3 ms·

I'd like to know more about the claimed usage figures of OpenAI. I'd like to know more about how many people are really actively using it. I can't stop hearing

by mvdtnz 3y ago

I'd like to know more about the claimed usage figures of OpenAI. I'd like to know more about how many people are really actively using it. I can't stop hearing about LLMs in places like Hacker News, but in my real life away from the tech sphere if I asked someone if they know what OpenAI or ChatGPT are I'd say maybe half would be aware of it, a small fraction would have ever used it a single time and I don't believe I know a single person who actively uses it to get things done. I think an overwhelming majority of users prompt it to generate a wedding speech speech in the style of H.P. Lovecraft or whatever, have a giggle and never use it again. I am so sceptical of the claimed figures, especially the often-repeated claim that "ChatGPT [is] the fastest-growing consumer application in history"[0]. [0] https://www.reuters.com/technology/chatgpt-sets-record-fastest-growing-user-base-analyst-note-2023-02-01/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/chatgpt-sets-record-faste...

DamnInteresting 3y ago
"Fastest growing" is a suspect statistic even when it is technically accurate. A company can go from having one customer to three, and honestly exclaim, "We tripled our user base in one day!"
tim333 3y ago
I use it in a limited get things done way as a kind of substitute for Stack Overflow as in here's my code, here's the error message, what did I do wrong? I've also found it quite handy for legal questions - asking it questions of UK law it can be surprisingly good and regular lawyers surprisingly bad in a being too busy not returning calls kind of way. But yeah, I don't know many people using it for practical stuff.
sireat 3y ago
I would say at least 95% of university students are using ChatGPT on their programming assignments. Src: I teach at a University
MrSkelter 3y ago
I learnt to code decades ago and later studied computer science and physics. I now work in marketing more than anything (the marketing side of other things like film, tech and politics). To do that I often build websites and apps. ChatGPT is invaluable to me. I use it as a coding assistant. It can write things in languages I don’t know enabling things that weren’t possible within budget a year ago. It works because I have the technical skill to prompt it properly - writing larger pieces of code in pieces - and because I have the ability to identify errors and fix them. If limited to the raw output it would be an exercise in frustration, but as a person with coding chops I can 5x my output by providing detailed feedback and suggested approaches. It’s quite revolutionary. That said though I work with text, photos and video I find it useless and uninspiring for creative output. For me it’s purely a technical tool.

by mvdtnz 3y ago

DamnInteresting 3y ago

"Fastest growing" is a suspect statistic even when it is technically accurate. A company can go from having one customer to three, and honestly exclaim, "We tripled our user base in one day!"

tim333 3y ago

I use it in a limited get things done way as a kind of substitute for Stack Overflow as in here's my code, here's the error message, what did I do wrong? I've also found it quite handy for legal questions - asking it questions of UK law it can be surprisingly good and regular lawyers surprisingly bad in a being too busy not returning calls kind of way. But yeah, I don't know many people using it for practical stuff.

sireat 3y ago

I would say at least 95% of university students are using ChatGPT on their programming assignments. Src: I teach at a University

MrSkelter 3y ago

I learnt to code decades ago and later studied computer science and physics. I now work in marketing more than anything (the marketing side of other things like film, tech and politics). To do that I often build websites and apps. ChatGPT is invaluable to me. I use it as a coding assistant. It can write things in languages I don’t know enabling things that weren’t possible within budget a year ago. It works because I have the technical skill to prompt it properly - writing larger pieces of code in pieces - and because I have the ability to identify errors and fix them. If limited to the raw output it would be an exercise in frustration, but as a person with coding chops I can 5x my output by providing detailed feedback and suggested approaches. It’s quite revolutionary. That said though I work with text, photos and video I find it useless and uninspiring for creative output. For me it’s purely a technical tool.