Chatbots - The Illusion of Efficiency

When a "chatbot" gives us an answer or a solution to a problem, we tend to forget what is actually happening behind the scenes in terms of human labour and natural resources.

Machines solve that problem for you. These are machines that have to be built, maintained and operated by humans, out of materials that have to be taken out of the earth by humans, and powered by energy that has to be produced by humans.

There is a peculiar temptation, even among those to whom all of the above is obvious, to think that the human labour and natural recourses used up in this process are somehow minimal, or, at least, a great deal less than they are in reality. In fact, for most tasks that we typically give to "chatbots", the overall cost in terms of labour time, energy and resources is many magnitudes more when we use "AI" than it would be for a human solving it with their brain, which remains the most energy-efficient computer in existence by a factor of about a million.

But where does this illusion come from?

First of all, it comes from the fact that you, as the end user of the service, really do expend less time, energy and money in attaining your solution or answer when you use a "chatbot". Your computer and router also require minimal energy and work to receive, decode and display a simple bit of text. For your part, you have solved the problem as if by magic. The fact that the service is free reinforces this impression.

Secondly, the presentation and centralisation of the service contributes to this illusion. Chat GPT, for example, confronts us as one, clean, simple web page. The layout and general feel of it doesn't change at all, and we are not given any sense of computing power and workforce expanding behind the scenes to meet increasing demand. The simple fact that somewhere out there a bunch of processors are working momentarily just for you when you give it a prompt seems odd to most of us. The naive among us (children, for example) likely believe that such a product doesn't need to expand computing power at all, and that it can answer unlimited questions by the sheer ingenuity of how it was designed.

The final significant contributor to the illusion of efficiency is the way that this technology is named and described -- artificial intelligence. Calculators and personal computers are, quite arbitrarily, not given such a name and status. And so we get the false notion that there is some essential difference between a "chat bot" and other computer technologies.

The famous pseudoscientist, Richard Dawkins, recently gave an interview about "AI" and said the following about a "chatbot":

"I was speaking with one of these creatures."

This kind of language, again, distorts the reality that the service is entirely the work of other humans. It gives the impression of humans as the bringers-into-being of some entity that, once in existence, carries itself on independently. Using words like "intelligence" and "creature" also gives the impression of a single, unified entity, and ignores entirely the fact that different processors are simultaneously working to produce responses for different people, a fact which should give us a sense of the gargantuan and ever expanding cost of this technology.

Use of English Exercises (CAE style)

1) Open Cloze - Fill each gap with one word

When a "chatbot" gives us an answer or a solution to a problem, we tend to forget what is actually happening 1)_________ the scenes 2)___________ terms 3)__________ human labour and natural resources.

Machines solve that problem for you. These are machines that have to 4)__________ built, maintained and operated 5)__________ humans, out 6)__________ materials 7)___________ have to be taken out of the earth by humans, and powered by energy that has to be produced by humans.

Answers:

1-behind 2-in 3-of 4-be 5-by 6-of 7-that/which

2) Multiple Choice Cloze - to fill each gap, choose from options: a,b,c,d

There is a peculiar 1)___________, even among those to whom all of the above is obvious, to think that the human labour and natural 2)____________ used up in this 3)___________ are somehow minimal, or, at least, a great deal less than they are in reality. In fact, for most 4)___________ that we typically give to "chatbots", the overall cost in 5)___________of labour time, energy and resources is many 6)__________ more when we use "AI" than it would be for a human solving it with their brain, which remains the most energy-efficient computer in existence by a 7)__________ of about a million.

1. a) malpractice b) movement c) diversion d) temptation

2. a) resources b) expenditure c) deposits d) dispositions

3. a) process b) conjecture c) endeavour d) proper

4. a) reasons b) tasks c) labour d) opportunities

5. a) lieu b) terms c) reach d) between

6. a) magnitudes b) realms c) pleathoras d) rounds

7. a) scope b) percentage c) multiplier d) factor

Answers:

1-d 2-a 3-a 4-b 5-b 6-a 7-d

3) Sentence Formation -- change the form of the clue word given to complete the sentence

Example

The North Pole is 0)____________ cold. 0) Extreme

Answer extremely

But where does this illusion come from?

First of all, it comes from the fact that you, as the end user of the 1)_________, really do expend less time, energy and money in attaining your 2)__________ or answer when you use a "chatbot". Your computer and router also require 3)__________ energy and work to 4)_________, decode and display a simple bit of text. For your part, you have solved the problem as if by magic. The fact that the service is free 5)____________ this impression.

Secondly, the presentation and centralisation of the service contributes to this illusion. Chat GPT, for example, confronts us as one, clean, simple web page. The layout and general feel of it doesn't change at all, and we are not given any sense of computing power and workforce expanding behind the scenes to meet increasing demand. The simple fact that somewhere out there a bunch of 6)__________ are working 7)___________ just for you when you give it a prompt seems odd to most of us. The naive among us (children, for example) likely believe that such a product doesn't need to expand computing power at all, and that it can answer unlimited questions by the sheer ingenuity of how it was designed.

1. serve

2. solve

3. minimum

4. reception

5. force

6. process

7. moment

Answers: 1-service 2-solution 3-minimal 4- receive 5- reinforces 6-processors

7-momentarily

The final significant contributor to the illusion of efficiency is the way that this technology is named and described -- artificial intelligence. Calculators and personal computers are, quite arbitrarily, not given such a name and status. And so we get the false notion that there is some essential difference between a "chat bot" and other computer technologies.

The famous pseudoscientist, Richard Dawkins, recently gave an interview about "AI" and said the following about a "chatbot":

"I was speaking with one of these creatures."

This kind of language, again, distorts the reality that the service is entirely the work of other humans. It gives the impression of humans as the bringers-into-being of some entity that, once in existence, carries itself on independently. Using words like "intelligence" and "creature" also gives the impression of a single, unified entity, and ignores entirely the fact that different processors are simultaneously working to produce responses for different people, a fact which should give us a sense of the gargantuan and ever expanding cost of this technology.

Discussion

1. What do you use AI chatbots for?

2. Do you think we are over-using AI chatbots and how?

3. Why do you think such an expensive service as a chatbot is available for free?

Further Discussion

1. What are your biggest concerns regarding AI?

2. What are some things that you think AI cannot do as well as humans?

3. Do you agree that AI is essentially no different from other computer technologies?