The Promise of Plugins
The emergence of ChatGPT plugins has been a turning point in the realm of conversational AI. Not only do plugins enhance the built-in capabilities of ChatGPT but also expand the horizons of possibilities. The plugins have significant implications for various industries and sectors. However, as with any AI advancement, there are both pros and cons to consider. In this blog post, I delve deeper into my personal experience with ChatGPT plugins, discuss their real-world applications, and explore the ongoing debates surrounding their usage.
What are Plugins?
Currently, the plugins are only available in the Plus version of ChatGPT. In a nutshell, they are technically software add-ons that extend the existing capabilities of the original ChatGPT model. Plugins can serve a variety of purposes and can connect the model to external data sources, thus, increasing the accuracy of responses. They are not developed by the OpenAI itself, but rather are enhancement tools made by human beings and “submitted” into the ChatGPT ecosystem. For instance, the plugins can enable ChatGPT to draft emails, conduct web searches, summarise documents etc.
The User Experience
My personal journey with ChatGPT plugins started very recently, way after they were introduced. Yet, the experience has been quite enlightening. Not only have these plugins made my interactions with ChatGPT more dynamic but have also allowed for my productivity and efficiency to skyrocket. Though there are only around 1,000 of them available, I am very far from having explored all of them. Among the ones I have had the pleasure of working with, a few have stood out due to their utility in my personal and professional lives:
1. KeyMate.AI Search
KeyMate.AI has truly been a game-changer for me. The plugin basically acts like a missing link between ChatGPT and Google Search. It helped me reduce the time I spent on web research and increase its efficiency. For instance, while working on a market analysis for a work project, I used KeyMate.AI to quickly generate an overview of the market and biggest players. It can also help you make your investment decisions by providing real-life data and trends!
Curious? Click to see a live example!
2. WolframAlpha
As someone who has a keen interest in data analytics, the Wolfram plugin has been interesting to explore. In short, it allows for performing quick complex calculations and data analysis right within the ChatGPT interface. It also has access to curated knowledge. While I have not yet used it for a specific work I “played around” with it and tried to see what transformations of different Pokemons look like.
Curious? Click to see a live example!
3. Wikipedia
I am a huge “fact-nerd”, I love constantly googling for information and questions that come to my mind. Most of the time I end up reading through a Wikipedia page, but those pages are quite lengthy. Thus I started using the plugin and it is now my absolute go-to for quick and efficient information lookup. As you can see below, I have used it to find out about absolutely different concepts and historical events in a very efficient way.
Great, not Perfect
While the capabilities of the plugins are impressive, they have their own drawbacks. Here are some of the most notable ones I (and others) are concerned with:
1. Personal data exposure. One of the main pressing concerns is the ethical implications and data safety. Given plugins are made by third-party developers, the personal data of the users is available to parties outside of the ChatGPT ecosystem.
2. Speed of generation. In short, plugins are slow. It takes a while to generate responses. When it comes to looking up information on the web, you are better off using the search engines directly for short questions (e.g. Microsoft stock price). However, once your search becomes slightly more extensive, the benefit of plugin-generated answers tends to exceed the cost of time spent waiting.
3. Hallucinations. While in the plugins amount of hallucinated (i.e. fake) answers is reduced, they are not fully eliminated. This is due to the fact that the underlying language learning model (LLM) behind ChatGPT itself is still prone to generating hallucinations.
What does the Future Hold?
While the ChatGPT plugin ecosystem is still in its infancy, I believe it is immensely promising. With the evolvement of this technology, we can expect to see more sophisticated, faster, and user-friendly plugins. However, it is important to have a balanced approach towards innovation and consider both its benefits and challenges. While OpenAI has yet to let another genie out of the bottle with its introduction of a plugin ecosystem, it is the users and developers who in my opinion hold sole ownership of the technology’s future.
Have you had an experience with ChatGPT plugins or have some thoughts on the topic? Happy to hear more in the comment section below!
Sources
- https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt-plugins#OpenAI
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/chatgpt-plugins-openai-building-ultimate-digital-assistant-kane-simms/
- https://analyticsindiamag.com/chatgpt-plugins-next-big-disaster-in-the-making/
- https://www.gptechblog.com/understanding-chatgpt-plugins/
- https://analyticahouse.com/blog/chatgpt-plugins-revolutionizing-work-and-marketing#:~:text=Plugins%20enhance%20the%20functionality%20of,adding%20specific%20features%20and%20capabilities.
I enjoyed reading your article! Your insights into the world of ChatGPT plugins were quite illuminating, highlighting both the potential and challenges of integrating third-party add-ons into conversational AI. I, too, have used several plugins and found them transformative in many ways. Your point about personal data exposure resonates with me, as I’ve always been cautious about sharing sensitive information with third-party applications. Developers need to maintain a high level of transparency about data handling. As you rightly pointed out, we should be optimistic about the future but proceed cautiously. Thanks for the comprehensive overview!
I’m looking forward to reading more such articles from you. Great job! 👍🙂
Hi Alex! Thanks so much for your review, glad you could resonate with my experience! Indeed, as long as transparency and privacy are maintained, the plugins sound like a great idea. Also super happy with the fact that they are human-generated, this gives a lot of space for fast-paced innovation. My next blog on AI tools has already been published, might be interesting for you to read!
Best and thanks! 🙂