AI Woodworking Project Goes Wrong: A Lesson in AI Limitations

My son came running to me that they have found a simple use case where AI limitations came out so demonstrably well. He was referring to an article in a popular do it yourself magine -Popular Mechanics The author, a woodworker, wanted to revisit her woodworking skills and decided to ask ChatGPT to give her a simple project to build. ChatGPT suggested a square wooden box, and the author began following the instructions. However, she soon realized that the instructions were incomplete and inaccurate. For example, ChatGPT did not specify the type of wood to use, or the thickness of the wood. The author also found that the measurements were incorrect, which resulted in a box that was too small. The author's experience highlights the limitations of AI systems. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are trained on massive datasets of text and code, but they do not have the ability to understand or reason about the world in the same way that humans do. As a result, LLMs can generate text that is factually incorrect or misleading. This is especially true when LLMs are used to generate instructions for tasks that require physical knowledge or skills. For example, an LLM may be able to generate a list of steps for building a square wooden box, but it may not be able to account for factors such as the type of wood or the thickness of the wood. Another limitation of LLMs is that they can be biased. The data that LLMs are trained on is often biased, and this bias can be reflected in the text that they generate. For example, an LLM trained on a dataset of woodworking instructions may be more likely to generate instructions that are appropriate for experienced woodworkers than for beginners. It is important to be aware of the limitations of AI systems when using them for tasks that require accuracy or reliability. AI systems can be a valuable tool, but they should not be used in isolation. It is always important to double-check the results of AI systems with human experts.

Implications for ChatGPT Users ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but it is important to be aware of its limitations. When using ChatGPT, it is important to: Keep in mind that ChatGPT is a text model, not a subject matter expert. It is not able to understand or reason about the world in the same way that humans do. Be critical of the text that ChatGPT generates. Don't assume that everything that ChatGPT says is accurate or reliable. Double-check the results of ChatGPT with human experts before using them for tasks that require accuracy or reliability.

Intriguing Outcomes with ChatGPT Despite its limitations, ChatGPT can be used to generate some intriguing outcomes. For example, ChatGPT can be used to: Generate creative text formats, such as poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, email, letters, etc. Answer your questions in an informative way, even if they are open ended, challenging, or strange. Translate languages. Help you with brainstorming and problem-solving. If you are interested in exploring the full potential of ChatGPT, I encourage you to experiment with it and see what you can create.

Labels: ChatGPT, GenAI, LLM