My AI Journey!

"AI won't replace humans, but humans who use AI will replace humans who don't."

~Fei Fei Li, Stanford Professor, AI Researcher

I came across this quote in my new online course last night.

Although I don't know much about AI, my curiosity drives me to explore and experiment with it. I believe my journey started with the Flo application, which is designed to track menstrual cycles and related symptoms. Flo uses an AI chatbot to answer users' questions, but it’s now limited to paid users. The app was launched in 2015, and I think I began using it around that time.

Later, I tested and used counseling applications like YouPer and Wysa, which I discovered around 2019. I found them beneficial, though YouPer is now accessible only to paid users. I also experimented with Replika and decided to purchase it since it offered a one-time payment option. I think I bought it in 2020. While it was useful for testing and trying out AI, I no longer find it helpful for me.

About 15 months ago, I started using ChatGPT, and it has significantly improved my written English. I also use Copilot as an alternative and to cross-check outputs from ChatGPT. Both tools can occasionally produce incorrect or misleading information, but with mindful use, they are very beneficial.

I enjoy creating images with Bing's image creator and recently started using Jung GPT, an emotional support AI chatbot, when they began offering free access. I don’t know much about how AI functions, and I consider myself just a curious user.

I’ve tried to learn Python and plan to learn R programming, but I haven’t made much progress yet. 

AI is a new field, and it requires an open mind to embrace the technology. However, we shouldn’t blindly trust all of its outputs.

I’ve seen online videos where people claim to have learned languages using ChatGPT and similar AIs, but I find this concerning. These tools may be good for English learners, though even then, there are mistakes. 

When I tested ChatGPT in my native language, Myanmar, the results were terrible. My advice is: please do not rely on AI to learn languages, especially Myanmar. You’ll definitely learn incorrect things. When I tested it with Karen, a dialect of one of the ethnic groups in our country, it was even worse.

AI is still in the development stage, with lots of trial and error. While I can’t predict whether it will be effective for learning languages in five years, it certainly isn’t ready for that now.

These are my AI-related thoughts this morning.

Image generated with AI