While ChatGPT might be a "bullshit generator," it has unique usefulness in handling mundane or meaningless tasks, providing relief to those burdened by such work, writes Alberto Romero.

ChatGPT is a bullshit generator. You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? Well, unlike probably all the other times someone’s said it, I don’t mean it as a put-down but as a compliment. “Bullshit generator” suits ChatGPT because its output doesn’t hold any “regard for truth.” ChatGPT doesn't lie, which is an intentional attempt to conceal the truth. It generates text that happens to be either right or wrong—but only incidentally. Whatever you need it to say, it will oblige with the appropriate prompt. I used to think that was bad.

Why do we want such a shapeless, opinion-less tool, you may ask? A tool that can't differentiate between real stuff and the vast array of imaginary alternatives. A tool that can learn anything, possible and impossible, and will inadvertently and spontaneously confabulate facts about the world. Well, I no longer think that’s bad. It turns out this handy property—automated bullshitting—is singularly useful nowadays. ChatGPT may not be the end of meaning, as I've often wondered, but quite the opposite: The end of meaninglessness. Let's see why.

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It’s hard to say objectively which work has value and which doesn’t, but it’s easy for each of us to answer this question: Do you spend time on tasks you don’t like, that you believe don’t really need to be done?

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ChatGPT as a means to recapture sanity

Douglas Hofstadter has been giving mixed comments about ChatGPT and GPT-4 recently. Two weeks ago he publicly admitted to being terrified that AI will eventually eclipse us at everything (a fear that apparently goes back a decade). Yet a few days ago he wrote: