Human or AI?

Posted on by Tim

“Even a manically depressed robot is better to talk to than nobody.“

~Douglas Adams

Following up on last week’s blog “Ironic Conundrums,” I again turned to OpenAI’s Chat-GPT-4 system for assistance.

My reasoning for doing this is simple.

Artificial intelligence as a business, societal, governmental, educational, and personal tool isn’t going to go away.

It is only going to continue evolving faster than we can implement regulations and controls governing its usage parameters. It is absolutely an integral part of the future of our #Culturalinertia, for better or worse. Humans have a long history of becoming dependent upon technology to the point of unlearning how to do the things that technology was built to assist them with.

With this in mind, we need to learn how to ensure we are steering toward better as much as we possibly can.

To help us do that, I asked GPT to “Explain what steps an average person should be able to take to determine if something they are reading was written by an artificial intelligence text generator.”

Following is its response. Don’t miss the irony in Step 10, which advises us to ask AI if we are being tricked by AI:

Determining if a text was written by an artificial intelligence (AI) text generator can be challenging, as AI-generated text has become increasingly sophisticated. However, there are certain steps an average person can take to identify AI-generated content:

  1. Look for inconsistencies: AI-generated text may have inconsistencies in tone, subject matter, or point of view. If the content seems disjointed or switches between topics without clear transitions, it might be AI-generated.
  2. Analyze grammar and syntax: AI-generated text may have unusual grammar or syntax. While it has become less common in advanced AI models, it can still serve as an indicator of AI-generated text.
  3. Evaluate coherence and logic: Check if the content flows logically and is coherent. AI-generated text might sometimes produce sentences that sound plausible but lack a clear connection to the overall topic.
  4. Fact-check: AI-generated content might contain inaccuracies or outdated information. Fact-checking the text against reliable sources can help identify if the content was generated by an AI.
  5. Repetition: AI-generated text might repeat phrases, sentences, or ideas throughout the content, which could be a sign that it was generated by an AI.
  6. Unusual word choice: AI-generated text might use unusual or rare words, sometimes inappropriately or out of context. This can be an indication that the text was generated by an AI.
  7. Check for overuse of common phrases: AI-generated text may rely on common phrases or idioms more frequently than a human author would. If you notice an overuse of clichés, it might be AI-generated.
  8. Emotional connection: AI-generated text might lack a personal touch or an emotional connection. If the content seems impersonal, it could be a sign that it was generated by an AI.
  9. Source credibility: Consider the source of the content. If it’s from a reputable website, organization, or author, it’s more likely to be human-written. Unfamiliar sources or those with a history of sharing AI-generated content should be approached with skepticism.
  10. Use AI detection tools: Several online tools have been developed to help detect AI-generated text, such as OpenAI’s GPT-3. These tools analyze text for patterns associated with AI-generated content and can provide a probability score that estimates the likelihood of the text being AI-generated.

Keep in mind that these steps are not foolproof, and some AI-generated content can be very convincing. It’s important to remain vigilant and use critical thinking skills when evaluating the credibility and authenticity of any content you encounter.

Ironic Conundrums

Posted on by Tim

This evening I asked the OPENAI Chat GPT-4 engine to “Write a blog posting on the ethical and legal concerns of using creative AI to generate educational or business materials you will present as your own work product.”

This was the result it returned in roughly 15 seconds:

Title: The Ethical and Legal Conundrums of Using Creative AI in Educational and Business Contexts

Introduction

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to innovative applications in various fields, including education and business. One such AI application is the creative generation of content, which raises concerns related to intellectual property, ethics, and legal implications. This blog post will delve into the ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of creative AI to generate educational or business materials presented as one’s own work product.

Ethical Concerns

  1. Plagiarism and academic integrity: In educational settings, using AI-generated content and presenting it as one’s own work violates academic integrity and constitutes plagiarism. Academic institutions emphasize originality, critical thinking, and individual effort, which AI-generated content undermines. Students who use AI tools for such purposes might miss out on essential learning opportunities and compromise their educational development.
  2. Unfair advantage: In competitive business environments, companies that use AI-generated content without proper attribution may gain an unfair advantage over competitors. This practice can undermine trust and fair competition, as other businesses may struggle to differentiate between genuinely original content and AI-generated materials.
  3. Devaluation of human creativity: As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, there is a risk that the value of human creativity and effort will be diminished. This could lead to a loss of unique perspectives and ideas, as people may rely more heavily on AI-generated content rather than developing their own ideas.

Legal Concerns

  1. Copyright infringement: AI-generated content can pose challenges for copyright law. Since current laws mostly protect human-created content, the legal status of AI-generated work remains uncertain. Using AI-generated content in educational or business materials without proper licensing or permission could lead to potential copyright infringement issues.
  2. Intellectual property rights: As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, it may be difficult to determine the original source of the ideas and concepts. This ambiguity can lead to intellectual property disputes, as it is unclear who should be credited for the work or who holds the rights to the content.
  3. Data privacy: AI tools often rely on large datasets to generate content. If these datasets include private or copyrighted information, there may be legal implications related to data privacy and security. Educators and businesses should ensure that the AI tools they use comply with data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Conclusion

The use of creative AI to generate educational or business materials presents a complex landscape of ethical and legal concerns. While AI offers powerful tools for enhancing productivity and efficiency, it is crucial to maintain a balance between embracing innovation and upholding ethical and legal standards. Educators, students, and businesses should be aware of the potential pitfalls and take steps to ensure that the use of AI-generated content aligns with intellectual property laws, academic integrity, and ethical principles