ChatGPT has been widely acclaimed as a groundbreaking tool with the potential to revolutionize both workplaces and homes. This AI system has garnered an astounding 1.5 billion visits to its website in the last month, indicating a significant level of interest and demand. While it is reasonable to assume that these users are generally well-educated and have access to smartphones or computers, one might question whether this AI chatbot can truly benefit individuals who do not possess these advantages. In this article, we will critically examine the impact of ChatGPT on a marginalized fishing village in Tamil Nadu, India, shedding light on its potential benefits and drawbacks in empowering communities.
Friend in Need India Trust (FIN), an NGO operating in the remote village of Kameswaram, is dedicated to battling women’s lack of empowerment, pollution, and inadequate sanitation facilities. Seeking to leverage ChatGPT to further their sustainability goals, a FIN colleague, Dr. Raja Venkataramani, initiated an experiment with local women who had limited formal education. These women, who faced patriarchal attitudes at home, struggled to construct persuasive arguments to motivate their community members, particularly men and boys, to conserve water, use toilets, and refrain from littering.
After providing the women staff at FIN with ChatGPT on their phones, they found it to be a helpful companion that retained prior discussions. One staff member even attempted to engage in political debates with her husband ahead of the state elections. She relied on ChatGPT to provide objective assessments of her preferred candidate and their opponent. Interestingly, she discovered that the responses for both candidates were equally persuasive, leading to confusion and reluctance to continue using the tool. This anecdote exemplifies the need to exercise caution and critically evaluate the veracity of ChatGPT’s arguments.
As Sam Altman, the creator of ChatGPT, acknowledges alongside other tech leaders in the US, there is a growing demand for regulations to mitigate the risks of AI hallucinations. These hallucinations refer to the generation of false information that could potentially trigger social tensions. Recognizing this potential dilemma, the authors of this study decided to test the capabilities of ChatGPT by requesting a speech to dissuade a mob from carrying out honor killings—an issue prevalent in India.
ChatGPT demonstrated remarkable speech-writing capabilities, producing compelling arguments against honor killings that could potentially contribute to reducing communal violence in the country. However, the flip side of this is concerning. Those wishing to uphold the status quo might employ the chatbot to justify their violent actions, thereby countering community efforts to address these practices. This realization highlights the immense potential of AI systems to promote both positive and negative outcomes.
Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Awareness
To explore the ways in which ChatGPT could assist NGOs in promoting women’s empowerment, FIN tasked the chatbot with creating a speech on the relevance of International Women’s Day to the villagers. While ChatGPT created an impressive speech, it contained factual errors related to sex ratios, illegal abortion, and women’s workforce participation. The chatbot’s response, when confronted with these errors, reflected a lack of accountability and a tendency to dismiss its mistakes as hypothetical illustrations.
Furthermore, recognizing the environmental concerns related to pollution during traditional Indian festivals, FIN sought ChatGPT’s help in developing a script for a street theater performance. Within minutes, ChatGPT generated a skit that incorporated local characters, names, and nuances, highlighting the harmful impact of microfibers on oceans and livelihoods. Though the collaboration between ChatGPT and FIN staff was successful, enabling them to infuse local humor into the performance, it is important to acknowledge that the chatbot relies on the input provided and lacks genuine creative and cultural understanding.
ChatGPT contends that it is a valuable tool for economically disadvantaged individuals and NGOs, owing to its provision of information, emotional support, and enhanced communication capabilities. However, it selectively avoids acknowledging the downsides, such as its tendency to generate arguments based on false, incomplete, or imperfect information. While the chatbot appears to hold promise for well-intentioned organizations like FIN, the same cannot be said for ordinary individuals who lack the means to monitor the ethics and truthfulness of ChatGPT’s suggestions.
Unless users have the ability to critically assess and verify the accuracy of the information provided by AI systems like ChatGPT, there is a significant risk of them becoming dangerous enablers of disinformation and misinformation. Therefore, while recognizing the potential benefits, it is crucial to exercise caution and remain vigilant in harnessing the power of AI to empower communities like the one in Kameswaram.
ChatGPT has demonstrated its potential to revolutionize the lives of individuals and communities. However, it is essential to critically evaluate its limitations and vulnerabilities while utilizing the tool. Without a comprehensive understanding of the risks and drawbacks associated with AI chatbots, the promise of enhancing productivity and empowering marginalized communities may remain elusive.
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