When OpenAI launched its ChatGPT chatbot in 2022, it looked as if a new generation of artificial intelligence tools was about to transform every corner of the economy and people’s lives. Fast-forward to 2024 and AI features have been added to countless services, but the impact has arguably not been quite so dramatic. AI has not created vibrant new professions. Neither has it yet laid waste to entire industries. A growing number of high-profile and well-funded startups have bowed out of the race to develop cutting-edge AI models. Much of the newsflow around the new generation of AI has focused on its downsides — a tendency to perpetuate harmful biases or amplify misinformation. In September, Microsoft-backed OpenAI began rolling out an updated model that the company said can engage in human-like reasoning to work through more complex questions from users, including fielding complicated math and coding problems. Alphabet’s Google and Anthropic are also working on similar capabilities for their products. OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman called it the “beginning of a new paradigm.” The concept of reasoning is difficult to define and measure, but the goal for the tech companies is clear: They’re out to prove that AI tools can act as sophisticated “co-pilots” and “agents,” capable of helping people with personal and professional tasks. In doing so, they hope to shore up AI’s long-term potential.
Full opinion : The changing dynamics of artificial intelligence chatbots.
