CHATGPT – BANE OR BOON?
ChatGPT, or Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, is the latest sensation
that is taking the world by storm. According to Techradar, it has, “quickly
become one of the most significant tech launches since the original Apple
iPhone in 2007. The chatbot is now the fastest-growing consumer app in history,
hitting 100 million users in only two months.” People are beginning to uncover
its magnificent potential, including its ability to give human-like answers to
questions which you may pose. This means that it can potentially upgrade
current search engines which are currently limited to giving you lists of websites,
and truncated answers that are aggregated from those sites. It is said that
ChatGPT is able to write an application from scratch, thus reducing the time
drastically for programmers to come out with solutions to solve IT issues. With
these examples in mind, it is not difficult to see why the world is excited.
ChatGPT appears to be a boon. However, are there instances where it can be a
bane instead?
The issue concerning ChatGPT was highlighted to me by one member who
shared a Christian hymn written by ChatGPT. I would not have identified the
hymn as written by the AI-chatbot, were it not for the screenshot explicitly stated
that it was created by ChatGPT. Since Easter was round the corner, I decided to
sign up an account and put ChatGPT to the test in writing a hymn concerning the
resurrection of Christ. Here are two stanzas of the answers it produced:
Verse 1:
On Easter morn, the stone was rolled away
From where our Savior’s body lay.
The tomb was empty, death had lost its sting,
For Jesus Christ, our risen King!
Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
He has conquered death and sword.
Let us sing with joyful voice,
For Jesus Christ, our Savior’s choice.
Verse 2:
The soldiers stood in fear and awe,
As angels rolled the stone away.
They saw the empty tomb and knew
That Christ had risen, just as He said He would.
Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
He has conquered death and sword.
Let us sing with joyful voice,
For Jesus Christ, our Savior’s choice.
As you can see, the lyrics written above can pass off as any human creation.
Interestingly, when I tasked ChatGPT to produce more hymns on the same
theme, it produced the original work that looked different from the above.
Herein lies the danger – what is stopping a person from using ChatGPT to write
a hymn and after that to claim it as his own? Unless someone is willing to run a
plagiarism program that is primed to detect creations from ChatGPT, and such
programs are still in their infancy, no one will know that this is a copied work.
The perpetrator will get away scot-free, or so he thinks.
Determined to find out how ChatGPT can both be a bane and a boon, I decided
to ask ChatGPT to generate a response to one of the places we are planning to
visit for our upcoming trip – Hezekiah’s tunnel. Here is its answer:
“Hezekiah’s Tunnel, also known as the Siloam Tunnel or the Tunnel of
Euphalios, is an ancient tunnel located in Jerusalem, Israel. It was built in the
8th century BCE by King Hezekiah of Judah, in order to protect the city’s water
supply during a siege by the Assyrians.
“The tunnel is carved out of solid rock and is approximately 1,750 feet (533
meters) long. It starts at the Gihon Spring, which was the city’s main source of
water at the time, and ends at the Pool of Siloam. The tunnel allowed the
residents of Jerusalem to access water from the spring without having to leave
the city walls and risk being attacked by the Assyrians.
“The tunnel was rediscovered in the 19th century and has since become a
popular tourist attraction. Visitors can walk through the tunnel, which is still
partially filled with water, and experience the engineering prowess of the
ancient Israelites who built it. The tunnel is also significant as a symbol of the
city’s resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity.”
I would have worded the answer differently to be more in line with the lessons
that we can gain from the Bible. I certainly would not have used the expression
“BCE” (Before Common Era) in place of “BC” (Before Christ). However,
using ChatGPT can cut down on research time by quite a bit. If ChatGPT had
been trained to reply from the Bible’s perspective, perhaps it can give an
answer that may even pass in being published in the church weekly!
(On a sidenote, I will be writing an original segment on Hezekiah’s tunnel in the weekly
soon. I hope it will help us learn rich lessons that will encourage us in our walk with
Christ.)
A good guiding principle in the use of ChatGPT for Christians is 2 Timothy 2:15,
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The word “study” (spoudazō) refers to
how one should hasten to do one’s best for a task because of its importance and urgency.
Paul was urging young pastor Timothy that he must do his best in all things to show
himself approved to God as a labourer for Christ. This same principle also applies to
every believer. Man may not be looking, but God is looking. Should we not as
Christians seek to do that which is pleasing in God’s eyes, so that we may stand
approved by Him when put to the test? Thus, we must use ChatGPT not to cheat, but to
help us in our tasks. Just like a knife can be used both to kill, as well as to prepare food
for a delicious meal, so ChatGPT can be used both for evil and good.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” (Exod. 20:16) One must
always acknowledge the sources used in his work. If a work is not his own, he must
acknowledge it. As many of the youths in church will soon be using ChatGPT in school,
we pray that they will remember this principle and follow it. Your testimony for Christ
is at stake.
In conclusion, is ChatGPT a bane or a boon? The answer lies not in the instrument, but
in the user. The Christian, who is spiritually alive, is the best person to make use of this
AI-Chatbot, and many like it to come, in the best manner possible. “Providing for
honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” (2 Cor.
8:21)
Yours affectionately,
Pastor Clement Chew
