ChatGPT
Dr
Pradeep Mahapatra
January 13, 2023
Mass media experts
prediction for 2023 on use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various fields
including journalism took its roots from the developments such as introduction
of platforms like ChatGPT during later part of 2022. ChatGPT (Generative
Pre-trained Transformer) is a ‘Chatbot’. Online question and answer are
conducted by ‘Chatbot’ or ‘Chattorbot’ software. Synthesis of data made accessible
to the system can be disseminated to the seekers instantly using such softwares.
Mediation of humans are not required for its operation. Many can access to required
content at a time.. etc…
Within five days
of nascent public appearance of startup OpenAI developed ChatGPT on November
30, 2022, the fact that a record number of over 10 lakh netizens appeared in
the platform proved its popularity from the very beginning. It is identified as
an optimized language model. ChatGPT is powered with a huge amount of data available
online up-till 2021 and is set not only to locate relevant documents on a given
subject, but also present the information in language form displayed in the
seekers device screen. In other words, when a question is asked, ChatGPT answers
in conventional written form.
During recent
years many research establishments including Google and Microsoft took
initiatives to develop mechanism to generate content utilizing AI. But for
various reasons, none of the innovations could be popular. Of course, ChatGPT
is supported by Microsoft. In previous attempts the language models had
capacity to compose a line or two. On the other hand, ChatGPT software can
produce longforms including essays or even a book on command. In the
preliminary stage ChatGPT is available for free to use. It may seek
subscription in future.
Initial attempts
for use of AI in journalism, mostly in writing news stories and features
started during the earlier part of second decade of twenty-first century.
Technicians at Beijing Times of China demonstrated an automized facility
which could produce 1,000 words per minute. Experimental use of AI to generate
content for media platforms started in Germany, France, Britain, China and
Rasia. The Washington Post in the United States used a language software
named Heliograf, developed in-house to update schedules, results and
medal tally in its blog and Twitter account during Rio Olympics, 2016. There
was a considerable success in the effort.
In the following
years both digital and traditional news platforms took interest in utilization
of AI from content generation to determination of print order to subscriber
engagement efforts. A few print newspaper chains in the United States have
adopted AI models for preparation of ‘hper-local-news’. It has been told that
use of AI will not result in retrenchment of working journalists. It would
create an environment where the journalists will be able to spend less time in
routine data collection which will be taken over by the machine and get more
time for critical analysis of news story. Such explanations flash-back the
memories of use of calculator and computer in mathematics during the bygone
days.
Experts believe
that, use of AI will accelerate ‘fact check’ and ‘data analysis’ functions in
journalism. But would move backwards for critical thinking during the primary
years. Development of a perspective taking into consideration past history and
future speculation may not be possible in a machine learning situation. On the
other hand, news consumers may prefer machine generated content in some
categories of news taking into consideration it’s error-less and non-partisan
qualities.
Digital news
platforms will prefer new solutions like ChatGPT for reporting current events. For
example, posting results of games and elections may prove more efficient than
human intervention. On the other hand, problems may arise to determine who will
be responsible for trustworthiness of such reporting.
Adoption of tech
innovations among large number of netizens takes no time in the changed ecosystem.
It is interesting to note that soon after unveiling of ChatGPT, school children
in United States started utilizing the platform for their class work. It become
a problem for the teachers and parents to bar the young population from using
such manipulative device for education. It lead Yew York City school officials
to restrict ChatGPT website on school computers and networks within five weeks
of its appearance.
Automated content
generation utilizing AI powered tools like ChatGPT are set to change the
documentation landscape. ChatGPT developed in English language has potential to
influence major regional languages in India. As facilities of translation from
English into regional languages are in offering, original content created using
such applications in English can be easily translated into regional languages by
using another app. Google’s project to improve translation utilizing AI for
over hundred regional languages and dialects fuel the hope for better future in
the field.
In the event of
development of automated content generation facilities and forecast on possible
influence upon journalism, experts feel that it is wise for the journalist
community to acquaint themselves with the new technology. Journalists can
segregate data collection and fact checking tasks to the machine which will
allow them to spend more times on creative pursuit to improve the standard of
news stories and opinion pieces. Online training facilities for working
journalists and inclusion of AI in journalism in curriculum for media students
is the need of the hour.
Google ‘Bard’
Dr
Pradeep Mahapatra
February 10, 2023
For the first time
in the history of Internet, a generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) launched on
November 30, 2022 could attract 10 crore unique users within a period of two
months, calculated a report published by internet traffic research platform
‘SimilarWeb’. ‘SensorTower’, another research platform explained that other two
popular applications ‘Tik-Tok’ took nine months to gather 10 crore users, while
‘Instgram’ toiled two years to reach the mark. United States San Francisco
based ‘OpenAI’ has developed AI powered image generator ‘DALL -E2’ along with
the language model ‘ChatGPT’.
Taking into consideration
unprecedented consumer interest on generative AI, internet forerunner ‘Google’
announced on February 6, 2023 launch of a new product termed as ‘Bard’ which is
explained as an ‘experimental observational artificial intelligence’. Sundar
Pichai, CEO of ‘Alphabet’, the parent company of Google announced in a blog
post that the new product would be tested by a limited number of trusted users
before launched for the public. Google has been engaged in development of
language models employing AI during the recent past and furnished a software
entitled ‘Language Model for Dialogue Application (LaMEDA)’ during 2020.
Sundear Pichai
wrote that use of AI in online applications claim priority in the international
level. It is noteworthy that the volume of research on AI doubles in every six
months by 2023. As a result, more and more usable products are pushed into the
market and people avail improved amenities and services worldwide. Google
offered AI enriched products like LaMEDA, PaLM, Imagen and MusicLM for popular
use.
It is being
discussed that though Google has a long history of employing AI in its
services, it never offered facilities to the consumers for direct use. But
launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI and huge consumer attention to the product in a way
compelled Google to offer similar service to the public. On the other hand,
OpenAI is supported by Google’s competitor ‘Microsoft’ and soon after the
launch of ChatGPT Microsoft announced a huge investment for further development
of the platform. Thus, competition among Microsoft and Google is evident
centered on chat-bot issue.
There may be many
differences on working among ChatGPT and Bard. Both the platforms are designed
as conversational applications. Whenever a question is asked, the application
will present the answer in written text. While ChatGPT will rely on resources
for which it has been trained, Bard will draw information from the Internet. By
beginning of 2023 ChatGPT knowledge base was told to be limited up till 2021.
The platform could answer up to that time period only. For example, since Russia-Ukraine
war that started during earlier part of 2022, any question relating to the war
cannot be answered by ChatGPT.
In the field of
development of generative AI, along with United States based ChatGPT and Bard,
Chinese search engine giant ‘Baidu’ announced to launch a similar product
‘Ernie Bot’ in March 2023. Though none of such popular software developed in
Germany, Britain, France and Russia were in sight till the first part of
February 2023; innovations are expected to come in the near future as the later
mentioned nations have a strong hold in research activities around AI
applications. Specialists predict that the ‘new wave of computing’ started from
Silicon Valley sweep through the globe in record time.
The word ‘Bard’ in
English language and literature identifies to a poet-singer. In the Medieval
times bards were professional poets, singers and musicians who composed verses
in honor of kings and soldiers heroic accomplishments. In India we had also
such tradition. In the modern times Google’s Bard is all set to generate text
on any specific topic in response to a question asked online, may be in the
mobile smartphone screen. Google has stated that it will also implement AI in
its search engine. The new feature can answer critical questions instead of
reproduction of available literature from the web. For example, a question like
after up-gradation of Google Translate by the end of 2023, how many Odia
readers will like to read Latin American literature online in Odia, …etc.
Shortly three days
after the CEO of Google announced use of AI in its search engine, Microsoft CEO
Satya Nadella disclosed in its headquarters in Redmond, Washington State in US
on February 7, 2023 that a new version of their search engine ‘Bing’ has been
incorporated with AI and remarked, “The race starts today”. Though by the
beginning of 2023, the share of Bing Search engine estimated to be about ten
percent of the total search universe, the new version may attract more users
which may translate into earning more advertisement revenue. Microsoft owns Windows
operating system. It has also a web browser ‘Edge’. It is being told that
Microsoft will roll out an intelligent chatbot
placed alongside Bing which can summarize web pages on command.
AI for Local Journalism
Dr
Pradeep Mahapatra
July 28, 2023
Large
scale closure of local news platforms in the western-hemisphere during pre and
post Covid–19 pandemic media environment calls for enrichment of survival strategies
for trouble-ridden local journalism in the eastern-hemisphere. During past two
decades, between 2004 and 2023, a total number of 2,100 local newspapers were
closed and 1,800 communities lost their local news outlets in the United States
of America. About 60 percent of news-room jobs disappeared between 2008 and
2023. Technological advancements, mostly rise of digital ecosystem considered
to be the prime reason for the disruptions in the news industry.
Traditional
business models of news publication depended on advertisement revenue for 200
years. With advent of e-commerce and search engines advertisers preferred to
propagate their message at the point-of-purchase among consumers. Though
advertising spend is on consistent rise worldwide, the shift in placement
adversely affected the news business. Emergence of social media as a vehicle of
news dissemination is yet another factor in the row. Social media has been
proved to be the most efficient mode of circulation of hyper-local news. The
mainstream news media neglected hyper-local news and appearance of citizen
journalists resulted in abundant publication of hyper-local news that affects
common people’s lives.
For
example, any ordinary event in a family, a locality or a community is of importance
for the people associated with it. Social media is capable of providing
infrastructural facilities for circulation of such news. On the other hand,
traditional news platforms practice the model to produce editions aimed at a
bigger section of readers, listeners or viewers. The alternative opportunity is
available with the social media platforms for small groups. News consumers
increasingly prefer to access news as per their choice and utility value. They
shift their news consumption habit form mainstream media to social media
platforms that serve their purpose. The trend is evident both in developed and
developing societies worldwide.
Traditional
news outlets neglected hyper-local coverage for various reasons. In providing
news editions for a large cross-section of consumers they proved to be
incapable to satisfy the news needs of smaller groups. They preferred not to
invest money and talent in the sector. In such an environment social media
offered facilities to publish hyper-local news and circulate without much expenditure.
Introduction of cloud computing resulted in abundant availability of space for
content storage surpassing all the facilities of pre and post printing era.
However,
irony is news media has been dragged into a vicious circle of toxic environment
even with availability of high-end technologies in the post-Covid-19 pandemic
‘new normal’. Managers of social media platforms give preference to
advertisement and sponsored content. They control how such content will be
displayed in the consumer walls and neglect independent not-paid-for content.
As a result circulation of hyper-local news in social media platforms are
pushed into back benches. Social media influencers advertise on every thing
from household consumer durables to political and religious ideologies that cover
a major space in users walls. The proportion of local news appears to be
shrinking day by day.
Apprehensions
on possible effects of generative artificial intelligence on journalism was
evident from the time of appearance of products like ChatGPT in the later part
of 2022. While a section of media analysts suspected that automation in
journalism industry may make human labour in creative field redundant, another
section speculated possibilities to overcome long standing problems faced in
journalism with use of technology. In a notable move, after eight months of
universal availability of generative artificial intelligence products, ‘Google’
could convince large media houses and ‘Open AI’ small media outlets to
experiment with use of AI technology to enrich journalism practices in the
United States.
Washington-based
non-profit organization ‘American Journalism Project’ established in 2019 is a
venture philanthropy working to address
the market failure in local news. It is being mentioned that “encouraging and
adoption of new technology, to enhance journalism in public interest, has been
a core component of AJP’s venture support.” Open AI, innovator of ChatGPT,
pledged equivalent of 37 crore 50 lakh Indian rupees to establish partnership
with 41 local news platforms through AJP “to explore ways the development of
artificial intelligence can support a thriving, innovative local news field,
and ensure local news organizations shape the future of this emerging
technology” during July 2023.
It
is further noted that “there are significant opportunities for journalism
organizations to use AI : it can facilitate deeper analysis of public data and
information, strengthen and personalize user experience, and develop new
formats for delivering information.” “AJP aims to build the support structure
for community-driven local news organizations to expand their capabilities
through AI.” The grant finance will be invested for creating technology for AI
studios and making pilot investments in numerous AI applications to develop
tools for local journalism.
AI POWERED ADVERTISING
Dr
Pradeep Mahapatra
August 19, 2022
Return to normalcy
in trade and commerce at the endemic phase of coronavirus induced pandemic
raised the hope of increase in advertising spending. Traditional media, mostly
television and print newspapers expected to return to the financial position of
pre-covid period. However, the emerging trend of use of new technologies in
advertising ecosystem tend to drive advertising spending towards digital media
by the first-half of 2022.
Zee Entertainment is considered as
a major player in television broadcasting in India. A report published during
the second week of August 2022 revealed that there was about 50 percent fall in
consolidated net profit during April-May-June 2022 in comparison to profit of
the same period a year earlier during 2021. While the broadcaster reported a
net profit of about Rs 208 crore during the first quarter of accounting year in
2021, it dropped to Rs 106 crore. Among other reasons, lower advertising spend
by brands is considered as a cause of concern.
The financial experience of Zee
Entertainment may not be applicable to other platforms in totality, but a time
has came to ponder on the reasons for decrease in advertising spending during
the ‘new normal’. Use of artificial intelligence
in production and publication of advertisements may be considered as an
impacting factor for such a shift of advertising from traditional to digital
platforms. India is not lagging behind in use of artificial Intelligence tools
in advertising with comparison to international trend.
Production and publication of
personalised advertisement is one of the foremost advantages of AI-powered
advertising. Citing a few examples, the food delivery major Zomato released a
hyper-local campaign during July 2022 featuring noted Bolywood film personality
Hrithik Roshan. In the advertisement the actor endorsed various dishes from
different restaurants belonging to towns and cities spread over the country.
His voice for endorsement was manipulated using deep-fake technology. The
audience curiosity to listen their favourite dishes form neighbourhood eateries
from a celebrity remained high. Confronting
such an environment by television or print newspaper advertising is unviable.
The advertisement published in devices taking into consideration their
geographical location.
Similarly, a firm named
‘notjustacadburyad.dot.com’ launched a festive session advertisement campaign
last Dipavali 2021 targeted at hyper-local retail stores of different towns and
cities throughout the country. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan promoted small
business outlets on individual basis. About 1,39,000 hyper-localised
advertisements were produced within a short period of 10 days to be used for
sales promotion through personalised advertisement of individual retail stores.
Soft drink brand Pepsi Co employed
deep-fake technology to construct the appearance of younger years of its brand
ambassador Salman Khan in an advertisement released during March 2022, at the
beginning of summer market. Similarly an insurance company created a short
video of 11 year old cricket champion Sachin Tendulkar to address to the
audience to be fearless in life. Use of artificial intelligence 3D modelling
and precision shooting help to produce near-true images of endorsers of
advertisements utilising old photographs, voice samples and facial expressions.
Since such facilities are unthinkable in traditional media platforms, new age
advertising seems to prefer the digital media.
Relevance of advertising depend
upon who speaks what, in which form, volume and platform measured with consumer
behaviour. Traditional platforms like television and print newspaper place
advertisements for general audience. Options are limited to reach specific
groups of audience. In newspapers, first and last page attract attention of
more readers, sports and entertainment pages reach to younger readership or
business newspapers carry message to those engaged in trade and commerce.
First, advertisements in print newspapers, cannot reach a segmented readership.
Secondly, it becomes difficult to measure the acceptance and Third, fail to
collect real time data on consumer trend.
However, artificial intelligence
powered advertising enables to cross many of such barriers. It attracts
advertisers to adopt to new technologies. As per a publication in Forbes
about 15 percent of advertising used artificial intelligence in one form or
other by 2022 in developed nations.
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