It's hard to miss the ChatGPT revolution in recent months... Because, even if you don't feel concerned at all, you've definitely heard about it. We discover new uses in business every day. Every profession can find something to suit it. Of course, IT, but also marketing, communication, finance, HR… But what about for those involved in training? How can trainers get the most out of this tool? What are the pitfalls to avoid? Update with Philippe Argouges, expert in training engineering and needs analysis.
What is ChatGPT?
This is artificial intelligence (AI). In other words, a computer program that thinks for itself.
Obviously, these science fiction stories come to mind in which computers free themselves from their creators. Of 2001, A Space Odyssey has Terminator going through all the novels by Isaac Asimov dealing with this subject.
In reality, things are more prosaic. AI was not born last year with ChatGPT. This is in fact the culmination of much older research. To name just these two, aren't Apple's SIRI or the designer of PowerPoint AI?
Generative AI
But all these tools are nowhere near as spectacular as ChatGPT or its brothers, such as Google's Bard. This is conversational AI, in other words software capable of holding a meaningful conversation on any subject. We also talk about generative AI because it is capable of creating content. And, as far as ChatGPT is concerned, to generate text, to write it. This is the revolution.
This text generator is based on an AI engine of which there are different versions. The current version is version 4, with version 5 coming soon. This engine reacts to questions called “prompts”.
Beforehand, he must acquire knowledge. To do this, AI uses automatic learning mechanisms, or “machine learning”. At startup, the editor gives the AI access to a large quantity of information, oriented according to uses. Then, throughout its life, the system continues to learn on its own.
This is why the different engine layouts do not give the same results. It all depends on how they learned. Thus, the Microsoft version available through Bing will not answer the same question like ChatGPT.
A creative AI with perfect spelling
Still, the result is prodigious. These tools are now showing creativity. In this respect, they are very different from a search engine capable of finding existing texts.
Moreover, they use perfect language. Indeed, there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in their texts. And it’s a performance considering the complexity of the French language!
“These tools can write text and they do it very well. »
So, what are the concrete, present and future uses of these tools for professional training?
ChatGPT, concrete and varied uses in the world of training
On the trainer side, the first use of ChatGPT is as a “writing assistant”. You can count on him to build a training program, write training descriptions or documentation elements.
Besides, speaking of documentation, there are also image generators on the same principle, like DALL-E or Midjourney. We describe what we want to obtain and these tools create it from scratch. This is an interesting alternative to image banks containing free or royalty-free illustrations. You can therefore create original content: an image that does not exist anywhere else! And this, without being a graphic designer…
But these tools provide even more than content creation: they can give ideas. This is a second possible use of ChatGPT in training. We can chat with ChatGPT, that’s its role, its function. We can therefore ask him to suggest animation suggestions. It becomes a moment of exchange with a… virtual peer.
Example of a prompt for management training:
Can you, playing the role of a trainer, tell me what you think of an exercise where I ask my learners, beginning managers, which leader they identify with the most?
ChatGPT's answer is interesting. He then pointed out that cultural factors should be taken into account. He suggested following this exercise with a reflection on the reasons for their choice.
Another possibility: use it during the training. For example: to simulate exchanges with a customer during role-playing. ChatGPT then becomes a real animation assistant.
ChatGPT, what limits?
First, no one verifies the knowledge acquired by these conversational AIs. They rely on what they find on the Internet. We know nothing about their abilities to sort and differentiate real information from fake news. However, conspiracy theories have a strong visibility on the Internet. They therefore risk being over-represented in the information that fed these AI. For trainers, this involves keep a critical eye on their creations. In other words, they are just tools. Using AI does not mean that there is nothing left to do.
From hallucination to plagiarism: vigilance remains essential
Furthermore, these tools are creative generators: when they don't know, they invent. So they give a wrong answer. This is called AI hallucination. The reason ? The information may not be up to date, which is then easy to correct. But, it can also be a propensity to invent or confuse reality and fiction. Thus, ChatGPT can sometimes offer completely false biographies for certain personalities, particularly political ones.
Finally, there remains the problem of intellectual property. These tools are inspired by what they find. Sometimes the line is blurred between inspiration and plagiarism. AI creations are not always original. Thus, in the United States, 17 authors, including George RR Martin (The iron Throne) or John Grisham (The firm), recently filed a complaint against the creator of ChatGPT for “large-scale theft”. For them, the data that ChatGPT draws on belongs to the authors.
Finally, who owns the texts and images generated by these tools? To the software designer, to the one who imagined the prompt or to the one whose ideas inspired the creation? At the moment, the answer is not clear and varies depending on the country.
With the exponential development of the possibilities of these tools and some future case law, the answer will undoubtedly emerge soon. In the meantime, it’s up to training professionals to learn how to use it best!
