Cybersecurity Concerns and Fun with ChatGPT
Monday, March 20, 2023
by: Mike Foster

Section: Newsletter Articles






If you’ve not tried Open AI ChatGPT yet, you must. It has changed the world forever and the sooner you try it, the better. You can go to the web address: chat.openai.com/chat. Read the privacy warnings and, if you agree, sign up. When you start having conversations, prepare to be amazed.

Most people I encounter talk about their fun with ChatGPT, and I can relate. Type “Write a Valentine’s day note to my lover who likes (activities). I’m attracted to their (attractions) and want them to know (details).” Keep adding details. And, of course, you can say, “Make it rhyme” or “write it like Shakespeare.” You’ll have a smile on your face.

Be sure to select “New chat” whenever you change topics. After you get a surprisingly fun Valentine’s message, open a new chat to ask, “Remind me of the Excel formula to return the first twenty characters of a string.” ChatGPT remembers conversations in chat segments, so avoid mixing topics to get the best results.

AI has given a new meaning to the term Virtual Assistant. Sometimes I compose long email messages and want to shorten them. I first compose the message with no sensitive information, give it to ChatGPT, and say, “Write this shorter.” It is stunning how capable it is at combining sentences and summarizing ideas while mostly keeping the whole meaning. Sometimes it elaborates and incorporates new ideas into the message. I find that amusing and occasionally helpful. I must re-read the output carefully and often make changes since ChatGPT is not perfect at knowing precisely what I mean, but for long messages, it sometimes helps me make them concise, saving the recipient time.

Do not be duped – AI does not know everything and can accidentally produce inaccurate information that sounds very convincing.

When I hear people discussing the risks of ChatGPT, they usually focus on students using it to write their essay assignments for them. They have not considered more severe concerns. If you are interested, search the web for: chatbot ai can be used to create ransomware video.

Fortunately, ChatGPT is implementing safeguards to help prevent malicious use, and there are ways to trick it. Values and ethics vary from person to person, and some people, or governments, might feel justified in using AI to help create weapons, influence elections, or help them with strategies to harm.

Before his death, the famous physicist Stephen Hawking warned that AI could “end mankind.” Elon Musk has donated millions of dollars to OpenAI but intensely voiced concerns about the dangers of AI.

Some of our clients now block access to ChatGPT on company networks and devices. Some won’t.

Please forward this to your friends so they will consider the risks and enjoy AI-related fun. ChatGPT is impressive, and the business world will never be the same.