Artificial intelligence

The widely used artificial intelligence platform Chat GPT, developed by Open AI, has introduced new capabilities that enable it to respond to spoken words and images. This has raised concerns among some experts who worry that the application could infringe upon privacy rights.

According to a report from the New York Times, Open AI released an updated version of the chatbot on Monday, allowing users to interact with it through spoken language for the first time. Peter Deng, Open AI's vice president of consumer and enterprise product, stated that the goal is to make Chat GPT more user-friendly and helpful.

Similar to popular platforms such as Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri, Chat GPT will now be capable of engaging in spoken conversation and responding with its own voice. Additionally, it will have the ability to interpret and address images. The report mentioned an example where users can upload a photo of their open refrigerator, prompting Chat GPT to suggest recipe ideas based on the contents inside.

Despite Open AI's recent aggressive rollout of new AI tools, some experts have questioned the practicality of the updated version of Chat GPT. Christopher Alexander, chief analytics officer of Pioneer Development Group, believes that while the voice detection and conversational capabilities are impressive, they do not significantly improve upon Chat GPT's existing capabilities. He argues that users can simply dictate their Natural Language Processing commands instead of typing them.

Alexander also raises concerns about the potential implications of this update, highlighting the possibility of Chat GPT being utilized as a surveillance tool. He explains that as users communicate with Chat GPT verbally, the AI system learns to process voices in terms of variables like pitch and accent. This training data could enable ChatGPT to develop highly realistic voice capabilities for AI personas in the near future, presenting both creative potential and a challenge in detecting deep fakes.

Ziven Havens, policy director at the Bull Moose Project, echoes similar apprehensions, suggesting that the application might contribute to the growing trend of amassing extensive data on Americans. Havens emphasizes the need for congressional action to protect individuals from compromising their privacy in the name of innovation.

Jon Schweppe, policy director of American Principles Project, acknowledges the innovative potential of the new development, but also raises concerns about the potential emergence of deep fakes and the difficulty in distinguishing between AI voice technology and genuine human voices.

While some users may draw comparisons between Chat GPT and familiar platforms like Siri or Alexa, it is important to note that the underlying technology differs. Alexa and Siri are programmed to perform specific tasks or provide predefined answers, whereas Chat GPT utilizes a large language model that can learn to generate additional responses by analyzing vast amounts of internet data.

Phil Siegel, founder of the Center for Advances Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation, believes that the expanded abilities of Chat GPT could create exciting opportunities for consumers. He describes it as a "real-time assistant," providing timely and useful information through spoken conversation, such as recipes, reminders, and information retrieval. Siegel suggests that Chat GPT possesses the potential to surpass the utility of Siri and Alexa.

Since Open AI first introduced the beta version of its advanced chatbot, Chat GPT has surged in popularity. Open AI has also made the Chat GPT app available for free on iPhones and iPads, bringing the tool directly to consumers' fingertips. The remarkable human-like responses and swift replies of chatbots and other generative AI tools in the tech industry have astounded and unsettled many users.

It is crucial to recognize that while these chatbots may provide responses that sound "human," they lack fundamental understanding. Chat GPT's training draws exclusively from the vast amount of internet text data it has analyzed, amounting to billions of web pages.