Our world as we know it is coming to an end. I don’t say this to alarm anyone, but rather because it is true. Before ChatGPT was invented four years ago, the world was a radically different place. There were no professors writing AI usage statements in their syllabi and most definitely no consultations of chatbots to complete assignments. The closest thing students had to ChatGPT was Grammarly, a website created to make editing and grammar suggestions. The change from four years ago to now is immeasurable. We are losing our humanity, and we don’t even see it.
ChatGPT is a Large Language Model (LLM); LLMs are generative artificial intelligence chatbots coded to engage users in what feels like human dialogue. An astonishing tool capable of extensive learning and research-based tasks, many people view LLMs such as ChatGPT and Claude as convenient, time-saving technologies. With the ability to cut down time spent on tedious tasks and provide information catered to a specific question, many people utilize LLMs in their everyday life.
What we do not recognize as a society, however, is that LLMs such as ChatGPT only regurgitate data that has already been collected by humans. What exactly does this mean? It means that ChatGPT cannot create new knowledge and we must treat it as such.
Each human civilization has looked to the past to correct their mistakes. The United States’s Constitution serves as an example of the amendments we have made to improve our society. We must also view AI and LLMs as in constant need of amending. Artificial intelligence has countless flaws that mirror the flaws in the data collected by humans. As a result, AI often spits of biases, as well as incorrect or unfinished conclusions. AI highlights the systematic flaws of our society, rather than eradicates them.
For instance, medical data can include biases of racism, sexism, and homophobia, which AI then presents as fact. A University of Chicago study demonstrates that AI recommends white patients receive treatment first, even when Black patients should have the priority. AI gave this advice by referring to healthcare spending as an indicator of priority, as in the past more money has been spent on white patients than Black patients in healthcare.
Artificial intelligence and LLM use, while beneficial at times, should not be our go-to resource. The use of ChatGPT should be considered in its totality. Not only does it contain harmful biases and incorrect information, but it also lacks human individuality and creativity. Constant use and referrals to LLMs harms our brain’s ability to think critically. Kids in school no longer learn, but instead regurgitate a regurgitation. Students summarize or reword the responses of ChatGPT in terms of academic questions asked. Instead of using ChatGPT as a tool, for example, in asking the LLM to show each step of a math problem, students simply copy the final answer down. The human race is distinct in our level of intelligence, but the constant use of AI and LLMs will only lead us to become stagnant in our search for new knowledge.
AI puts our humanity at stake. Reliance on it will only promote the decline of creativity and critical thinking skills. It will not push us any further in terms of intelligence; AI is not creating new information or knowledge. It is merely replying with information already collected. How can society expect to move forward if its members only refer to information of the past?
The simple answer: we cannot.
I am not saying the use of AI is inherently and completely negative. I am saying, however, that we must weigh artificial intelligence’s negative qualities on the same scale as its positive ones. We must continue to forge ahead; we must learn, critically and creatively think, and continue to fix the mistakes from our past. We cannot do this if we use ChatGPT as a crutch instead of a tool.