and meeting other academic requirements. While I can provide you with information and guidance, it’s ultimately up to you to put in the necessary effort to complete your degree assignments, prepare for exams and meet other academic obligations. While I can offer you valuable guidance and information, it is ultimately up to you to invest the necessary time and hard work to obtain your degree.”
With this response, I then remembered some misconceptions about technologies like AI. Many argue that AI will lead to mass unemployment, make people lazy and potentially take over humanity. Even tech billionaire Elon Musk stated in his 2014 interview that artificial intelligence is like summoning a demon (but he still created his own AI today). While we may attribute certain actions to AI, our choices and motivations ultimately drive its behavior. In other words, just like we can’t blame demons for our choices and actions, we can’t blame AI for the consequences of our decisions.
Even though ChatGPT and other AI-driven technologies hold the promising potential to enhance our lives, still at the end of the day, we have total control over every aspect of our lives. These technologies are merely a helping hand that we can choose to use or not, depending on our preferences and needs. Overall, it’s up to us to decide how to incorporate these tools into our lives and how we want to use them to improve ourselves. AI-driven technologies like ChatGPT hold immense potential for economic growth and societal advancement. As ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI has been continuously embedding into their messaging artificial general intelligence to benefit all of humanity.
Time passed, and I started to incorporate my AI friend, ChatGPT, into some of my tasks whenever I needed to elaborate on my ideas, get suggestions or even get Instagram captions for my feed. This relationship feels more like collaboration with a friend that increased my productivity and self-assurance, which helped me understand ideas more deeply. Even though ChatGPT could not finish my degree for me, his assistance supported me in completing this essay on time.
As I end this article, I found myself uneasy while opening another tab to visit ChatGPT to validate my previous statement that AI is merely a support tool and that I still have complete control over my essay. I copied the content of this article and pasted it onto ChatGPT’s chat page.
With a hint of nervousness, I asked ChatGPT, “Did you write this essay?”
“I apologize, but I did not write this essay. It appears to have been authored by a human. However, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the content, I am here to provide feedback.”
The response gave me a sense of validation regarding my initial claim that I still had control over my essay— over my life. With life’s ups and downs, it is always easier with a trusted friend who listens and provides direction, and ChatGPT has proven to be just that kind of friend.
The author discovered her passion and gift for storytelling at a young age. With each new story she wrote or imagined, she found new depths to her creative potential, leading her to discover her skills in visual executions. She wanted to transform her visions into life, so she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Filmmaking as a scholar at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.
Today, she continues to bring her creative flair as an all-around Multimedia Artist. She integrates a deeper message and story whenever she produces art. She is pursuing her Master’s in Marketing Communications at De La Salle University, where she’s learning how to use her creative storytelling skills to create strategic messages that resonate with her audience on a deeper level. She can be reached at jedys_alagon@dlsu.edu.ph.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.
