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Explained: ChatGPT

By CFIN Newsdesk posted 07-04-2023 08:00

  

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What is it? 

ChatGPT is an open access chatbot (a computer program designed to interact with customers online to simulate conversation) developed by OpenAI and launched in November 2022. It uses data, artificial intelligence and natural language processing to enable users to ask questions and produce content. 

 

ChatGPT differs from other chatbots in that it remembers prompts and replies throughout the conversation that it uses as context. As a result, the system is more versatile than other chatbots. OpenAI says the system can answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests. 

 

OpenAI offers users free access to its GPT-3.5 version, but the more advanced version, GPT-4, is offered to subscribers under the name ChatGPT Plus. ChatGPT can write computer programs, music, written content, generate ideas, translate, play games and more.  

 

Why You Should Care 

ChatGPT is the fastest-growing consumer software application ever, with more than 100 million users. Although rival versions by Google (PaLM-E) and Meta (LLaMA) also exist, a Pew Research Center poll shows that 58% of Americans are familiar with ChatGPT, and 14% have used it for work, educational purposes or entertainment, with 74% of them saying it was somewhat useful. 

 

Food and beverage businesses can fine-tune the system for a variety of uses. ChatGPT can be used by businesses to: 

 

  • Generate tailored content for marketing, consumer promotion and online blogs; 

  • Improve a website’s SEO ranking with keywords; 

  • Automate sales; 

  • Create menu or product descriptions and images; 

  • Perform research; 

  • Create a brand persona; 

  • Brainstorm and generate ideas; 

  • Train employees; 

  • Translate copy into different languages; 

  • Process data and generate reports; 

  • Supply chain optimization; 

  • Customer service, and more. 

 

Challenges 

There are still challenges with the use of ChatGPT, and responses and content still need to be monitored.  

 

While ChatGPT is designed to reduce harmful or offensive responses, it can still produce misleading responses with the right (or wrong) prompts, including incorrect answers, biased content and even fabricated or plagiarized material. It has limited information events occurring after 2021, meaning material on some topics is limited.  

 

ChatGPT also presents a cybersecurity risk, as it can be used to generate sophisticated phishing emails and write malware that allow senders to hack into business systems.  

 

What’s Happening in Canada?  

ChatGPT Plus launched in Canada in February 2023. In April, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced it was investigating how OpenAI collected, used and disclosed users’ personal information, as well as the use of copyright materials. And by May, the commissioner announced it was jointly investigating the system with the privacy authorities for Quebec, BC and Alberta.  

 

Last year the government also introduced the federal Digital Charter Implementation Act (Bill C-27), which if passed will introduce new legislation governing consumer privacy, data protection and all AI systems in Canada. 

#chatbot 

#AI 

#artificialintelligence 

#foodtech 

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