By Nicolas Chapados, VP of research, ServiceNow
Late last November, the San Francisco startup OpenAI released ChatGPT, an experimental chatbot built on so-called generative AI technology. ChatGPT can perform a broad range of tasks—from writing code and passing exams to composing essays and poetry—at an apparently human-level in response to queries written in natural language.
By January, even though it was still a research project, ChatGPT had more than 100 million monthly active users, making it the fastest-growing consumer app in history, according to data from the analytics firm Similarweb. In late January, Microsoft confirmed its multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI and in February offered limited access to new AI-powered capabilities based on ChatGPT in its Bing search engine and announced plans for a wider release of the technology via Azure Cloud and Office 365. Google, Baidu, and other big tech companies have also announced rival chatbots, all of which is sparking a generative AI arms race.
So far, most analysts have focused on how ChatGPT and its competitors will transform internet search, supplant human creativity, turbocharge plagiarism, or make millions of white-collar workers redundant.
Few, however, are talking about the implications of this new technology for the enterprise itself. Going forward, tools like ChatGPT will be a source of uncertainty for organizations whose business models they threaten to disrupt. For companies that understand its potential, generative AI presents a huge opportunity.
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