ChatGPT, a game changer? Here´s my take …

Over the past few weeks (months?) I´ve not given it much thought or attention, even though I´ve written many ELT dialogues on technology. Everybody´s talking about it, it seems and it´s all over the place: social media, TV, the papers and exchanges with family, friends and acquaintances. As I was coming back home from my morning run today (February, 24th 2023), I saw a young woman waiting at the elevator hall and decided to strike up a conversation by asking her about … ChatGPT. Our exchange (in Brazilian Portuguese, my mother tongue) went like this:

JR: Hey, how´re you? Lemme ask you something. Have you tried the ChatGPT platform yet?

YW: (She smiled at my question as she answered) I have! I work with health issues and I tried asking it some questions. I was amazed at the results!

I thanked her as the elevator got to my floor and thought to myself “I guess it´s time I stopped turning a blind eye to it”. After a quick shower I rushed to my desktop and found my way to … ChatGPT. If you wanna try it yourself I added some info at the end of this article about how to easily access the platform for free.

MY FIRST-TIME EXPERIENCE WITH CHATGPT

Here are the 3 questions I decided to ask ChatGPT:

What´s the meaning of the phrasal verb top off? Can you give me some example sentences?
Can you create a dialogue about the pandemic with the following words and expressions: vaccine rollout, health care providers, blow over, ICU beds, disrupted, mild sypmtoms, old normal and bring about?
How will ChatGPT affect the world as we know it?

And below you have ChatGPT´s answers:

1. What´s the meaning of the phrasal verb top off? Can you give me some example sentences?

The phrasal verb “top off” means to fill a container or space completely to the very top or to add something extra or final to complete something. Here are some example sentences:

I need to top off my gas tank before we leave on our road trip.
The bartender topped off my drink with a splash of soda.
The chef topped off the cake with a layer of frosting and fresh berries.
Don’t forget to top off the bird feeder with some more seeds.
I topped off my savings account with a bonus I received at work.

2. Can you create a dialogue about the pandemic with the following words and expressions: vaccine rollout, health care providers, blow over, ICU beds, disrupted, mild sypmtoms, old normal and bring about?

Sure, here’s a dialogue about the pandemic using those words and expressions:

John: Hey, have you heard about the vaccine rollout in our state? I heard that they’ve started vaccinating health care providers first.

Maria: Yeah, I’ve heard about it. It’s a relief to know that they are prioritizing the people who are most at risk. I hope the vaccine will help bring about an end to this pandemic.

John: Me too. It’s been tough for everyone, especially those who have been affected by the pandemic. I read that some hospitals are running out of ICU beds and medical resources because of the surge in cases.

Maria: That’s really concerning. I hope that the situation doesn’t get worse and that things will start to improve soon. Maybe once more people get vaccinated, we’ll start to see some progress.

John: I hope so too. It’s been hard to adjust to this new normal, and I miss the old normal where we didn’t have to worry about things like social distancing and mask-wearing.

Maria: I know what you mean, but we have to stay positive and keep doing our part to stop the spread of the virus. Hopefully, this pandemic will blow over soon and we can all go back to our normal lives. In the meantime, we should all be vigilant and take care of ourselves and those around us, especially if we experience mild symptoms.

3. How will ChatGPT affect the world as we know it?

As an AI language model, my impact on the world is still limited to assisting people with their inquiries and providing them with information. However, AI technologies are rapidly evolving and have the potential to transform various industries and sectors in the future.

For example, AI can be used to improve healthcare by assisting doctors in diagnosing diseases or creating personalized treatment plans for patients. AI can also revolutionize the transportation industry by enabling autonomous vehicles to operate safely and efficiently. Furthermore, AI can help us address climate change by optimizing energy usage and reducing carbon emissions.

In terms of my own impact, as a language model, I can help individuals and organizations with language-related tasks such as translation, content creation, and natural language processing. My goal is to provide accurate and helpful information to users, which can lead to increased knowledge, productivity, and efficiency. However, it is ultimately up to humans to decide how to use and apply AI technologies in ways that benefit society and promote human well-being.

Before I logged off the platform I told ChatGPT: I have to say I´m impressed with your skills. Thank you so much for your help!

And here´s the answer that I got:

Thank you for your kind words! As an AI language model, I am designed to provide assistance and answer questions to the best of my abilities. I’m always here to help, so feel free to ask me anything anytime!

Now, is ChatGPT a game changer? In my humble opinion, it´s definitely one of them, but we´ve seen many watershed moments like this in technology before and they will keep on happening. Everything will keep evolving like it´s meant to be. As educators it´s up to us to find ways to make it work to our advantage. Remember the cliché “It doesn´t matter what they have done to you. What matters is what you do next and how you react to it”.

Wanna try ChatGPT yourself for free? Click here, it will take you to a webpage with all the directions.

If you want to check out my own dialogue about the pandemic “Living amid the pandemic” it´s in Unit 1 of my latest book “LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book”.

You can go to Amazon – click here – and read it, or even listen to it for free. (sample pages). I´ve used all the words and expressions I asked ChatGPT to use: vaccine rollout, health care providers, blow over, ICU beds, disrupted, mild sypmtoms, old normal and bring about.

José Roberto A. Igreja is the author and co-author of several ELT books, including:

LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book, now available on the Amazon stores of the following countries:

AUSTRALIA BRAZIL CANADA FRANCE GERMANY INDIA ITALY JAPAN MEXICO NETHERLANDS SPAIN UK US

If you´re based in Brazil the paperback is available at a discount price on UICLAP!
240 pages – 31 QR-CODES for the audio tracks (dialogues) “even the paperback comes with built-in technology”

A BRAND-NEW ELT BOOK!