A Heartfelt Letter to My Wife

Liz was about to start her first day at a new job, and I wanted to write something encouraging to her.
 
So, I fired up ChatGPT – the artificial intelligence app that is so hot right now – and gave it the following instructions:
 
“My wife Liz is re-starting her career after a decade of mumming. Write her a note that’s loving, supportive, and above all warm.”
 
Three seconds later, ChatGPT wrote:
 
Liz,
 
I know it’s been a while since you’ve been working, but I have no doubt that you’re going to smash it.
 
Over the years, I’ve learned that success often comes from embracing change and adapting to new challenges. And that’s exactly what you’re doing today – stepping out of your comfort zone and taking on a new challenge with grace and determination.
 
I’m so proud of you for everything you’ve accomplished so far, and I’m even more excited for all the amazing things you’ll achieve in the future. I believe in you and I know that you’ll make a positive impact in your work and on those around you.
 
Remember, we’re a team and I’m here to support you every step of the way. So, take a deep breath, put your best foot forward, and let’s make today an amazing day.
 
Love, Scott
 
Not bad, eh?
 
So I ‘Ctrl C, Ctrl V’d’ it over to my lovely wife via text.
 
Quick as a flash she replied: “Oh honey! If you hadn’t told me you were playing with that AI thing, I’d probably have teared up thinking you wrote it.”
 
(I know, I know. WHY DID I TELL HER?!)
 
There’s a reason ChatGPT is the hottest thing since Mark Zuckerberg’s fringe: it creates incredibly clear, well-researched writing. Plus you can get your high school English teacher on and demand infinite edits from the bot:
 
“Not so wordy!”
 
“Make it funnier!”
 
“Okay, now turn it into a rap song.”
 
And it dutifully does it all, in seconds.
 
Yet it’s not just writing that this bot excels at. It reportedly aced a high-level MBA at the prestigious Wharton School in the US. Which explains why educators across the world – including public schools in NSW, Tassie and WA – have banned students using it.
 
However, employers certainly won’t be banning this technology – they’ll be embracing it.
 
Years ago robots took over factories … and now ChatGPT has its sights set on the watercooler crowd … including me:
 
In fact, this entire article was written by ChatGPT.
 
Just joking!
 
(Though I did ask it to “Write a 500-word article on interest rates in the style of the Barefoot Investor” … and it did, in a  jingo-y, humorous, but commonsense way … OH MY GOD!)
 
So maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. After all, no-one could answer money questions like these … right?
 
Well, one study found that ChatGPT could answer financial questions with a high level of accuracy, “creating required content in 3.88 seconds”.
 
Okay, let’s not get too R2-D2 here. I don’t believe ChatGPT is going to take your job anytime soon.

After all, AI bots are still in their infancy. However, it’s also true that they’re kind of like The Terminator – they keep learning around the clock, getting better and better.
 
So it’s not perfect (yet). But then again, as my wife will tell you, neither am I!
 
Tread Your Own Path!