What is ChatGPT and why is it trending worldwide

According to Dr. Xudong Liu, a University of North Florida (UNF) professor, ChatGPT is a chatbot powered by GPT-Generated Pre-training Transformer.

Dr. Liu is a professor at the institution's School of Computing and teaches a spectrum of courses, including introductory to Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.

"ChatGPT was trained using Wikipedia and many, many program rappels. It's not online, though, so if you ask it to predict the weather for tomorrow, it won't work." Dr Liu says.

ChatGPT can respond to follow-up questions, confess it was wrong, dispute faulty premises, and decline unreasonable requests.

Alex Owiti, a technology expert tells The Standard that ChatGPT is a platform or Chatspot which is run on different algorithms and has been trained to do perform multiple functions.

"Its performance is based on how it has been trained. At the moment, we are in ChatGPT3, with over 7,000 books used to train it," Owiti says.

"All Artificial Intelligence uses algorithms. ChatGPT has grown to compete with other AI platforms like Google in three months. In fact, if you understand its language and command it, it could do more,"

The platform started gaining popularity when school officials in New York City started blocking the site from its schools' computers and networks.

This was after reports of learners using the platform for the scholarly work emerged.

Owiti further explains that the platform is based on algorithms which can mimic humans' operations.

"It can write a letter, from a robotic perspective. It can do anything including writing a book once you give it a specific topic. This thing might replace human intelligence. That is why it has wowed the world," Owiti explains.

"ChatGPT thinks faster, and can collect up to 40GB of information at a go,"

He has also called on the proper regulation of emerging technology trends that might pose a challenge to human existence.

"Artificial Intelligence poses a challenge to humans by risking our existence if not used properly. The technology can also be abused,"

"For instance, there are so many people who use such platforms to access information on how to make bombs which endangers security,"

So far, access and use of ChatGPT is free, Owiti says. He also adds that free access could be to attract more users.

At the moment ChatGPT is inaccessible, the three months was a pilot stage, for the experts involved in its creation to know its strengths and weaknesses.