The current generation of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and tools are descendants of pioneering work on cognitive science, computer science, economics, game theory, and mathematics going back to the 1950s.
What do the recent developments in AI platforms and their public availability mean for us as students and teachers? The technology is evolving rapidly in its potential uses and ethical issues. This guide provides background and resources to help you get a handle on it!
Modern AI platforms are composed of multiple groups of algorithms with different goals. At their simplest, these platforms take training data, use machine learning algorithms to "learn" from this data, and then pass on what it has learned to a model which uses this knowledge to generate some output. Below are some simple definitions for key ideas related to modern AI platforms.
This is a brief overview of better known Large Language Models (LLMs) as of September 2023. Initially, they were available as free, beta versions but many are moving towards paid plans for improved versions.
Ethical questions:
ChatGPT - free
Developed by Open AI and built on GPT-3.5 which responds to text prompts.
Not connected to the Internet. Trained on Internet data only through September 2021.
ChatGPT Plus - monthly fee
Developed by Open AI and built on GPT-4 which can respond to image and text prompts.
Connected to the Internet
Bing Chat - free with a Microsoft account
Developed by Microsoft and built on GPT-4
Connected to the Internet
Use with Microsoft Edge or with other browsers using the New Bing Anywhere extension.
Bard - free with a Google account
Developed by Google and built on PaLM2
Connected to the Internet
Claude 2 - free with account sign-up; pricing for premium version just released
Developed by Anthropic using their own model.
Claims it is focused on reliability and safety. Not connected to the Internet.
Perplexity AI - free with account sign-up needed to use GPT-4 model; also has a paid Pro version
Developed by Perplexity and built on GPT-3.5 and GPT-4
Connected to the Internet
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