Who could have predicted back when ChatGPT first went public in November 2022 that it would transform the entire tech industry so quickly?
The chatbot, made by tech startup OpenAI, used the GPT 3.5 language model to talk to correspondents in an eerily human-like way. It could answer questions, tell jokes, code with a frightening level of competency – and even write battle raps, much to this writer’s delight. And just like the humans it was mimicking, if it didn’t know the answer, it would bluff its way through and make up something plausible-sounding instead.
But it wasn’t all fun and games. It was also an earthquake through Silicon Valley as it became clear that this is the future. By January, Microsoft had invested $10bn into the company, and quickly built GPT functionality into its search engine, Bing, with the promise of direct integration into Office yet to come.
By March, Google had responded in kind with the launch of its own AI-powered chatbot named Bard.
At the same time, other companies launched their own “generative” AI tools, powered by the same sorts of large-language-models that made ChatGPT so powerful. Most notably, this included a small startup called Midjourney, which began generating eerily realistic AI images, and Adobe attempted to do the same with the launch of what it calls Firefly.
Little wonder that it has also been a boom time for Nvidia, which makes many of the chips that AI uses to crunch data – its stock price has more than doubled since January.
In short then, the AI war is on. But why is it taking off now? And just how much better can it get?
This story is from the July 2023 edition of PC Pro.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2023 edition of PC Pro.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Robobutlers may never happen, but robot care workers are on their way
Do you hate loading the dishwasher enough to pay someone to do it remotely? Nicole Kobie wonders about the weird future of home robots
Technical debt
Cutting corners now means more work down the road - but Steve Cassidy asks whether that's always a bad thing
Zyxel ZyWALL ATP500
Zyxel delivers tough gateway security and advanced threat protection at a very appealing price
CREATIVE WORKSTATIONS
Intel and AMD both offer compelling CPU choices for workstations, giving us ten machines with the widest variety of specifications we've seen for years
ANDROID PHONES FROM £219
As this roundup of four affordable contenders shows, there's no need to spend a fortune on a phone
Amazon Echo Pop
If you want a compact Alexa smart speaker, the Pop is now the cheapest choice - but what does it really add?
Getac X600
A powerful alternative to the Panasonic Toughbook 40, with the bonus of optional Nvidia graphics
Amazon Fire Max 11
With its 2K screen and sleek design, this is Amazon's best tablet yet-but FireOS remains a hindrance
Google Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold delivers with a thin and durable design, a wide front display, smart software and great cameras
Welcome to the Fediverse
Have commercial social networks had their day? Darien Graham-Smith looks at the free, community-run apps that could usurp Twitter, Reddit and the Meta empire