Getting to know ChatGPT

I’ve spent the last few weeks getting to know this phenomenon known as ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence as it were. (https://chat.openai.com/)

So what exactly IS ChatGPT? Well, let’s ask it.

Q? What does ChatGPT stand for?

ChatGPT stands for "Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer". It refers to a type of language model called a transformer that has been pre-trained on a large corpus of text data and can be fine-tuned for specific natural language processing tasks such as language translation, text summarization, or question answering. As a chatbot, ChatGPT is designed to generate human-like responses to text-based inputs.

Oh-kay… that doesn’t sound interesting at all… but it is!

Lately, instead of Google, I’ve been logging onto my “openai.com” account to search for simple answers. For example, if I ask Google,

Q? What is the difference between the GeForce GTX and RTX?

It returns “About 35,000,000 results (0.59 seconds)” and a pretty concise answer from another website…

“The main difference between the GTX and RTX series is the inclusion of ray tracing and DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) in the latter. These features allow the RTX series to offer more realistic and immersive new graphics capabilities, but they also come with a price premium compared to the GTX card series. Dec 4, 2022”

I posed the same question to ChatGPT and this is the response…

GeForce GTX and RTX are both graphics card series manufactured by NVIDIA, but they have some key differences.

The main difference between the two series is that RTX graphics cards have dedicated hardware for ray tracing, which is a rendering technique that simulates the behavior of light in a virtual environment. Ray tracing can create more realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows in games and other applications.

In addition to ray tracing, RTX graphics cards also have Tensor Cores, which are specialized hardware designed for artificial intelligence and machine learning tasks. These cores can be used to accelerate certain operations, such as image and video processing, and can also be used for features like DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), which can improve performance and image quality in games.

Another important difference is that RTX cards use GDDR6 memory, which is faster and more power-efficient than the GDDR5 memory used in many GTX cards. RTX cards also generally have more VRAM, which is important for running games and other applications at higher resolutions and with more detailed textures.

Overall, RTX graphics cards are more powerful and feature-rich than GTX cards, but they are also more expensive. Whether an RTX card is worth the additional cost depends on your budget and your needs. If you want the best possible performance and features, an RTX card is a good choice, but if you're on a tight budget, a GTX card may be a better option.

Frankly, both sources answered my question because what I really wanted to know is which one was better. And why.

People have been touting the ChatGPT resource as the holy grail of content creation and it excites me on that level as well. Sep for one problem… it aint always right.

For the sake of brevity, I will not explain why I asked for a list of vodka cocktails, but I did and number 77 caught my eye…

“77. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cocktail”

That’s a new one, so I asked for the recipe and it did NOT include a drop of vodka. So I asked…

Q? Please give me the vodka recipe for number 77

And it replied…

“I apologize for the mistake earlier. Number 77 on the list does not actually contain vodka. If you'd like, I can give you a recipe for a vodka-based cocktail instead. Let me know if that's something you're interested in!”

Wait… what?

That’s right fellow info nerds, ChatGPT is fallible, and worse, it’s so convincing in its answers that it could have slipped by.

It happened before when I asked about attractions in a town nearby. It replied with a theater 60 miles away.

So ChatGPT should be fact-checked every time. A lot of people are on YouTube and the web suggesting that ChatGPT can spit out reams of content for your website or even books, and it can, but the information must be vetted for accuracy.

On the plus side, I did ask ChatGPT to write me a short happy story about a dog, a cat, and a mushroom. It was awesome!