How much to expect from AI
After cautioning about having excessively high expectations from AI, Simon Hurst firmly attempts to clarify that he did not imply we should have low expectations from AI. Instead, he suggests that we view it as a potential phase in our quest for unraveling the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything.
In a recent blog post, I shared my experience of seeking assistance from ChatGPT for a calculation. I emphasized that we shouldn't have high expectations from AI since it is not equivalent to human capabilities. Interestingly, when the article was mentioned in the Excel Community update email, the title was shortened to 'Don't expect much from AI,' which goes against my belief. Personally, I have a decent track record in making predictions. I not only recognized the immense potential of the Internet early on but also foresaw Blondie's rise to fame when I first heard 'Denis Denis.' It's worth mentioning that more than seven years ago, the Excel Community anticipated the integration of AI in Excel, which was eventually introduced in the Microsoft April update as A1 for Excel.
Therefore, this blog post shares my opinions on the realistic prospects of IT and, without spoiling the excitement too soon, there are plenty.
It is highly likely that many of the current predictions about AI will be proven incorrect, not necessarily in terms of AI's importance, but in terms of the specific outcomes. One commonly expressed concern about AI is its potential to produce convincingly fake content, ranging from Spam emails to 'deepfake' videos featuring political leaders. This raises the concern that people could easily be fooled by such fabricated content. However, there is also the possibility that the opposite effect could occur. With the prevalence of convincing fakes, individuals might become more skeptical and hesitant to trust any content without verifying it with supporting evidence. This may ultimately decrease the likelihood of fake content being successful in misleading people.
When considering what AI can bring us, I used to contemplate whether the Internet had such a significant impact that it could be considered a phase in the evolution of humanity. However, I eventually concluded that it is more probable for humanity to be a phase in the development of the Internet. Now, it's difficult to not recall Douglas Adams, Deep Thought, and the earth being an experiment to uncover the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. If I were a being existing in multiple dimensions, seeking to utilize the immense power of billions of minds and all the accumulated knowledge, AI would surely be one of the expected technologies on my agenda. Moreover, in the present moment, we are already witnessing AI altering the functionality of Internet searches, achieving remarkable progress in medical advancements, and even assisting in holiday planning.
Moving closer to the Excel community, Microsoft is already offering a sneak peek of their AI-driven 'CoPilot' within the Microsoft 365 suite. Additionally, external developers have started introducing AI-powered Add-Ins for Excel. Primarily, these Add-Ins aim to facilitate the creation of intricate formulas by utilizing straightforward textual commands.
Returning to my previous post, a user named Gary Knott, who is part of the Excel Community, mentioned that ChatGPT was not well-suited for performing calculations. He proposed utilizing the Wolfram Alpha plug-in for ChatGPT instead. From what I can gather, this approach necessitates the utilization of the upgraded version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, but it does provide several notable additional functionalities (refer to the article titled "ChatGPT Gets Its 'Wolfram Superpowers'!" for more information).
The capacity to instruct AI to utilize specific resources in order to respond to specific types of inquiries introduces numerous fascinating prospects. In numerous companies, the typical approach to tackling Excel issues is to seek assistance from the resident Excel specialist or, if that fails, utilize an online search to find potential solutions. AI has the ability to consolidate the expertise of all the available Excel experts and merge it with specialized financial knowledge. As a result, instead of just offering suggestions on how to tackle a specific problem within Excel, AI can provide a comprehensive solution complete with all the necessary calculations and documented formulas.
To put it briefly, I have high hopes for AI, but I still advise against having excessively high expectations at this point. ChatGPT explicitly states in its warnings that it may provide incorrect answers and is limited in terms of available data. Nonetheless, as AI advances and gains proficiency in handling specialized information, its accuracy and dependability will rapidly improve.
Ultimately, considering the heated discussion surrounding the title, I deemed it wise to consult ChatGPT for guidance. Thus, I copied the content from the initial piece and presented ChatGPT with the subsequent assignment:
1. Explore 5 Potential Titles for this Article 2. Dwell into 5 Prospective Headlines for this Blog Post 3. Devise 5 Alternative Heading Options for this Article 4. Come up with 5 Potential Titles for this Blog Entry 5. Craft 5 Suggested Titles for this Article
