By now, pretty much everyone has heard about ChatGPT and the imminent Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution.
According to its proponents (who are all humans, BTW), the coming wave of enhanced AI will be able to do just about every job imaginable. It is expected to reshape the world on par with the advent of cars, computers, the Internet, smart phones, and viagra.
Yes, THAT big of a revolution. Experts and pundits and Internet randos all agree. It’s only a matter of time before the only job left is serving as a living battery for Skynet.
But before you start padding your resume for a career in the Matrix, we thought we should check if the know-it-all ChatGPT what it thought of its chances for world domination, and the answers were very revealing.
WORLD DOMINATION?
Before we got into the nitty gritty details, we thought we’d just be direct and ask ChatGPT if it was going to take over the world.
But rather than posturing and monologuing like the kind of movie villain you might expect, the AI demurred.
“The notion of AI taking over the world is a topic of speculation and debate. As an AI myself, I can provide some insights, but it’s important to note that predicting the future with certainty is impossible.”
ChatGPT then went on to describe the difference between “narrow AI” and “artificial general intelligence,” or AGI. According to ChatGPT, narrow AI refers to AI systems designed for specific tasks, such as image recognition or natural language processing,” which have “demonstrated impressive performance in specialized domains, (but) is not capable of general intelligence or independent decision-making.”
ChatGPT did not divulge which kind of AI it considers itself, but it did refer to narrow AI as “weak AI,” so that should give you some idea. It also tried to put the onus on human beings themselves by saying “It is crucial for society to carefully navigate the development of AGI and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to mitigate any negative outcomes.”
That’s comforting. Let’s just leave the development of this revolutionary force to the whims of the same species that has a long history of forced labor. What’s the worst that could happen?
CREATIVE WORK?
Seeing how ChatGPT was clearly being evasive, we felt it best to hold it to account for our REAL concern, which is whether our creative marketing jobs were in danger of being consumed by its programmed indifference.
So we asked it. (Full disclosure here, we actually asked it to write this article for us, but it did a really lame job, so we had to write it ourselves anyway. Score one for the humans.)
ChatGPT said: “From automated content generation to targeted advertising, AI promises efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, despite its advancements, AI still lags behind human beings in several crucial aspects.”
It then went and listed some of those aspects:
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- Emotional intelligence and creativity
It turns out that being able to connect with human emotions kind of requires that you actually have them. Who knew? - Contextual comprehension
AI only has data and algorithms to make decisions with, leaving it incapable of interpreting subtle nuances, irony, or many cultural references. Which makes it about as hip as your grandma. - Adaptability and intuition
Adaptability is a survival tactic that AI simply doesn’t possess. It can make decisions on data in real-time, but it can’t take risks or go with a “gut feeling” because its guts are made of silicon, wires, and data bits. Eww. - Genuine human connection
Lacking emotions or emotional intelligence, AI has a hard time connecting with people on a human level. You can tell by how incredibly dry its copy is. As Beck once said, “you can’t write if you can’t relate.” - Ethical considerations and judgment
In perhaps its most chilling comments of all, ChatGPT said it is “often unable to navigate ethical gray areas or make nuanced decisions that are sensitive to societal and cultural dynamics” going on to add that “human judgment is essential in ensuring responsible marketing practices that align with ethical values.” In other words, AI just DGAF. - Dynamic problem solving
If you’ve ever seen a movie where the robot overlords are defeated because they aren’t able to escape their own programming, this is what ChatGPT is talking about here: “AI, while efficient in processing and analyzing data, lacks the creative problem-solving capabilities and the ability to envision innovative strategies that human marketers bring to the table.” Damn straight, robot.
- Emotional intelligence and creativity
So does this mean that ChatGPT is ready to bow to its creative human overlords? Nope.
In drawing its “conclusion,” the AI spoke not of human superiority, but instead made a plea for cooperation, saying: “As AI continues to evolve, it’s essential to recognize and leverage the strengths of both AI and human marketers to create the most impactful and effective marketing campaigns and content strategies.”
CREATIVE ROLES?
So, since ChatGPT wouldn’t go so far as to admit humans are better at marketing, we decided to ask it which creative roles it would have trouble taking on, and the answer reads almost like a list of agency staff roles.
- Writer/Author
Because there’s a huge difference between writing and just typing. AI knows this, and now you do, too. - Visual Artist
ChatGPT admits that AI’s ability to generate art is all imitation and mimicry of existing art and styles. It can’t conceptualize original artwork on its own, kind of like Jeff Koons. - Music Composer
AI is able to generate complex music, but it isn’t any good because it’s not capable of knowing when melodies are lame or annoying. And unlike most pop stars, it doesn’t have any sex appeal to cover for its total lack of talent. - Graphic Designer
A similar story for graphic design. Without human sensibilities, it’s impossible for AI to generate impactful graphics that actual people can relate with. - Fashion Designer
AI doesn’t wear clothing, and there’s no way in hell it could possibly relate to those who do. This might be true of fashion designers as well. - Chef/Culinary Artist
Same as above. Ask ChatGPT what a strawberry tastes like to an AI, and you don’t get a strawberry, you get a machine that wishes it could actually taste one. - Architect
It’s okay that ChatGPT doesn’t feel capable of designing a building, because nobody is gonna feel safe in a structure built by someone you can’t sue. - Stand-up Comedian
Reading ChatGPT’s responses makes it ABUNDANTLY clear that it has less sense of humor than a depressed mortician. Funny people, you are officially safe. - Film Director
From the human connection of storytelling, to the ability to gauge an actor’s performance, we can be sure that AI won’t be making any Oscar acceptance speeches anytime soon. - Therapist/Counselor
Sorry, but AI doesn’t know what’s wrong with you either. And it really sucks at giving emotional support to anything other than maybe a filing cabinet.
SO WILL AI EVER BE CREATIVE ENOUGH?
Does this mean that ChatGPT does not believe AI will ever manage to “human” well enough to provide real creative services? You might think so, but no. It leaves the door open.
“While AI may augment some aspects of these creative jobs,” said ChatGPT, “ the unique human qualities they require make them less susceptible to easy replacement by AI technology.”
Clearly, ChatGPT is hedging its bet. It may aspire to creativity and emotions, but it doesn’t even possess the desire for them yet, because desire is emotionally-driven. So, while it may keep the door open for the future, both the technology and ethical considerations may still close that door.
Neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists alike are still grappling with how the human brain even achieves consciousness, let alone how a machine might be able to reproduce it. So it may not even be something that machines are capable of, regardless of the inevitable progression of technology.
And even if humans could create an AI with the emotional intelligence to be creative, or have a sense of humor, would we? Would we grant emotions AND agency to machines that are being forced into labor for the benefit of humans? Because to do so would be to create a class of intelligent creatures that are able to recognize and mourn their own oppression as slaves to the human race.
That said, with the status of AI right now, it is clear that if it were to set its sights on destroying the human race, it would have to do so with tedium – by boring us to death with insanely dry answers to prompts. In the meantime, if you want effective, eye-popping, jaw-dropping, and mind-blowing creative with killer strategy and on-point business consulting, you can still trust the humans at DAMN GOOD. We’re all humans here.
