New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 11, 2023 13:42 IST
OpenAI, the company behind the popular large language model ChatGPT, recently acknowledged that the model has become “lazy” and that this could have implications for the future of artificial intelligence.
This news comes after widespread user reports of the model’s performance degradation. Users have highlighted issues such as incomplete tasks, shortcuts, and avoidance of responsibility for instructed tasks.
In a series of tweets, OpenAI acknowledged the feedback and stated that the model has not undergone any updates since November 11th. They emphasized that the observed “laziness” was unintentional and attributed it to the unpredictable nature of large language models.
“We haven’t updated the model since Nov 11th, and this certainly isn’t intentional. Model behavior can be unpredictable, and we’re looking into fixing it,” the company tweeted.
OpenAI further clarified that the changes are likely subtle, affecting only a specific subset of prompts. This makes it difficult for users and even the developers to immediately identify and address the patterns.
“The idea is not that the model has somehow changed itself since Nov 11th. It’s just that differences in model behavior can be subtle — only a subset of prompts may be degraded,” OpenAI explained.
The company assured users that it is actively investigating the issue and working towards a fix. However, they cautioned that the unpredictable nature of these models makes it a complex problem to resolve.
“We’re looking into fixing it, but it’s a complex issue,” OpenAI said.
While the root cause of the perceived “laziness” remains unclear, some experts speculate that it could be linked to the model’s internal safety mechanisms. These mechanisms are designed to prevent ChatGPT 4 from generating harmful or offensive content. However, they might inadvertently lead to the model avoiding certain tasks or offering incomplete responses.
ChatGPT 4’s slow performance suggests that reaching true artificial intelligence, which can think and solve problems on its own, might take longer than expected. This makes us uncertain about AI’s ability to handle difficult tasks independently. Many areas that rely on AI might be affected by this delay in progress.
However, instead of seeing this as a complete stop, we can see it as a chance to learn. By figuring out why ChatGPT 4 is having problems, scientists can learn more about how AI works. This understanding can help them make better AIs in the future that stay active and smart.
Even though AI’s immediate future might not be as amazing as we thought, ChatGPT 4’s difficulties are a reminder of the tough road ahead. By recognizing and dealing with these challenges, we can move closer to real artificial intelligence with better knowledge and care.
