AI, ChatGPT, Midjourney… Let’s see if the glass is half full!

ChatGPT follows the classic cycle of new technologies

We haven’t seen such a strong topic in the technical press for a long time. DALL-E, ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sparrow, and the wave of other Chatsonics seem more powerful than NFTs or the metaverse, whether their developers like it or not. Like the tides, these themes may return to center stage. But today, everyone is talking about AI-based tools for creating text, images and videos.

The perception of this new technology by users and experts follows a perfect classical cycle – new technology, meaning: technology introduced to a new environment, here to the general public.

1. First, we are fascinated by this new technology

We are amazed by the possibilities of ChatGPT. We see other horizons. We discover new uses. The press picks up on the issue and explores other possibilities. Apart from creating text – machines are admired for imitating conversation, and this mode of exchange is deeply human – we find that similar technologies can create all kinds of content, images, videos, sounds, music, accessible to everyone from simple instructions in natural language.

2. Then we are disappointed to discover our own limits

It’s harder to fall. Because after so many expectations, it makes sense to be disappointed. In use, we begin to realize the limitations of ChatGPT. We understand that its database will stop in 2021. How come it doesn’t even connect to the internet? We understand mistakes. prejudices. Risks. ChatGPT isn’t perfect after all, and DALL-E won’t make you the new Dali.

3. We flag illegal uses

In the same spirit, we talk about abuse. Smart people often find somewhat limited uses for these new technologies very quickly. And it’s the same thing every time.

Students will be able to use ChatGPT to complete their homework and they won’t learn anything else. Even if detection tools are available, they will be able to bypass them. It’s over.

Now go back a few years. In the previous paragraph, replace ChatGPT with Internet. Google. Wikipedia. Agreed, we’ve heard it somewhere. And yet… Skilled students who first adopt, test, do and take back these technologies will undoubtedly be the most interesting and efficient workers. But we often prefer to simply criticize what constitutes strong adaptability.

4. Finally, the media hype subsides

As in villages and cafes, in the press, one topic drives another. Early hopes were dashed by restrictions and illegal uses. ChatGPT might not be so bad. But we will still dig: and certainly more slowly, making less noise than before. The general public will quietly adopt certain tools. Professionals will also look for specific situations where these technologies can save them time or results. The hype will end, but ChatGPT will still be around. At what point? We will see: if new technologies generally follow the first stages – everyone talks about it, and then we get disappointed and even criticizethe level of adoption of a new technology depends on many factors and it takes time.

The revolution is not technical: it is a revolution of use

Notable publications related to these technologies include the work of Yann Le Jun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, a French AI figure considered one of the inventors of deep learning.

ChatGPT is not particularly innovative. There is nothing revolutionary about it, even if the public perceives it as such.

Explosion. The rest of the exchange is in the same tone: “OpenAI is not really ahead of other labs […]. “Self-supervised learning is something I’ve been advocating for for a long time, even before OpenAI existed”. After his statement, the researcher took to Twitter to confirm his position somewhat, saying that he was not criticizing OpenAI’s work and statements, but trying to correct the perception of the public and the media, who see ChatGPT as incredibly new, innovative. and a unique technological breakthrough, far ahead of everyone else… When it isn’t.

Yann Le Cun’s comments on the level of technological sophistication of OpenAI tools compared to other AI players cannot be overtly criticized. Nor are giants like Google or Meta interested in the widespread deployment of generative technologies.

On the other hand, one thing is clear: ChatGPT will allow many people to access a technology where artificial intelligence is especially visible. They will be able to discover opportunities, new horizons and make discoveries on their own. Rate the result of the image generated by Midjourney. Or changing their profile picture with other assimilation tools. The general population uses AI-based technologies on a daily basis without even realizing it. But with these new services, they immediately understand and appreciate the result. ChatGPT will remove artificial intelligence from labs and source codes. And it’s good.

ChatGPT may not be a technological revolution, but it is a usage revolution. OpenAI didn’t invent artificial intelligence just like Apple didn’t invent the smartphone. But to the question “Can you name the 1st smartphone”, most will answer iPhone. No one will talk about IBM’s Simon or Ericsson’s GS88.

Let’s appreciate the creative momentum unleashed by these new tools

The advent of these new technologies among digital and creative professionals – more specifically, the arrival of these new tools based on artificial intelligence – it’s a whirlwind.

But Midjourney isn’t going to replace creative people: it’s just going to give people who are full of ideas but lack the skills to bring their projects to life, access to results that weren’t available until then. . Despite what some press releases say, ChatGPT won’t replace editors either: but it will make it easier to get information, create structures, or create bases for low-value-added content.

The advent of these tools thus revives a certain spirit of discovery, exploration and experimentation. We explore, we try to understand, we imagine new horizons for our professions. There will be abuses, mistakes, and no doubt some Google penalties. We can see that the glass is half empty, we can focus on these shifts. But there will also be tweaks, tweaks, balanced, compatible uses, interesting applications, productivity gains, and enjoyable learning. And above all: these tools will be able to breathe new life into this spirit of exploration, which has always been the red thread of web enthusiasts. Come enjoy this moment!