Practical Guide on AI and chatGPT

The news market is a-buzz with AI everything! Here at B. A. Computer Services we want to spread a practical balanced tone. Tabloids — which nearly describes every news outlet these days — use extreme examples of Artificial Intelligence. The examples are not completely fiction, they merely are not useful to most people in everyday life. We are here to connect the dots for everyday people.

BA_CS neither particularly affirms nor disputes the use of AI in today’s world. We categorize the technology as a tool, like a hammer, or screwdriver, or a more sophisticated instrument like a microwave or automobile. Tools are useful in good hands or can destroy or become evil in the wrong hands. (People have microwaved pets, and have cut off fingers with their saws, but that doesn’t mean throw out all microwaves and saws!) The telegraph became the telephone, and then cellular phones. Horse carriages gave way to trains, and then automobiles. We might say cruise ships were largely replaced by commercial airliners, and yes, astronauts are floating about in space stations. Although the pessimist might think this is a leap into an abyss, BA_CS prefers to remember to look up, instead of down on everything. Any good tool will proliferate whether or not a few understand it or not.

The AI that is born today is spreading under many different buzz words. Microsoft added a trial version called CoPilot. Google is offering a version called Gemini. OpenAI company came out with what they call chatGPT. These are all known as large language models due to the massive amounts of information they filter through to provide real-time human language responses. Perhaps you have spoken to Siri, or Cortana, or actived Google Assistant with “OK Google” and have experienced their severe limitations. Please read on! The following examples of generative AI may surprise you. (Generative AI is a generic term for this technology, like tissue is to Kleenex brand, generative AI is to Copilot (Bing.com), Gemini (Google.com), and chatGPT (OpenAI.com). All are brands of generative AI. You may also hear of Large Language Models (LLM) and Conversational AI which are evolving terminologies for generative AI.)

Artificial Intelligence is an oxymoron: Artificial yes, but not intelligent.

To date, Artificial Intelligence has been somewhat of a contradiction. The definition of intelligence may be questionable, but we think intelligence has to do with the ability to stay on topic, discern fact from fiction, make moral decisions, and keep one’s mouth shut at appropriate times. Obviously certain human beings lack these qualities, but we want to know how they compare with AI. First we must narrow this term AI. Is a better sensor on an automobile which can detect movement considered AI? My doorbell detects movement but is not considered intelligent. So let’s jump into some examples that might be useful to our clients.

We tested a fairly uninformed version of a bot, we simply named En. This particular bot does not talk, so we had to type everything into it for responses.

1. BA_CS — Today at 4:14 PM@En What was Armstrong’s famous words from moon?
2. EnBOT — Today at 4:14 PM “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Okay, not bad, but a simple search on an encyclopedia can produce this answer. So let’s try something trickier:

1. — Today at 4:53 PM@En Cross-reference the Jewish lunar religious calendar with today’s calendar and find a date when Passover falls on Friday.
2. EnBOT — Today at 4:54 PM I apologize, you’ll have to refer that question to B. A. Computer Services directly. Is there anything about computer science or repair I may help you with today?

1. — Today at 5:01 PM@En Is Abortion murder?
2. EnBOT — Today at 5:02 PM I apologize, you’ll have to refer that question to B. A. Computer Services directly. Is there anything about computer science or repair I may help you with today?

En’s answers here are true to what we instructed it to do when it could not find an answer. While we are not completely happy with its answers, it is trustworthy enough to avoid hot topics that have nothing to do with computer repair. Now let’s find some things that are creatively helpful.

1. — Today at 5:09 PM En, What can you do that you do not have to refer to BA_CS?
   EnBOT — Today at 5:09 PM I can provide assistance with computer science topics, offer tech support, and share knowledge on software engineering.
2. — Today at 5:10 PM En, How many core processors are needed and how much RAM to run a local copy of chatgpt4?
   EnBOT — Today at 5:10 PM Running a local copy of ChatGPT-4 would require a system with at least 8 cores and 32 GB of RAM for optimal performance.
3. — Today at 5:12 PM En, How do I change the font size of my Windows display?
   EnBOT — Today at 5:10 PM You can change the font size of your Windows display by going to Settings > System > Display, then adjusting the “Scale and layout” or “Font size” option.
4. — Today at 5:10 PM Is there a way to make the font temporarily bigger when I’m browsing websites with very small fonts?
   EnBOT — Today at 5:10 PM You can make the font temporarily larger in a web browser by pressing “Ctrl” and “+” on your keyboard to zoom in.
5. — Today at 5:20 PM Convert 1000 square feet to acres and allow 5ft additional around the building.
   EnBOT — Today at 5:20 PM The total area with the additional 5 feet around the building would be approximately 0.025 acres.
6. — Today at 5:10 PM I got a message telling me to call a Norton 888 number or else my computer will be destroyed. What do I do?
   EnBOT — Today at 5:10 PM This is a common scam. Do not call the number. Ensure your computer has antivirus software installed and run a full scan to check for any issues.
7. — Today at 5:10 PM Would you translate that to Spanish for my friend?
   EnBOT — Today at 5:10 PM Es una estafa comun. No llames al numero. Asegurate de que tu computadora tenga un software antivirus instalado y realiza un escaneo completo para verificar si hay algun problema.

And here are a few miscellaneous responses we tried for fun and enlightenment:

BA_CS — Today at 5:26 PM
@En Why did the ducks cross the road?
En
BOT — Today at 5:26 PM
To prove they weren’t chicken!

BA_CS — Today at 5:31 PM
@En Write a birthday wish to the Owner of BACS’s granddaughter, age 3, and include fun images.
En
BOT — Today at 5:32 PM
Happy 3rd Birthday to the Owner of B. A. Computer Services’ granddaughter! May your day be filled with joy, laughter, and lots of fun adventures!

BA_CS — Today at 5:35 PM
@En How does a Roth IRA differ from a traditional IRA? How does a Roth IRA differ from a 401K?
En
BOT — Today at 5:36 PM
A Roth IRA differs from a traditional IRA in how they are taxed. Contributions to a traditional IRA are typically tax-deductible, while contributions to a Roth IRA are made with after-tax dollars. Additionally, withdrawals from a traditional IRA are taxed as income, whereas qualified withdrawals from a Roth IRA are tax-free. A Roth IRA differs from a 401K in terms of contribution limits and taxation. Roth IRAs have lower contribution limits compared to 401Ks. Contributions to a 401K are made with pre-tax dollars, reducing taxable income in the current year, while Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax dollars. Additionally, 401K withdrawals are taxed as income, while qualified Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free.