Why ChatGPT Can Never Fully Replace Humans
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have led to predictions of the decline of many human roles and professions. However, platforms like ChatGPT will never be able to replace human writers, educators, or professionals in general.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a recognized large language model that uses a long-standing linguistic corpus technique to analyze data sets of language paired with modern technology and algorithms to produce intelligent responses. However, it lacks the ability to understand the meaning and context of the language it produces.
Unlike humans, ChatGPT cannot think, reason, or create in any meaningful way. It uses pattern recognition and textual examples to mimic communication. ChatGPT is closer to a highly sophisticated auto-complete feature than an actual intelligence, although on a vastly greater scale and complexity.
The Importance of Free Creation and Symbolic Language
Language is a process of free creation. By following the rules of grammar, individuals have the ability to express meaning related to anything from deductive arguments and poetry to nonsense. This ability to create truly unique and novel utterances including new words, concepts, and perspectives is what imbues humans with their humanity and allows them to learn and grow beyond their own basic instincts.
Additionally, humans use a large amount of symbolic and metaphorical language. Communication beyond the literal is possible thanks to everyday metaphor. ChatGPT may respond to creative inquiries and some metaphorical prompts with seemingly meaningful replies. However, it lacks the ability to create or understand the meaning and context of such language.
Why ChatGPT Can Never Replace Human Professionals
ChatGPT lacks the abilities of reasoning, interpretation, and creative expression essential in professional writing. Journalists, novelists, or academics interpret and ask questions to understand or challenge what they are hearing rather than simply recording what is said. Similarly, students learn not only through their reasoning and creative expression but also with the help of teachers who engage them in a two-way dialogue accompanied by feedback adjusted to their understanding and overall needs.
Most importantly, ChatGPT cannot facilitate higher-order conceptual learning. It cannot engage a learner in a two-way dialogue to provide personalized feedback and help them understand new concepts. It does not have the agency or capability to do anything but provide derivative responses in the face of human-initiated prompts.
The Role of ChatGPT in Writing and Education
While ChatGPT cannot replace human professionals, it is a powerful and transformative tool for writers and educators to leverage in service to their professions. As large language AI models like ChatGPT continue to evolve, it is critical that they remain employed in service to human growth, development, and understanding.
Therefore, it is apparent that ChatGPT can never fully replace humans in professional roles that require creative expression, interpretation, and higher-order cognitive development. The importance of human connection and communication cannot be replaced by mere algorithms and pattern recognition.
