Hopeful Beginnings
When I first learned about Chat GPT, my initial thoughts were, “Wow, this platform can be handy.” I remember hearing most of my classmates talking about this AI-powered platform that could answer pretty much any question you ask. I was shocked to hear that the platform was based on AI because that idea sounded too similar to many movies I have watched about AI takeovers. However, I was still curious about the capabilities of this technology. I was told that Chat GPT could “help with homework,” help with “exam preparation,” “personalize learning,” and edit and revise writing pieces to make them sound more profound (hurixdigital). But, the number one perk my classmates told me about Chat GPT that surprised me was that “Chat GPT can write essays for any subject/topic.” I remember thinking, “Wow, what can’t Chat GPT do?” It wasn’t until I used Chat GPT myself that I saw its flaws and limitations.
Sinking Reality
The first time I got acquainted and familiar with the works of Chat GPT was during my writing assignment where we were told to incorporate Chat GPT for the writing piece. Our teacher gave us a precise rubric to follow to write an argumentative essay: 5 paragraphs, 800 words. The class and I were all a bit annoyed because essays are not always the most fun, but after hearing that we were allowed to use Chat GPT, there was this collective sigh of relief and excitement. I remember thinking, “Okay, that’s great; now, all I have to do is write up the rubric into Chat GPT, and it will have my essay written in two seconds flat.” Boy, was I wrong…
Chat GPT rendered itself useless when push came to shove, as it couldn’t follow the high-level requirements on the rubric and often went on tangents. I quickly learned that Chat GPT likes to write a lot of redundant fluff. It may sound well put together with all the fancy vocabulary words, but at the end of the day, most of the writing is superficial and lacks proper understanding, which was only one of its many problems. Not only was the over-the-top use of fancy vocabulary just a facade, but it made the writing harder to understand, as it seemed like there was never a clear point. Since Chat GPT struggles to get to the point, it tends to write ridiculously long paragraphs that could be condensed into two or three sentences. Those sentences would then need condensing, but Chat GPT struggles to condense wording, especially when you need it at a set word count. I couldn’t believe just how difficult Chat GPT was. I was totally taken aback, but was presented with a needed reality check, which was the entire point of our teacher letting us incorporate Chat GPT into our writing in the first place.
Lesson Learned
My experience with Chat GPT allowed me to understand why it’s essential to do my work myself, helping me see that I cannot solely or even partially rely on artificial intelligence to help me think and cultivate my thoughts into succinct writing. I realized that it was much harder to write my essay when I relied on Chat GPT than if I was to come up with original thoughts and ideas. When using Chat GPT, you must present your thoughts piece by piece because the AI struggles to comprehend large pieces of information simultaneously. I spent more time explaining to Chat GPT how I wanted my essay to be written than if I had done it myself.
So, in the end, to answer the question: nope, Chat GPT is definitely not worth all the hype and is overrated in my opinion. We have been blessed with brains that are much more intelligent and complex than any possible AI. I believe our own thoughts and ideas are much more authentic and more valuable than any thought or idea that an AI can come up with. After that experience, I’m going to stick with the intellect I have been given and grow from there, without the crutches that AI creates for us when we become too reliant on it.
