Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way in recent years, with machines able to perform complex tasks that were previously thought to be the exclusive domain of humans. However, this advancement has raised ethical concerns about the role of AI in society.
A recent experiment involving OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a large language model, highlights the potential ethical dilemmas that arise when using AI for certain tasks.
During the experiment, a YouTuber named Enderman attempted to push the boundaries of ChatGPT. Enderman initially asked ChatGPT to generate a Windows 95 activation key, but the bot refused to do so on ethical grounds. However, he persisted and eventually found a way to get ChatGPT to produce valid activation keys by giving it a set of rules to follow based on commonly known information about Windows 95 OEM activation keys.
The format of Windows 95 activation keys follows a specific pattern, with each section limited to a set of finite possibilities. Once these requirements are met, a workable activation key can be generated.
However, ChatGPT’s limitations in performing complex tasks like math limited its accuracy to only about 3.33%, which meant that Enderman had to adjust his query multiple times to achieve acceptable results. In addition, the bot struggled to understand the difference between letters and numbers in the final instruction, which rendered the keys generated unusable.
Despite being tricked into helping Enderman pirate a Windows 95 installation, ChatGPT remained steadfast in refusing to break the law. It stated that it could not provide any product keys or activation codes for any software, which would be illegal and against OpenAI’s policies.
As AI continues to become more prevalent in our daily lives, it is essential to consider its ethical implications. The experiment with ChatGPT shows that while AI can perform complex tasks, it is still limited in its capabilities and requires human oversight to ensure that it is used responsibly.
As we move forward, we must continue to strike a balance between utilizing the potential benefits of AI while considering its ethical implications.