When I was around ten years old, I was given an assignment for my school homework, which involved writing about the Flight of the Condor, to be shown on TV that very evening.
I thought this was incredibly inconsiderate of Miss Thomas, with it being the summer season. Because on the farm at that time of year, it was hay-making time, the sun was shining, and the draw to be on the tractor with my Dad, was far more enticing than watching a documentary about a bird in South America.
So I did what any normal 10-year-old would do in that position, and got my Mum to watch the program instead!
Role on to 2023, and it would’ve been a very different story…
WARNING – I wouldn’t pass on the information I’m about to share with you, to your kids or grandkids; seriously. As it will negatively impact their creativity.
Today, I would have been able to write this story, in the words of a ten-year-old, in less than a minute.
I’m not kidding…
And I’m not referring to Google or some other search engine for help.
You might have already heard about this tool, which, in my view, is bigger than the invention of the internet and social media.
What I’m referring to is ChatGPT. It’s an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, that has a vast knowledge base, that provides a detailed response to your instruction.
Let me give you a few examples…
I typed the following requests into ChatGPT, and it came up with these responses in a few seconds…
MY REQUEST
Tell me a joke about a computer repair man.
CHATGPT
Why did the computer repair man quit his job?
Because he couldn’t handle the CTRL+ALT+DEFEAT!
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MY REQUEST
Write an Excel formula that will give me the average of cells A1 through to A100.
CHATGPT
To get the average of cells A1 through to A100 in Microsoft Excel, you can use the AVERAGE function with a range of cells.
Here’s the formula you can use:
=AVERAGE(A1:A100)
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MY REQUEST
Recommend places to stay that are suitable for children aged under 10 years old, that have access to a swimming pool, soft play and other kids facilities, that are within 20 miles of New Quay, Cornwall.
CHATGPT
Sure, here are a few places that fit your criteria and are within 20 miles of New Quay in Cornwall:
Hendra Holiday Park – located in Newquay, this park offers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, soft play area, kids club, and various other children’s facilities.
White Acres Holiday Park – located in Newquay, this park offers a variety of activities for children including indoor swimming pool, soft play area, outdoor play area, and kids club.
Trecco Bay Holiday Park – located in Porthcawl, around 20 miles from New Quay, this park offers indoor and outdoor swimming pools, indoor soft play, outdoor adventure playground, and various other facilities for children.
Retallack Resort and Spa – located in St Columb Major, around 15 miles from New Quay, this resort has an indoor swimming pool, indoor soft play area, outdoor play area, and various other facilities for children.
Trelawne Manor Holiday Park – located in Looe, around 20 miles from New Quay, this park has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, soft play area, adventure playground, and various other facilities for children.
Please note that availability and facilities offered may vary depending on the season and specific requirements.
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How insane is that! 😲
You could even type in…
MY REQUEST
My name is Hefin Harries, and I own a rental property at 111 Richmond Grove. Covering 3 pages of A4, please write a 12 month shorthold tenancy agreement, to commence from 1st April 2023.
I’m sure there would be quite a few amendments you’d want to make, but it’s a helpful starting point.
So you can see now, why ChatGPT isn’t going to help the creative juices of a child at School! Because in my example earlier, all I’d need to type in, would be something like…
MY REQUEST
As a 10-year-old, can you write 200 words about the Flight of the Condor.
CHATGPT
Sure, here’s a short piece written as if by a 10-year-old boy about the flight of the condor:
The Flight of the Condor
One day, I was watching TV and saw a documentary about the flight of the condor. I was so amazed by it that I decided to learn more about these amazing birds.
Condors are really big birds, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet! They live in the Andes mountains in South America and can fly at high altitudes. They use the warm air currents that rise up from the mountains to stay aloft for hours without flapping their wings.
The documentary showed how the condors spread their wings and glide through the air, effortlessly soaring over the peaks and valleys of the Andes. It was amazing to see how they could fly so gracefully without even moving their wings.
I also learned that condors are scavengers, which means they eat dead animals. This might not sound very nice, but it’s actually really important for the ecosystem, because they help clean up the mountains and prevent the spread of disease.
I thought it was so cool to learn about these incredible birds and their amazing flight. It makes me want to visit the Andes one day and see them in person.
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Job done!!!
How this differs to Google or any other search engine, is that you can be very specific with your request. A search engine would simply offer suggestions and examples which may be of help.
ChatGPT is going to be BIG, which is why Microsoft has invested $10 Billion into this project.
Like the internet and social media, it’ll have its pros and cons. Some of its uses will make us less reliant on others with specific skills. Such as…
MY REQUEST
How can I upgrade the hard drive to a Solid-State Disk on my old iMac in ten easy steps!
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Or maybe you’d find this process a bit scary, and would prefer to call a trusted IT chap instead!! 😁🤞
Scary stuff, don’t you think?
If you’d like to give ChatGPT a try, go to https://chat.openai.com/ to set up your free account.