What Is ChatGPT? Explaining ChatGPT for Those Who Haven't Asked Yet

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ChatGPT, which is featured in the media every day, is a chat service that utilizes artificial intelligence that has spread at a threatening speed of exceeding 100 million active users in about 2 months since the start of the service in November 2022. I think there are many people who have actually used it.

On May 18, 2023, ChatGPT's "iOS app" was released in the United States and 30 countries including Japan on 26 of the same month, and it also supports highly accurate voice input using the open source voice recognition system "Whisper" It has started and is showing more and more growth. You may be able to use ChatGPT more conveniently if you know what kind of technology will be utilized and what benefits it will bring to your lives.

Therefore, this time, we will explain the hottest ChatGPT from the basic part to the future prospects. Please take a look at the end about "ChatGPT" which will be inseparable from our lives from now on.

What is ChatGPT?


As someone deeply involved in the world of system development, app development, and digital transformation, I've taken a keen interest in the advancements of artificial intelligence. One such groundbreaking development is ChatGPT, a service that has revolutionized how we interact with AI.

Developed by OpenAI and released in December 2022, ChatGPT stands out as a pinnacle of AI chat services. It's fascinating how it allows for natural conversations, almost indistinguishable from those with a human. This is AI technology at its finest, and it's something I've personally experienced and marveled at.

Let's delve a bit deeper into OpenAI, the mastermind behind ChatGPT. OpenAI, established in December 2015, has been a beacon in AI research and development. It's not just in tech circles that they've made waves; business magnates like Elon Musk have invested in them, recognizing their potential. And in 2023, Microsoft's $10 billion investment in OpenAI was a monumental event, underscoring the significant strides they've made in AI.

Now, back to ChatGPT. This tool isn't just about understanding and responding to queries. It's about how it does so with such finesse and adaptability. Whether you pose your questions in English, Japanese, or any other language, ChatGPT responds in kind. This level of linguistic versatility is something I find particularly impressive, given my background in digital communication. ChatGPT's ability to grasp complex grammar, retain past conversation context, and build upon it to generate new, coherent discussions is nothing short of remarkable. And the best part? All of these advanced features are accessible for free.

How to use ChatGPT

ChatGPT currently has a browser version and an iOS app version. ChatGPT is easy to use, and you can use it once you register as a member. There are two ways to register.

・New member registration

In the case of the browser version, you do not need to install the app. First of all, set up your email address and password from the official website and register your account. After that, a 6-digit authentication code will be sent, so enter it and send it. Go to the login screen again, enter the email address and password you set earlier, and the login is complete.

・Use other services
You can also log in using your Google, Microsoft, and Apple accounts. You can use it by entering the email address and password of each service.

When the login is completed, it will transition to the chat screen, so if you enter what you want to ask ChatGPT at the text input point and send it, the answer will start from ChatGPT. By the way, in the iOS app version, a speech recognition system called "Whisper" can be used, so not only text input but also speech recognition input is possible. In addition, the Andoroid version will also be released later.

The reason why it is attracting attention


ChatGPT has exceeded 100 million users in two months since its release. According to a survey by Nomura Research Institute (source: the trend of ChatGPT in Japan), it took 2 years and 4 months for Instagram users to exceed 100 million, and the penetration rate of ChatGPT is phenomenal. I understand that. Here, I will list the reasons for its popularity.

・Natural conversation ability

ChatGPT utilizes "natural language processing" (*1), one of the technologies of artificial intelligence (AI). In the past, conversations with computers were one-sided and inhumane. However, it is now possible to generate complex sentences, and it is possible to interact as if you are talking to a human.

※1: What is natural language processing?
A general term for technologies that analyze, generate, and convert by automatic processing by computers for natural languages such as Japanese and English that humans usually use. ( Quote: IT Terminology Dictionary)

・Ease of use and accessibility

Because it provides an interface that is easy to use even for beginners, even people without technical knowledge can easily experience interactive AI.

・Various scopes of use

It can be applied to various tasks such as question and answer, document summary, sentence generation, translation, programming, etc., so it can be used not only in business, but also in a wide range of genres such as personal use, education and research.

・Progress of technology

The data entered into ChatGPT is used as part of its training data, helping the model acquire language understanding and the ability to generate responses. The more diverse and abundant the input data, the more extensive the model can have knowledge and flexibility.

Popularity rate of ChatGPT

ChatGPT usage is ranked first: the United States (10.6%), second: India (9.0%), and third: Japan (6.6%). Considering the population size of each country, the penetration rate can be said to be the world's top class because Japan's utilization rate is high.

As a usage, it is used for various purposes such as content creation, translation, conversation with AI, code creation, debugging, code completion, homework, course content creation, customer questionnaire, etc. In addition, if you look at the use in Japan by occupation, you can see that the 1st place is university students, graduate students, and professional students (21.6%), 2nd place is teachers and staff (20.5%), and 3rd place is company officers (17.2%), and there are many educational personnel use. ( Source: Japan's ChatGPT usage trend)

What is the difference between a free plan and a paid plan?

ChatGPT is based on a large language model called "Generative Pre-trained Transformer" developed by OpenAI. This model is one of the latest natural language processing technologies, and it can generate more complex sentences because it can learn huge amounts of data and generate sentences efficiently. ChatGPT also offers free and paid plans, and different language models are used. I will explain in detail below.

・Free plan (GPT-3.5)

The free plan is equipped with "GPT-3.5" released in 2022, which provides standard responses learned using data until June 2021. " GPT-3.5" is an improved version of "GPT-3" released in 2020, which is suitable for users for personal use. It's a free plan, but you can use it unlimitedly.

・Paid plan (GPT-4)

In the paid plan (ChatGPT Plus), you can use "GPT-4" with a faster generation speed and advanced response that understands logic and intent. GPT-4 was announced by OpenAI as the next generation model of GPT-3.5 on March 14, 2023. It is popular in the business field because it has a full range of functions and support.

In addition, it is a multimodal model (an AI model that processes multiple different input modes such as text, image, and audio), so it can process both text data and image data. In addition, the safety has also been improved compared to GPT-3.5 because answers that are ethical and safety questions (such as how to make bombs) can be avoided.

Advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an innovative technology, but there are also improvements. I will introduce the advantages and disadvantages.

Merits

・Work efficiency, reduction of labor costs

You can do simple tasks such as customer service, newcomer education and marketing that have been done by human hands. This will allow us to improve the efficiency of our operations and reduce labor costs.

・Sharing a wide range of knowledge, learning without relying on data and providing new information

Collect and learn a wide range of knowledge from a huge amount of text data. Among them, you can understand the patterns and context of the language and respond flexibly to new information, so you will not only gain knowledge, but also be constrained by the learned data, such as reviewing and correcting the content you created. The point is that the provision of information without has evolved greatly from conventional artificial intelligence.

・Natural dialogue

You can have advanced communication as if you are interacting with a real person. It is also possible to listen to your work and private worries, so it is also expected to solve mental health problems.

Demerits

・Freshness and accuracy of information

ChatGPT information is from September 2021. Therefore, sentences may be generated based on old information. In addition, because you learn information on the Internet and generate answers, you may learn from the information on the Internet by mistake, and it is not necessarily accurate. Therefore, you need to be careful, such as backing up the information yourself.

・Response to fields where expertise is required

I have general knowledge, but it is not very suitable for situations where research and uniqueness are required because it corresponds to a limited range of professional knowledge.

・URL reference is not allowed

ChatGPT cannot view websites and videos, so if you send a URL and request a summary or translation of the contents, it will not be recognized.

Precautions and challenges when using ChatGPT

There are several points to be aware of when using ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is exploding all over the world, but there are countries that prohibit its use, countries that restrict access from within schools to prevent students' education, and companies that prohibit it from using it within the company due to security. The reasons are as follows.

・Input of confidential information

You need to be careful about entering personal and confidential information into ChatGPT. Some companies have banned access to ChatGPT. You should be careful not to enter personal information or confidential information.

・Protection of personal information

ChatGPT collects various data such as chat content, cookies, chat content, IP address, uploaded content, etc. When using it as a business tool, special attention is required because there is a possibility of information leakage. In fact, in a large global company, several confidential information leaks have occurred due to employees using ChatGPT.

・Fake information and incorrect information

As mentioned above, we learn from a huge amount of data on the Internet. Based on this data, we understand grammar and context and generate answers. However, the "GPT-3.5 model" that is the basis of ChatGPT uses many web pages, books, news articles, conversation data, etc. as learning data, so uncertain information may also be included in the answer. Also, as a feature of ChatCPT's sentence structure, there is a tendency to create sentences as if everything is true. Especially for young people and elderly people who have low net literacy and may be susceptible to ChatGPT, especially keep in mind that not all the sentences generated by ChatGPT are true.

Future prospects

Currently, search engine sites such as Google are used when people search, but it is said that there is a high possibility that these services will change to systems like ChatGPT in the future.

In April 2023, the CEO of OpenAI came to Japan and met with the Prime Minister, mentioned the consideration of establishing a research and development base in Japan, and cooperated with Japanese politics in research to make ChatGPT a better model tailored to Japanese and Japanese culture. There was a statement that I wanted to ask the prefecture.

In addition, on July 5, 2023, OpenAI announced that it will establish a new specialized team in preparation for the birth of AI called "super intelligence" with intelligence more than humans (quote: Yomiuri Shimbun Online). The current technology cannot respond to super intelligence, and there is a risk of human extinction, so it seems that they are aiming to establish a technology that properly manages and controls super intelligent AI and eliminates threats to humanity.

That's how AI technology and capabilities are definitely advancing, and ChatGPT will continue to evolve further while repeating feedback and training, improving what is currently a problem, and getting more involved in our lives. It is expected to go.

Summary

This time, we will talk about "ChatGPT" that has been spreading at a phenomenal speed and what exactly is ChatGPT? We have explained the precautions and future prospects from the basic part. The challenges that have been seen since the launch of the service may not be far away in the future when they will be able to use them more conveniently and safely by improving in the future. I would like to continue to follow the growth of "ChatGPT" that will be inseparable from our lives in the future.

Also, what kind of technology evolution will bring convenience and stimulation to our lives next? JIITAK will do its best to support your product development with the thought of " connecting today's challenges to a valuable tomorrow with the power of technology." Please let us know your ideas to JIITAK.

References

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Written By

Stalin Pereira

Stalin Pereira, with 14 years as a solution architect, excels in developing innovative proof of concept solutions. He plays a pivotal role in conceptualizing, designing, and demonstrating the feasibility of new technologies.

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