Introducing ChatGPT Plugins: Unlocking the Future of Human-AI Interaction

OpenAI released plugins for ChatGPT.

It will change the future of humanity.

Here's how they work and why this is so important: pic.twitter.com/0WvNLStqLV

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

1/ Introducing ChatGPT plugins

Plugins for ChatGPT augment the language model's capability to:

• Access up-to-date information
• Run computations
• Use third-party services

This will unlock use cases that shape the future of human-AI interaction.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

2/ Collaborations with major companies

Here's an example of meal planning for your weekend:

• Restaurant recommendation for Saturday (OpenTable)
• Recipe for Sunday (ChatGPT)
• Calculate calories (WolframAlpha)
• Order the ingredients (Instacart) pic.twitter.com/qz01ch8fh3

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

3/ OpenAI's browser plugin

ChatGPT can now access information from the internet beyond its training data.

• Uses the Bing API to search
• Synthesises information across multiple sources
• References sources with click-throughs to verify claims pic.twitter.com/7CZNGwQfeY

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

4/ Code interpreter plugin for Python

An experimental code interpreter allows ChatGPT to use Python in a secure environment.

• Solves mathematical problems
• Data analysis and visualisation
• File format conversion

I feel this will make coding more accessible to everyone. pic.twitter.com/xOat1Ccv9S

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

5/ Open-source retrieval plugin for personal and organisational data

• Access relevant document snippets
• Integrate various vector databases
• Synchronise information sources

This one's great—it allows users to seamlessly interact with their data while maintaining privacy. pic.twitter.com/Xnbdqvdj27

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

I thought I'd highlight some first and second-order effects of ChatGPT plugins on individuals, businesses and the economy.

Here's what could happen:

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

1/ Impact on SEO and content quality

Content saturation:

The rise in AI-generated content through ChatGPT plugins may lead to an oversaturated market.

This could make it harder for businesses to stand out in search results, necessitating a shift in SEO strategies.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

Quality vs. quantity:

As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, search engines like Google may need to adapt their algorithms to better differentiate between genuine, high-quality content and AI-generated content exploiting SEO tactics.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

Competition:

It could be harder for smaller businesses to compete with larger organisations that have access to more resources and advanced AI tools e.g., Instacart + plugin vs a new grocery delivery service.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

2/ Ethical and privacy concerns

Reinforcement of biases:

If plugins amplify existing biases in data sources or user inputs, they could create harmful stereotypes and reinforce biased decision-making—we want to avoid this.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

Privacy concerns:

Plugins accessing personal or organisational data might lead to unintended data leaks or privacy violations.

This could reduce trust and potentially expose sensitive company information.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

3/ Economic implications and job displacement

Job displacement:

The increased capabilities of ChatGPT plugins will automate tasks and workflows previously performed by humans.

This will lead to job losses and economic disruptions across industries.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

Monopolisation of AI services:

It's clear that OpenAI's dominance in the AI plugin space may stifle competition.

This could limit innovation by concentrating power within a single entity, negatively impacting the broader AI ecosystem.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

Economic inequality:

Unequal access to ChatGPT plugins and their benefits could increase existing economic disparities.

Well-resourced organisations could gain a disproportionate advantage over smaller businesses or underprivileged individuals.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

I am not against plugins—their value creation and efficiency improvements will be immense.

But it's essential we consider things like access and governance,

so everyone gets an equal shot at not only using these systems but also deriving value from them.

— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023

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— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) March 25, 2023