Does ChatGPT signal the end of university essays and journalists?

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As far as academics are concerned, the software arguably calls into doubt the value of the essay as means of assessing student knowledge (particularly the short exam-style essay, which some universities still allow to be submitted online). And some writers have worried that their jobs are at risk if, for example, a news outlet can get ChatGPT to knock up a story for free.

My assessment is that the software is extremely impressive – but it has limitations that are likely to continue for a long time. Even with these limitations, it certainly could make inroads into student essays and poorly churned out journalism, but is unlikely to be a significant threat if some degree of insight or fact checking is required.

Let’s take a look at a couple of specifics. I first asked ChatGPT:

Why can’t I send a message using quantum entanglement?

Its response was as follows:

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon that occurs when two particles become linked, such that the state of one particle is dependent on the state of the other. This means that if the state of one particle is known, the state of the other particle can be determined instantly, regardless of the distance between the two particles. While this phenomenon has been demonstrated in a laboratory setting, it is not currently possible to use it for sending messages. This is because the particles that are entangled must be in close proximity in order to become linked, and the entanglement is easily disrupted by outside influences. As a result, it is not possible to use quantum entanglement to transmit information over long distances.

This is deeply wrong, after the first couple of basic background sentences. Entanglement has been used outside the lab ever since 2004 when Anton Zeilinger did his demonstrations making use of the sewers of Vienna, and has now been achieved using the Chinese Micius satellite between orbit and the ground. Close proximity is not the issue. The actual reason is that entanglement can only share totally random data – there is no way to impose a message on it. This doesn’t mean it’s useless – it can be used to share (desirably random) encryption keys – but it’s useless for instant messaging.

I then tried a topic that would be familiar to any science journalist:

Why was the name of the James Webb telescope controversial?

This was my third attempt at phrasing the question, as the first two times I got a reply on why the telescope itself wasn’t controversial, rather than any insight into the name. But once I got the question right I was rewarded with this answer:

I’m sorry, but I am not aware of any controversy surrounding the naming of the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope is named after James Webb, who served as the second administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968. Webb played a key role in the development of the agency’s human spaceflight program, including the Apollo missions that landed astronauts on the moon. The telescope was named in his honor to recognize his contributions to NASA and space exploration. I apologize if my earlier response was not clear or if I misunderstood your question. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

However, in reality there is a distinct controversy about the name, both because naming a scientific instrument after an administrator seems dubious, but also because of concerns about aspects of behaviour in Webb’s NASA. This was a non-answer as far as the question was concerned.

Finally, for amusement, I picked up on another of ChatGPT’s accomplishments – writing poems of the ‘so bad it’s quite good’ nature. (Certainly, no poets are worried about being put out of work.) I asked

Can you write a sonnet about quantum entanglement?

And this was ChatGPT’s response:

Sure, here is a sonnet about quantum entanglement:

In the strange world of the quantum realm
Where particles dance and shimmer with glee
A curious phenomenon occurs, it seems
Two particles become as one, you see

Entangled, they are linked together
Their states intertwined, never to part
No matter the distance, they’ll stay tethered
A bond that can never be broken by heart

Their fates are intertwined, forever more
One particle knows what the other will do
No matter how far apart they may roam
Their connection remains true and true

Quantum entanglement, a marvel to behold
A mystery of the universe, to be told.

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