Chat GPT and other AI generated software may be changing the way we speak and think
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Experts suggest that AI technologies like ChatGPT could be shaping the way we speak and write, potentially influencing communication styles and language use.
ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) might be exceeding not only human writing but also human speech. An analysis of 300,000 conferences shows that AI could be taking over oral expression, meaning that humans are subconsciously using words from other languages or even words barely heard of. It would appear that words that are popularized by machines may be infiltrating human language and this has also been ascertained in scientific articles, sentences, or paragraphs. This is not only the case in English, the global language, but also in other languages where similar results have been collected. The phenomenon was brought to light by researcher, Ezequiel López who, at a recent academic conference, noticed a repetitive pattern of rare words being used. Another researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Berlin) noticed a similar trend. To analyse it further, a selection of 300,000 academic lecture videos were taken and an algorithm was applied to determine whether there was indeed a trend of certain words over previous years. López added: “Our question is whether there might be an effect of adoption and cultural transmission, that machines are changing our culture and then it spreads.”
Chat GPT and other generative AI is making people use rare words…and frequently
Another professor at the Max Planck Institute and co-author of the research has commented on the way in which machines can teach us language. Amid the plethora of new technology, it is the first time perhaps that humans can be shaped educationally from a machine to such an extent. The turning point came in 2022 when words that were previously rarely used including “delve” “meticulous” “realm” or “adept” were suddenly being used rather frequently. The studies revealed that this trend was occurring as much with native speakers as non-native speakers, whereby language may be becoming more nuanced thanks to AI-generated language suggestions. López commented: “I don’t think it’s a cause for alarm because in the end, it’s democratizing the ability to communicate.” For non-native speakers, it may even become easier – thanks to ChatGPT – to employ a more fluent or natural style in other languages. Typical idiomatic expressions or regional phrases might slip into the language learnt by a native or non-native speaker thanks to ChatGPT. “If you are not a native English speaker and tomorrow you go to the movies and there’s a new word that surprises you, it’s likely that you’ll adopt it too, as happened with ‘wiggle room’ in Oppenheimer; or with ‘lockdown’ during the pandemic,” said López.
AI may affect the way we think due to the words we use
What is interesting is that people have got wise to some words stereotypically associated with ChatGPT and they have become devalued or taboo. This means that certain words in becoming overly popularised and acquiring connotations of machine speech may start to be denigrated. A secondary issue is that manipulating the way we write and speak could also affect the way we see the world. There have been various language theories throughout the years including the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which claim that language affects the way we think. If we are susceptible to new words and the way a machine interprets a certain theme or idea, it may start to affect the way we think and see the world. Iyad Rahwan, Professor at the Max Planck Institute and co-writer of the investigation has commented on how this could determine how people discuss war, race or attitudes to historical events.
Another consequence could be dangers to collective intelligence. A further study published in Nature Human Behaviour found that collective intelligence could be at risk due to the widespread use of AI. GitHub or Stack Overflow – collaborative coding sites – may become obsolete if programmers are using a robot to generate codes and colleagues will neither have to consult what others have done beforehand nor make changes. ChatGPT will change how people interact and contribute to platforms. It will replace the need for people to search for things in public forums and platforms will gradually decline in importance. However, Jason Burton, Professor at the Copenhagen Business School does not necessarily believe that this will mean the end of GitHub or Stack Overflow.
Programming, writing and education all affected by AI technology including ChatGPT
It is not only programming that is being affected by AI. Education and writing is also suffering. López said: “Let’s imagine that, in the current educational system, teachers and students are increasingly relying on these technologies; some to design questions and others to find the answers.” Experts are considering whether we will be able to co-exist with AI technology. This is not to say that AI technology such as ChatGPT is solely negative. It can, as aforementioned, improve the fluency of spoken language and can assist in aggregating, or mediating, as well as summarising in more complex discussions. However, as we move towards a society which is increasingly becoming homogenised with the influence of social media and AI technology, it is important to be vigilant as identity and individuality needs to be protected and preserved as well as individual talent, ideas and beliefs. Burton commented that people will lose the ability to correct each other and we could increasingly become nonchalant to mistakes or to the very act of reviewing.
Wouldn’t the world be incredibly dull if everyone followed the same language model and thought in exactly the same way?
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