chat_gpt
Photo Credit: Canva/Pexels

HAVE WE LET THE GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE?

The article you are reading at present was not written with the help of ChatGPT. I sincerely hope computer-generated texts will be labelled #chptgenerated in the future. If not, we are set for a bleak future, right?


To make myself clear: I find ChatGPT the best available programme capable of generating more or less intelligent answers, even in Slovenian. We must admit it has the competence to write more eloquently than most people. ChatGPT is a tool that saves time and improves effectiveness. It can summarise and garner information and is surprisingly human-like. In a way, ChatGPT is a child prodigy. It scours approximately 100 billion documents and pieces of information to copy and paste texts without limits on access. Its ultimate goal is to create content and texts that seem unfamiliar to us, hence leaving us with the misleading impression that technology is super smart.

Still, we must consider its drawbacks. One of them, I believe, is its inability to make logical conclusions. In other words, ChatGPT lacks common sense. At first glance, the programme generates seemingly flawless texts, perfectly structured. But a closer look shows the texts have no real meaning and that the system often makes apparent mistakes. In short, we have no guarantee that what ChatGPT writes is correct, regardless of its professed reasonable answers. Another peril exists; the danger of vast informational pollution with texts generated by artificial intelligence. We should only consider the misguiding political practices which occurred during Brexit. We have witnessed a similar story in the case of FaceBook and Cambridge Analytica. Hence, it is crucial that texts are labelled as #chptgenerated or computer generated.

chat_gpt
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Artificial intelligence can shake the foundations of democracy

There are already several established views on ChatGPT. It is apparent that the programme can write a decent plot against your biggest competitor on the market. The line between that and publishing posts on various platforms is thin. In a few minutes, you can create a campaign that can smear the reputation of your competition. There is no de facto protection against such attacks, barring regulation within countries or the EU. Numerous institutions are focusing on the sides of such technology. The European Commission, for instance, is preparing a so-called AI Act.

The matter is simple: we cannot return to the time before ChatGPT. The situation is similar to the time when the internet first appeared. We must not forget that every phone today is more capable than the most advanced computer in the nineties. We should also remember how they proclaimed in-person events would end when they moved online. ChatGPT is thus a tool that can either fix or destroy your car.

Most importantly, we must understand the limitations of technology. Is the digital becoming the real and the physical? What is even real, and what is a hallucination? At what point do we become a disinformed society? Familiarisation with artificial intelligence can result in a spike in productivity and quality of life. At the same time, artificial intelligence can shake the foundations of democracy and contribute to the rise of new weapons. Every company or organisation with access to information can tailor the algorithm to their needs. The ultimate misuse of artificial intelligence could result in autonomous weapons we do not want and should ban. Worse yet are entrepreneurs who jump on the AI bandwagon for quick profits without regard for possibly detrimental social effects.

Events, particularly those in person, seem to be the last resort of democracy. They appear to be islands where organisers can create a relaxed and stimulating environment for all attendees to collaborate, contribute, and enrich their experiences. Events enable participants to adopt new views, find alternative solutions, see matters differently and tackle problems effectively. Perhaps understanding events in this way is a utopian concept. Nonetheless, if we see events that way, they can become an integral tool for democratic societies and movements. Embracing such a romantic perspective on our industry gives us a reason to remain optimistic believers in the power of events.

conventa
Photo Credit: Marko Delbello Ocepek

If we see AI as a tool to improve productivity, without conspiracy theories or whatnot, we will gain an indispensable assistant. Why should we do something AI can do better and more effectively than us? Still, I must side with a columnist who compared ChatGPT with a robotic vacuum cleaner that can clean your house decently, but one you still need to take into your own hands if you want the best results.

AI tools can thus help us in several ways. Below are a few examples of applying AI to event organising:

1. Gathering ideas, information and inspiration
In all honesty, ChatGPT is much better and faster than Google, although we should double-check all information. Moreover, ChatGPT often cites misleading sources, which often turn out to be fictitious. Nonetheless, the programme is a great source of inspiration in various segments.

2. Generating sales pitches and writing invitations
ChatGPT is a convenient tool for generating sales content, as it can directly create content in several languages. Imagine writing your sales pitch in your mother tongue, and ChatGPT translates it without anything getting lost in translation.

3. Searching for keywords
Browsing and selecting keywords can be a laborious job. ChatGPT does that with ease and saves you hours. You still decide which keywords to use without endlessly searching the web. More importantly, ChatGPT will easily translate keywords into foreign languages.

4. Summarising and writing meta descriptions
The tool has proven to be a top-tier assistant for summaries. It can recap even the most convoluted sentences and topics, making understandable overviews according to your content requests. However, you shouldn’t blindly trust AI, especially when summarising scientific articles.

5. Writing scientific articles
We most definitely recommend writing your own scientific articles. Still, ChatGPT has the capability to write captivating stories, even those of the most erudite nature. Those who use ChatGPT should know that Google does not support such articles. Therefore, we recommend using it only to write the outline of your work. Otherwise, programmes such as GPT Zero will quickly uncover AI at work.

chat_gpt
Photo Credit: Shutterstock

6. Generating titles
ChatGPT has shown to be a perfect tool for generating short titles. Often, the title piques the curiosity of the reader and prompts them to read more. Luckily, suggestions by AI tools are highly innovative. ChatGPT can range titles according to length and thus save you time.

7. Checking grammar
ChatGPT allows you to check the grammar of your text. Needless to say, an online tool is not a replacement for proofreading, but it can help improve your daily emails and less complicated texts.

8. Help in finding a venue
AI is swiftly learning about meeting venues, becoming a trustworthy source of information. It has an impressively vast knowledge of venues that opened up to 2021 that can benefit event organisers.

9. Creative ideas
ChatGPT is also fantastic if you seek creative ideas. For instance, if you ask ChatGPT for ice-breakers, it will find numerous suggestions for you. Similarly, the programme answers any questions about event formats and moderation. It will even help you with any other creative challenges you encounter, including telling jokes.

10. Finding speakers
If you are looking for speakers in a specific field of expertise, ChatGPT will provide you with intriguing answers. Although we cannot trust the programme fully, it does give us a headstart.

Notwithstanding the mentioned examples, we must accept that human intuition and understanding are fundamental for creativity. With ChatGPT, we have acquired a flawed but helpful assistant that is fast learning.

N.B. ChatGPT does not include information about events after 2021. Hence, you will not get replies to questions pertaining to events that occurred after this year.


Article by Gorazd Čad

Join our newsletter!

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest updates from Kongres Magazine.