Some Thoughts on AI

The recent AI wave feels like June 2007 when Steve Jobs unveils iPhone all over again; Smart phone (in this case: AI) has been around for quite some time but the release of iPhone (recent popular AI product for consumer like ChatGPT, Github Copilot, and soon: that Bing's ChatGPT powered) changes the smartphone, mobile apps, and mobile internet's landscape forever.

For me personally, these is how I use those AI-based products so far:

1. Github Copilot: I code heavily in Typescript recently and the code suggestion is actually pretty spot on. However, my favorite use case of Github copilot is how smart it is in autocompleting the JSDoc's description, @param and @returns. Emphasis on object-based @param. There's no more reason not to have nicely documented code.
2. ChatGPT: I usually use it for asking the AI to explain some concept or helping me remember some API or function that i forget. Recently I found another use case: write dumb code that works, then ask ChatGPT to refactor it to see possible scenario for refactoring.

Where do we go now?

I've been intrigued with the recent announcement of Microsoft Bing's partnership with OpenAI to bring latest model of ChatGPT to Bing and making AI based chat experience for search. Those interest brought me to some Satya Nadella's interviews regarding these matter:

Interesting tidbit: from the interview above I found out that we mortal dumped stupid prompt the first time we tried AI based chat and the first thing that Satya Nadella asked to the AI was to transliterate Rumi's poetry into multiple languages. What a class.

I previously rarely think much of these AI potential but listening to these interview, I can't help but wonder: Imagine AI model for language teaching:

• it comes with chat based interface
• it is capable of analyzing your writing, your speech,
• It has vast knowledge of language's grammatical rules
• It is capable of training you 24/7
• It has no bias and judgement
• It keeps recording of all session.

Now, imagine the same model with possibly adjusted difference for different subject: Science, Math, Economics, etc.

I'm pretty sure the teaching AI won't be perfect but imagine if it aces doing "basic" teaching task. Availability of well trained teacher that used to be limited due to geographic issue, suddenly are covered by these teacher AI that I assume will be accessible via web. Socially It might pose a threat for human teacher for sure, but imagine the pros of making millions of students suddenly have a decent well trained (AI) teacher. Ideally, it'll force human to be more creative, in a sense of focusing the human resource for doing what AI can't do or can't do best, like IRL activities or assessing the students beyond the scope of the teaching material 🤔

Hmm... that being said, I too am not sure to be honest 🤔