What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI-based chat application. What is different about it is that it can follow up on previous answers, write code, and many more.
One thing it does right is to provide context-related information. I love it, but not for the reasons you might think.
I think ChatGPT showcases the things we can accomplish using AI. Just like GitHub Copilot, it could reach a point where it could help developers write code. The funny thing is that the same company is behind both technologies.
Why do I love ChatGPT?
As a tech enthusiast, Artificial Intelligence is interesting to me. That's not to say I would take the output of an AI machine as truth. Nobody should do that. At least not yet.
What should we do with it?
I used it as a source of inspiration for a current project. But today, we work with complicated code, and I don't see it being able to code multiple files soon.
ChatGPT is not going to take down Google.
All the hype around ChatGPT is just that: hype. Google is only worried about it because of the power it can give people to cheat their algorithms. You will have to ask Google about that.
One thing I don't see mentioned is that most of the time I search for something on Google, it returns a bunch of websites containing some answer related to my query. I then look at the websites in the results and usually click on one that I visited before and already trust. ChatGPT would not provide a source for the information it returns. Many people are unaware of the difference and should think more about it.
I used it, and it's not what most people think. It's just a tool and, like any other tool, can be used for evil. They proceeded to dumb it down recently because people were asking for questionable information from it.
Will ChatGPT replace programmers?
Let me tell you something about programmers. We do not write code like movie hackers. It is easier for me to create a button component in reactjs rather than phrase a request for the same thing to ChatGPT. It would take me less time to write the code myself rather than ask the question, check the result, and add it to my project. I am probably exaggerating, but you get the point. And my point is valid.
It could help us cut some corners sometimes, but It cannot help us with the two most valuable assets of a great programmer: creativity and debugging skills. ChatGPT can still not debug code properly.
Do you know how much time we spend debugging? It goes up to half of the time we spend coding.
Another thing that was clear to me is that if you want to use it to write code, you have to give it a pretty specific request. I mean, you must know what you want and be very explicit. Just like a programmer. But how can ChatGPT replace programmers if you need one to ask the questions?
I think we reached a point where you realize that it will not replace programmers but make it easier for one programmer to write code faster, which could make you think that fewer programmers are needed to do the same job. It could be correct, but this has happened many times before, and programmers still exist. Their numbers are increasing as well.
What should we make of it?
ChatGPT is a significant display of what AI is currently able to do. I am sure it will help some of you.
It will not replace anyone soon because we all work for businesses. And businesses like a liability. As a business, you should not accept copying/pasting code or text/articles generated by a machine. A machine cannot be held accountable for its output in the context of ChatGPT or similar technology. That could be a problem in the business world.
I still like it and will occasionally play with it. At the same time, I will stick with Google Search and write my code as I did until now.