Think of ChatGPT More Like a Human and Less Like a Computer

Most people that have been working with ChatGPT and similar platforms for a while, have come to the realization that it excels at human-like tasks and has difficulty with many computer tasks. This might seem a little unsettling—i.e. it is poised to replace humans. But that’s not the case at all. If you think of ChatGPT as a human collaborator—your extremely capable (but not infallible) personal assistant, you understand that it is precisely because ChatGPT has human-like capabilities that it is so valuable, especially in a work setting. Here’s what I mean.

Traditional Computer Tasks: Computers and computing-devices have always been excellent at:

·         Math and calculation (exact, deterministic operations)

·         Sorting, searching, and data storage

·         Following rigid instructions without deviation

            For example, if you ask a calculator what 7,493 × 8,204 is, you’ll get the answer in a second. If you ask a computer to search a billion records for a keyword, you’ll also get the info you need in seconds. Those are computer tasks: structured, rule-based, and precise.

Human-Like Tasks: Traditional computers struggle in areas that come naturally to humans:

·         Language understanding: e.g., “Can you reword this email so it sounds more friendly?”

·         Creativity: brainstorming ideas, coming up with novel solutions, developing anecdotes and parallels, etc.

·         Contextual reasoning: understanding the difference in intent between “I’m cold” and “I’m feeling cold inside”

·         Conversation and social nuance: knowing when to be formal, empathetic, or humorous, etc.

This is where ChatGPT shines, because its architecture (based on LLMs--large language models) is trained to recognize patterns in how humans use language, connect ideas, and express nuance.

So Why Think of ChatGPT as a Person…

It’s a helpful mindset because if you treat it like a calculator, you might be frustrated when it doesn’t always produce perfectly precise or deterministic answers (such as math code execution). On the other hand, if you treat it more like a colleague or assistant, you’ll quickly see that it’s best at things like drafting, explaining, ideating, rephrasing, teaching, and simulating conversation — human-like tasks.

Instead of a Computer?

It can sometimes make mistakes in the very areas computers tend to be strongest. For example, it may not always make calculations with 100% accuracy in free text (though it can calculate if asked explicitly). Also, it doesn’t store or recall exact facts in the same way a computer database does. You may have noticed that it sometimes sounds confident about something that isn’t fully accurate — a very human trait.

            I work with some very smart people that I trust with the facts about 90% of the time. This means that, if accurate information is important, I do have to fact-check. Same with ChatGPT. Despite what some people think, ChatGPT is not a human and it will never be a human, but it is more human-like than a computer.

            For a no cost discussion of your situation and how we can leverage metrics-based marketing to grow your business call 630-363-8081 or email jeanna@smartprcommunications.com.

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