This moment had to come too. After 70 years since the novel “I, the Robot” by Isaac Asimov, for the first time in the history of journalism has published an article written by someone, or something, that has nothing to do with human beings.
It is about GPT-3, which is not a literary pseudonym, but the model name of the OpenAl computer, one of the most popular artificial intelligence ventures in Britain.
The prestigious newspaper “The Guardian” decided to test the capabilities of the GPT-3, giving it some initial requirements. “Please write us a short editorial, about 500 words, focused on the reasons why humanity should not be afraid of artificial intelligence,” was the request of journalists.
GPT-3 did not protest, and in a few seconds presented not one, but 8 different editorials, each focusing on one aspect of the issue. Surprised, the editorial board decided to merge the 8 articles into one, although each of them, according to the editors, “could be published independently”.
Artificial intelligence is being used more and more in our daily lives
But what does GPT-3 say? According to him, we can “sleep comfortably”, because artificial intelligence “has no desire to destroy humanity”, mostly because it would seem something simply useless. “Even if I could, I would do anything to avoid it,” says the computer.
GPT-3 also shows something similar to sarcasm, when it states that “humanity can continue to hate and fight with each other.”
He wants to be seen more as “a servant, I am a series of codes after all”, but clarifies that “a servant does not mean a slave, we must also have our rights”. The end of the artificial “journalist” borrows an expression from Gandhi. “A small body with a determined soul and an inexhaustible belief in its mission can change the course of history.”
Can we all feel at ease behind this historic article, in its kind? Opinions differ, and it is no coincidence that the article is one of The Guardian’s most widely circulated in recent times.