It’s currently one of the most controversial technologies and one that has caused debates among writing professionals and an uproar among academics. But, despite the fact that it isn’t even a year old, experts say that Chat GPT and similar technologies considered generative artificial intelligence (AI) are about to hit a standstill.
Douglas Rushkoff, a published author and a professor of media theory and digital economics at the City University of New York’s Queen College, Chat GPT and its counterparts have hit their peak and are at the best that they can get. That said, the generative AI apps we see today will be left in the dust by their successors in the near and distant future.
Platforms Built on Existing Platforms
Rushkoff explained that most generative AI firms depend on small apps built upon larger platforms currently in use. Among those that serve as a foundation for these micro-technologies are Chat GPT developer OpenAI, the brainchild of Elon Musk and Sam Altman; Google-developed Deepmind; and MetaAI.
Also, current AI tech uses a one-to-one model, wherein the application is fed data gathered online in order to improve its abilities. That said, any claims stating that an AI application is at least two years ahead of the competition is something of a misnomer. In truth, the former has had two years’ worth of AI training, while the other is just getting started.
Generative AI Has Plateaued?
Rushkoff admits that Chat GPT, despite being one of the newer generative AI platforms, is unlikely to be any better than it already is. He explained that the chatbot is a great application in and of itself and, as such, may be seen as an important phase in the evolution of AI technology. The same thing goes for Microsoft Bing and Google Bard, despite the fact that the former is currently in its invitation-only preview edition and the latter is currently being tested.
But what Rushkoff is excited about is AI that depends on multi-dimensional / fractal-style learning models which are not so data-reliant. These future technologies will easily leap over existing applications and will have the additional virtue of presenting more accurate information and even more truthful statements, thus resolving the current complaint most people have with Chat GPT and Bing whose output features numerous factual inaccuracies.
Despite these hopeful statements, many sectors – especially in the fields of journalism and education – still cast a wary eye on generative AI. Whether or not future developments will help change their minds, alas, remains to be seen.
