Originally published here

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How many gloom-and-doom stories have there been about Artificial Intelligence over the years? From The Terminator down the line. And it’s not like they were total nonsense. But the reality of what AI has turned out to be is much brighter and better than anything we expected.

ChatGPT IS artificial intelligence. Judging by virtually any test, including the famous Turning Test, ChatGPT passes with flying colors. But what ChatGPT is missing, and what makes it both safe and wonderful, is that it’s missing any discernable consciousness.

ChatGPT has artificial INTELLIGENCE, but not artificial CONSCIOUSNESS. And consciousness, I believe, is what we’ve always truly feared. Partly because we fear what we don’t understand, and we’re still very far from understanding consciousness.

The best I can offer is that consciousness is subjective self-awareness. Or you could say it’s the ability to be aware of one’s surroundings and have subjective experiences.

The fear of creating machines that become conscious and turn against us or seems totally in contrast to the reality of ChatGPT AI.

We confused intelligence with consciousness. Intelligence is a TOOL, it’s information processing. And ChatGPT may be the greatest intelligence tool ever created.

And here, by the way, are ChatGPT's thoughts on this topic:

ChatGPT’s lack of consciousness is what makes it such a useful tool. It can process vast amounts of data and generate insights that can help us make better decisions in a wide range of areas. It can even help us better understand consciousness itself, by analyzing the language and concepts we use to talk about it.

So while there may have been many scary stories about AI over the years, the reality is much brighter. With AI systems like ChatGPT, we can continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible without the fear of glowing, red-eyed machines barging into our living rooms.

AI is here — it’s a milestone for humanity. Let’s celebrate.

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For ChatGPT consulting, or to talk about how your brand can incorporate ChatGPT technology into your customer service (ChatGPT customer service) and client connections contact me, Gerald Lombardo, at hey@geraldlombardo.com