On Generative AI
33 Introducing Generative and Conversational AI
Michael Hallissy and John Hurley
History
In late November 2022, the world was introduced to ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based chatbot system based on a language model called GPT-3.5. It uses natural language processing (NLP) to generate conversations1. ChatGPT was the latest in a series of such tools but, unlike previous tools, it has captured public interest and imagination. It had more than a million users within a week of its launch because of its ability to generate human-like text and its perceived implications and potential use in education, the workplace and everyday life. ChatGPT can answer questions and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays and code2.
GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer-3) is a Large Language Model (LLM) that was trained through deep learning on a vast quantity of data (499 billion data points – 800GB of data), a model some one hundred times larger than any previous models3. ChatGPT enables human-like conversations with this model. A large language model is trained to predict the next word in a sentence, somewhat in the same way that a text-message auto-complete-feature works. It continues this process to generate more text.
Since its arrival there have been many developments in relation to the creation and development of generative AI tools. We have captured some of these in the graphic above. Prior to November 2022, few people knew what generative AI was. All of a sudden, terms such as ChatGPT became everyday terms for many – particularly those in education. The indications are that these technologies will continue to develop and become more useful to all in education.
Generative AI – What are they?
Generative AI systems create new content in the form of images, text, audio, video, and more:
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- Images: generative AI can create new images based on existing ones, such as creating a new portrait based on a person’s face, or a new landscape based on existing scenery;
- Text: generative AI can be used to write news articles, poetry and even scripts. It can translate text from one language to another;
- Audio: generative AI can generate new music tracks, sound effects and voice acting4.
The list of possibilities continues to grow, but let’s start by asking some generative AI tools how ChatGPT got its name.
But what is in a name?
Generative AI tools have multiple uses, so let’s give a number of tools – Bing Chat, ChatGPT 3.5 and Google Bard the following prompt:
You are an expert in AI in Education. Imagine you are explaining what ChatGPT is and how it got its name to young children, aged between 10 to 14. Explain why it includes the term chat and show some examples of how it can be used in education. Write your output as a persuasive piece of writing that explains ChatGPT
Here is what Bing Chat created:
The name “ChatGPT” comes from the words “chat” and “GPT.” “Chat” means to talk with someone in a friendly and informal way.