WET Hydrology & Hydrogeology

What does ChatGPT stand for? 

The chat part of the name just means “chat,” as in a chatbot that you interact with by typing in text (prompting).

GPT stands for “generative pre-trained transformer,” which is a type of large language model: a neural network trained on a very large amount of text to produce convincing, human-like language outputs. 

The real skill you will need to use GenAI is knowing how to Prompt (explain) to the system what you want it to do.

This will take:

• Time

  • To learn to write prompts that provide the information you need

  • You will probably have to run multiple iterations of your query

  • Then you will have to figure out how to take down proper authoritative sources to cite your information properly

• Money

  • The Free Versions of most GenAI applications are 'loss leaders'  designed to get you interested. For example, ChatGPT3 is free but limits you to the number of Prompts you can submit on a daily basis.

  • ChatGPT4 is a fee based service

  • The cost of using a GenAI applications total rest with the user

GenAI hallucination is a phenomenon in which the large language model (LLM)—often a generative model—is inaccurate or made up.

This is an inaccuracy. it is from a Facebook Social media post I received on September 2, 2024.

"What movie turned out great even though everyone involved was convinced they were making a dud? When Eagles Fly (1968) is one of my favorite war movies. Incidentally, it's also Steven Spielberg's favorite war movie. However, this classic struggled to see the light of day and the main stakeholders did not believe at all in its potential. When Clint Eastwood read the script, he found it "appalling." He only accepted the project because he had nothing planned at the time and was offered a comfortable fee of $800,000 (he also negotiated to be given a Norton P11 motorcycle as a bonus for making the film...). Clint Eastwood's main criticism of the script, written by best-selling war novelist Alistair MacLean ( The Guns of Navarone ), was that it contained too much expositional dialogue and unnecessary complications. The actor even insisted that some of his lines be taken out and given to his partner, Richard Burton. When an actor makes these kinds of demands, he has a real problem with the film! Eastwood was so disinterested in the project that he refused to change his hairstyle for filming, preferring to keep his Sixties cut even though he was supposed to play a Forties soldier! Richard Burton was no more enthusiastic about making the film, only agreeing to the project because his stepson was convinced it would boost his career and he needed a hit after a string of flops. Burton hated war films and hated the film after it was completed. All this did not prevent the film from being a huge commercial and critical success."

As soon as I read the post I knew it was created by GenAI, because it messed up the film's title. I saw this movie in 1968 when I was ten years old. 

The movie's title was from a book by Alistair MacLean "Where Eagles Dare." 

Simple mistake. No real harm was done. Sometimes the consequence can be much more severe.  In a decision released February 23, 2024, a B.C. Supreme Court judge reprimanded lawyer Chong Ke for including two AI "hallucinations" in an application filed last December. The judgement made headlines in Canada and the U.S.  But the judge ordered Ke to pay the costs for the other legal team incurred, proving that the cases were fake.

In response to this situation, the Law Society of British Columbia, the licensing and regulatory body for lawyers in the province, developed an educational tool for its membership.  

Some of you may eventually end up in a position where you must be professionally accredited. This is typically understood to be a designation (letters after your name) to demonstrate that you are qualified to perform a particular job or task. It serves as proof of your skills and knowledge in your chosen profession.  Usually, oversight to ensure you perform at this level is the responsibility of a provincial or national organization that sets admission and professional practice standards. Such accreditation is often mandated by legislation. For example, Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of BC (ASTTBC). 

LLMs are designed to predict the next best possible word through the large data sets they use; there is always the possibility of bias in the results produced by GenAI tools due to the inherent bias in the data used to build it. You should constantly closely scrutinize any results from GenAI for potential bias in the text it provides you.

REMEMBER GENAI HAS BEEN PRIMARILY TRAINED ON DAT FROM THE WEB

Bias to be aware of:

• Under-representation of specific people or groups 

• Discrimination

• Misinformation and Disinformation

• Denialism