Hey, ChatGPT, are you going to take my job? | Commentary
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The world is understandably fascinated with artificial intelligence.
The latest developments are mind-boggling — everything from medical technology that can diagnose illnesses and make surgical repairs to programs that can write a college term paper better than many college students.
And it all leads to a common question: How many jobs will AI take? Everyone from Hollywood screenwriters to financial analysts are wondering if AI programs will one day replace them.
That goes for journalists, too. After all, several readers have suggested a blue-footed booby could do my job better than I. It seems like ChatGPT could do the same.
So I decided to put the AI-based chatbot to the test by asking it to write versions of columns I’d already written.
For starters, ChatGPT is much faster than me — like Javelin missile-vs.-three-toed sloth faster. (I’m the sloth.) What takes me a day to research, report and write takes ChatGPT all of about six seconds. But was it any good?
Well, I decided to start with a topic I thought might be pretty easy — whether Disney World might leave Florida because of its fight with Ron DeSantis.
Many people have asked about this possibility. I thought it was far-fetched and wrote a column saying as much. But what would ChatGPT say? Pretty much the same thing.
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In its piece, “Disney World Unlikely to Relocate,” ChatGPT described the idea as “highly unlikely, if not virtually impossible,” noting, as I did, the company’s massive investments here.
Now, my writing was more colorful. I said: “You’re more likely to see DeSantis dress up as Tinker Bell than you are to see Disney leave Florida.” But both ChatGPT and I had the same takeaway.
That column, though, was a no-brainer — the kind for which readers with Twitter handles like MaxwellSux421 say my brain is best suited. So I gave ChatGPT a more nuanced request:
“Write 300 words on whether it’s ethical for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to use a golf simulator loaned to him by Mori Hosseini.”
The response was better than I expected, offering a pretty declaratory ruling on the impropriety of DeSantis accepting a pricey gift from a developer buddy. Much like I concluded, ChatGPT said it “raises concerns about the potential for conflicts of interest” and that “Accepting gifts or favors from individuals who have business interests or political connections can undermine public trust and raise questions about the fairness and impartiality of the decision-making process.”
The governor will probably now accuse ChatGPT of being a woke Disney drag queen.
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But after that question, ChatGPT started flaming out. ChapGPT said so itself, acknowledging it simply can’t do many of the things real-life journalists do, including fetching public records that can be difficult to obtain.
For instance, I asked ChatGPT about Mayor Jerry Demings’ hotel-tax task force, saying: “Can you tell me how members of Orange County’s TDT Citizen Advisory Task Force voted at their final meeting?”
The answer: No. “I don’t have real-time data or access to current events beyond my last update in September 2021.”
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I should acknowledge that, for this column, I used the free version of ChatGPT that most people use. There’s also a paid version that can cull more recent information. But it turns out, that wouldn’t make a difference in trying to write columns like these.
Because I also asked about a much-older topic that was covered nationally at great length: “Which Florida lawmakers voted in support of the so-called ‘Docs vs. Glocks’ bill?”
The AI tool knew what I was talking about — the Legislature’s 2011 attempt to restrict conversations about firearms between doctors and their patients. But there were two big problems: 1) ChatGPT didn’t seem to realize the law had been invalidated after multiple courts ruled it unconstitutional. 2) It replied: “Unfortunately, my data does not include specific voting records of individual lawmakers.”
That’s probably because many government agencies make it tough to get this information. It’s sometimes listed in PDF forms or fetchable only when requested from another live human being — the kind of thing journalists do everyday.
In fact, ChatGPT said a better resource might be “reputable news sources.”
Now, MaxwellSux421 or other critics might not consider me reputable. But I was able to give readers a breakdown on how every local lawmaker voted for the bill.
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If you’re interested, I put the full versions of ChatGPT’s work products in a separate file on orlandosentinel.com. You can judge for yourself.
Overall, the latest AI developments are pretty mind-melting and will only get better with time. Even without access to recent data, it’s remarkable to realize that, within seconds, ChatGPT can pull together logical columns about why Disney’s local investments keep it tied to Central Florida and about the governor’s golf gift from a Volusia County developer.
Oh, and just for giggles, I also asked: “Is Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell any good?” and “Could ChatGPT replace newspaper columnists like Scott Maxwell?”
In response to the first question, ChatGPT said: “As an AI language model, I don’t possess personal opinions or biases” and then suggested readers make that judgment for themselves. But the chatbot offered a detailed analysis of what I do, saying: “Maxwell often shares his opinions and perspectives on various matters, encouraging readers to think critically and engage in thoughtful discussions. He brings attention to local stories and frequently challenges those in power, advocating for accountability and fairness.”
Aw, ChatGPT, you’re making me blush.
And in response to the second question, ChatGPT said it was “unlikely” it could ever replace local newspaper writers because: “Newspaper columnists bring unique perspectives, experiences, and insights to their writing. They often have extensive knowledge in their respective fields and establish relationships within the communities they cover.”
So I’m obviously now ChatGPT’s biggest fan … at least until a future version like 11.0 is released with the ability to access and synthesize voting records from last week’s county commission meeting. Then I’ll quickly join the AI-is-evil bandwagon.
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