OpenAI & ChatGPT

From Tokyo, Japan and New Plymouth, New Zealand. This is Down to Business English with your hosts Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega.

Ah, it's a little late in January for that, isn't it?

I know, but this is the very first episode of 2023 for Down to Business English, so it seems like the appropriate greeting.

I suppose so. Closer to Chinese New Year. Kung He Fat Choi.

How do I pronounce that?

Well now I believe that it is Kung Hei Fat Choi. Happy New Year to you too, Skip. You're the Rabbit.

Year of the rabbit. Yes. Happy New Year, happy Chinese New Year to everyone out there. So Samantha, did you have a good holiday?

I did, thank you.

What did you get up to?

A lot of time at home, really, which is my happy place. That's usually where you can find me. We did some tiki touring around our local region and visited some beaches and went on some nice trail walks.

Hmm, sounds like life in New Plymouth. is very relaxing and laid back.

It's not a rat race, that's for sure. And you, how was your New Year's holiday?

Well, it wasn't much of a holiday. I mean I too was at home for eight days in a row. But I was spending several hours each of those days at my computer working on the Down to Business English website redesign.

Wow, that's right. How did that go?

Well, it is still ongoing.

Are you not finished yet?

The website was down for several days, but it's up and running now.

Well that is good news. That sounds like a big box.

It is. There's still a lot of work to do. The new design looks okay on a desktop or laptop computer, but there are still some kinks to work out on the mobile layout.

What kind of kinks?

I you know, I don't know what's causing it, but the images are not displaying properly and the typography or the way the text appears, it's all screwy.

Hmm, no, that's not good. I'm guessing most people access the internet on a mobile phone or tablet, not a desktop.

That's very true. So I have got

To do.

For our listeners, I apologize for the condition of the website. When you visit a try to use a computer. I will get the mobile site working as soon as I possibly can.

I'm sure you will. You're working very hard on it. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

Cảm ơn các bạn đã theo dõi và hẹn gặp lại.

So website aside, what are we reporting on today? In this very first D2B episode of 2023.

Good question. Today on Down to Business English, I wanted to talk about a very exciting new piece of technology.

Doesn't take much to get you excited about technology skip? What would this new shiny object do?

Have you heard of Chat GPT? Mm.

Chat GPT? Yes, I have, as a matter of fact. Some of my colleagues were telling me about it in the office the other day. It's some kind of AI or artificial intelligence chat box.

That's precisely what it is.

Chat boxes have been around for years. What's all the fuss over this one?

That GPT is not your run-of-the-mill chat box. It has experts, both in the tech industry and beyond, sitting up and taking notice. Many are calling it revolutionary and that it poses a serious threat to many tech giants, the likes of Google.

A Google killer? Hmm, I certainly want to hear more about this.

So let's do it. Let's get D2B. Down to business with ChatGPT. What is this new AI technology? What is it capable of? And how could Chat GPT and AI in general be a game changer across a wide range of industries?

So chat GPT. sounds like a video game title Kinda like the name of that game that my son and my husband, I have to admit, love playing. GTA Grand Theft Auto.

It does sound similar, doesn't it? No, ChatGPT is definitely not a video game.

So what is it? Explain it to me like I'm a five year old.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chat box application. GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.

Generative, pre-trained, transformer. I have no idea what that means.

Well, basically it is a computer program that has been given access to an incredibly large amount of data and then trained to generate human-like text. You can ask it a question and it will be able to give you an answer. Or you could ask it to write something for you and it will do it. Hmm.

For example.

Well, let's say you wanted to write a sales proposal to pitch to a potential client. You simply tell ChatGPT the features of your product that you wanna highlight, and ChatGPT will spit out a proposal in a few seconds.

And would it be any good?

You would have to revise it a bit, yes, but it would be pretty good.

I can see how that would have a lot of potential in businesses.

I've played around with it a bit myself and at the very least, ChatGPT is a major time saver. For anyone who needs to write a lot of reports or marketing material or email, chat GPT is going to be a very useful tool.

Who developed Chat GPT?

It was designed by an outfit by the name of OpenAI. Now, OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit organization. I was a little surprised to learn that too. In fact, it was a collaboration between some pretty heavy hitters from both the technology world and the venture capital world. OpenAI's intention or aim was to develop and promote friendly artificial intelligence in a way that would benefit everyone.

So they were basically spearheading the development of artificial intelligence.

Very much so, I would say.

And who would be some of these heavy hitters you referred to?

Names like Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Amazon Web Services, Infosys, and Y Combinator Research. Well, one more name that needs to be added to that list, and this one everyone will recognize: Elon Musk.

Elon Musk. He has fingerprints on this.

Yes, he was indeed one of the original investors and board members. But he stepped down in twenty eighteen because of what he called a possible future conflict of interest with Tesla AI.

That's right. Tesla is developing AI for self-driving cars.

So stepping down from OpenAI would have been the right thing to do.

I'm glad to hear that OpenAI is a non profit and that they're not being motivated by pure profability.

Well they were originally a non profit, but not anymore. In 2019, they pivoted from being an NPO to a capped for-profit organization.

Capped for profit. What does that mean?

It means that they are distributing shares to their employees and they have started raising capital to fund their research. with the stipulation that any profit generated by their product would be capped, or limited, to a hundred times the amount of the investment. Ah

They would have the ability to raise money so they could develop their products, and employees would benefit from any commercial application those products would have.

Precisely. And one of the very first investors was none other than Microsoft. They invested a billion dollars in OpenAI in the very same year, 2019.

And here we are a few years later with ChatGPT being launched.

In late November last year, and its adoption rate has been incredible. It only took five days for it to reach the 1 million user mark. It took Twitter two years to reach that mark. Facebook ten months and Instagram three months.

I'm not sure if that is a fair comparison. They were kind of standing on their predecessors' shoulders.

True, but regardless, it certainly is an indicator at how useful people are finding Chat GPT.

And why are experts saying that this is so revolutionary and that it is a potential Google killer?

Well, just think about it. When you search for information on Google, you have to wade through all kinds of web pages: advertisements, sponsored links. Maybe watch two or three YouTube videos to find the specific information you are looking for.

I know, I've gone down many rabbit holes searching for something on the internet.

Now, imagine searching for that same information on Chat GPT. It will succinctly answer your query with no distractions. In the short time that I've been playing around with it, I would have to say that I am turning to ChatGPT over Google search more and more.

Really?

Really? And it's important to point out that this is just the first version of Chat GPT. It was only trained on data up until October of twenty twenty one. Its next version will more than likely be connected to the internet in real time.

And that will be a serious threat to Google's search business.

The New York Times referred to it as a code red for Google, that ChatGPT could very well be the tech industry's next big disruptor.

And Google has been caught flat footed by this.

I wouldn't say flat-footed. In fact, some of the technology that is at the heart of Chat GPT was developed by Google.

Well, why aren't they using it?

Simply because using an AI chat box would cannibalize their revenue model of selling digital ads. Ah.

So it's not that they don't have the ability to use an AI chat box. It's just that they haven't figured out how to monetize it.

Well,

I'm sure that they're working hard at that.

I'm sure they are because it has been reported that their competition, Microsoft, will be incorporating ChatGPT into their Bing search engine later this year.

And if that happens, all bets are off in the internet search business.

No doubt. To top it off, Microsoft is also considering investing an additional$10 billion in OpenAI. That would give them a lot of access to future AI technology the company develops.

What is your opinion of all of this skip? Do you think Chat GPT is going to take Google down?

That GPT? In the form it is now? Mm no. But having said that, I do think we are on the cusp of a major development in the way tech is used in business and in our daily lives.

Would you go so far as saying it's going to be revolutionary?

Yes, absolutely. AI is going to completely revolutionize the way we work, the way we study, and the way we do things. And it is not some distant future world I'm talking about. It is happening right now and is going to unfold very quickly over the next few years.

So are we going to be talking more about Chat GPT?

Chat GPT and artificial intelligence in general? Yes. I think it is going to become a major topic moving forward.

I'm not sure if I should be excited or terrified.

I know I am a little of both.

Well on that note, why don't we get D2V down to vocabulary.

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Today on Down to Vocabulary, we are going to be taking a look at five words and expressions.

But there were many other useful words and phrases that we used in our conversation.

Many, many others. So be sure to head over to the Down to Business English website and download yourself a copy of the audio script for today's episode.

Study it, check the other words and phrases we used in your dictionary, and then listen to the episode again, following along with the audio script.

A great way to expand your range of active business vocabulary.

Shall I get things started? Please.

Please do.

First up on our list is the idiom to work out a kink, or to have kinks to work out. A kink is a bend or a twist in something that is usually straight.

Like a kink in a water hose or a kink in a rope.

Idiomatically, you can use kink to refer to a small problem or issue that has come up in your plan.

So to work out a kink means to solve or straighten out a small problem.

Exactly. And that is how I used it in the opening of today's show. I mentioned that I had some kinks to work out on the mobile version of the Down to Business English website. In other words, there are some small problems with the website displaying on smartphones and tablets.

And I hope you work out those kinks soon.

So do I.

I had a kink in my morning yesterday. Oh?

Oh what was that?

My car wouldn't start.

Oh no! What was wrong?

A dead battery. Fortunately, my partner was still at home so I could get a boost. But I ended up being about thirty minutes late for work. No biggie, though.

Just a small king.

Yes, just a small cake. The next word on the D2V list is the noun heavy hitter. This word comes from the world of baseball, I believe.

That sounds remote, right?

In baseball, a heavy hitter is a player who is able to hit the ball with a lot of power.

Think of Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron. Batters of that stature.

But you can also use this word to refer to anyone or anything that is considered to be powerful or influential. In the report, Skipped used this word to describe the people and companies who founded OpenAI. In other words, the original collaborators who got OpenAI started were very powerful or influential in the tech and venture capital industries.

In the semiconductor industry, some heavy hitters include companies such as Intel, Samsung, TSMC, and Qualcomm.

Interesting example. What made you jump to the semiconductor industry?

I've been researching it for an upcoming D2B episode. It is such a critical part of the global economy, and one that I think we all take for granted.

True.

Huh, you don't seem to be very impressed with my example. Do you have a different example using heavy hitter?

I was just thinking that having a heavy hitter on your team, someone who is highly skilled and experienced, can really make a difference in the success of a project.

Oh, I I agree with that.

The success of any company is largely due to the heavy headers they have spearheading projects.

Right. That is a very good example. Thanks. And it is a great transition to our next D2V word, the verb to spearhead. When you spearhead something, you take a leading role, or you are the leader of a project or movement. In the report, Samantha commented that OpenAI was spearheading the development of artificial intelligence.

In other words, OpenAI is leading the movement to develop AI technology, especially by allowing the public to have access to their AI patents.

Precisely. Samantha, can you give us another example using spearhead in a business context?

Well, my previous example sentence, that a company's success is due to the heavy hitters they have spearheading projects still stands. But another example that comes to mind would be how everyone automatically thinks of Tesla as spearheading the development of electric cars. But there are other automakers spearheading development. I would also say that Nissan and Chevrolet are heavy hitters in that market as well.

Another excellent example, and that one uses both spearhead and heavy hitter. What's our next work?

Next is the phrasal verb to wade through something. When you wade through something, you navigate or make progress through a complex situation. In the story, Skip commented that when you do a Google search for something, you have to wade through a lot of search results before you find the information you are looking for.

In other words, you have to navigate through a lot of websites before finding the answer to your question.

This expression gives the connotation that what you are doing is difficult or time consuming. Skip, can you give us an example using to wade through something?

I sure can. I am not looking forward to going into the office tomorrow. At the moment we are hiring new staff, and I have a big stack of resumes to wade through. I will probably spend the better part of my morning reading through them, trying to find the perfect candidate.

I'm sure you will manage.

I'll get through it. But I just wish my boss hadn't chosen me to spearhead the hiring process.

Anyway.

Our next and our final word on D2V today is the expression to go down a rabbit hole.

A great phrase.

It comes from Lewis Carroll's classic book, Alice in Wonderland.

Johnny Depp was great in the movie as the mad hatter.

Huh, he was. Anyway, in the story, Alice follows a rabbit into a hole and finds herself in a crazy underground fantasy world.

And because Alice in Wonderland was such a popular novel, the phrase, to go down the rabbit hole, came to mean entering a strange or surreal situation.

Later on, the expression evolved to also describe going deep into the research of a topic and getting lost. Or distracted by other information you encounter. So much so that you forget the original purpose of the research.

In our conversation, I mentioned that I have gone down many rabbit holes researching topics online.

In other words, Samantha has gotten lost by clicking on one link, getting distracted by that website, then clicking on another link, becoming interested in that YouTube video, and then clicking on yet another link, and so on.

That's exactly what happens. It is so easy to go down a rabbit hole on the internet. You start searching for something at 9 a.m. and the next thing you know, it's lunchtime.

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And that brings us to the end of our very first episode of Business English for twenty twenty three. Thank you so much for joining me today, Samantha, and helping me. The ball rolling on season 14. to be

Not a problem in the least, Skip. Glad to help. I'm looking forward to our new season.

Me too.

Can you give us a preview about any upcoming episode topics?

Ah, great question. There are so many areas that I would like to cover this. First off, Des will be back in China in February and he is going to spearhead business stories coming up in the news in that area of the world.

Cool. Some boots on the ground reporting.

And we will continue to report on the heavy hitters in a wide variety of business. Of course, AI and technology. But also finance, logistics, aerospace. You name it. If it makes the business headlines, we will cover it.

And to all our D2V listeners, don't hesitate to send us an email if there is a topic you'd like us to report on.

Absolutely. We would love to hear your ideas.

Just visit the new Down to Business English website. And click on the contact link in the menu.

One other thing, I also plan to have more guests on the show and interview them about

Business expertise.

That will be very good.

But I have a few technical kinks to work out in my studio before I can start doing that.

Well, I look forward to that. It sounds like we have an exciting season coming up on Down to Business English.

We do. Thanks for listening everyone. See you again very soon.

Take care.

Have a comment or question about today's show? Don't be shy. Visit the D2B website or Facebook page and post any comments or questions there. Kip, Des or Samantha will be sure to leave a reply. Down to business English. Business News. To improve your business English.