ChatGPT in the Metaverse: Better Call the Exterminator
Living in the digital era means living life with the expectation that someday the other shoe will drop, and we are in for a ride. Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, AI-based chatbots have taken the world by storm, effectively dividing the population between those who believe it will revolutionize every sector and those who claim this advancement has come along at the expense of their livelihood. In any case, experts are looking at the integration of ChatGPT in the metaverse. Still, there is fear that this will undoubtedly result in a bot infestation of the virtual world, diminishing the quality of the immersive experience.
ChatGPT in the Metaverse: The New NPC
The simplest explanation of the metaverse is a capitalism-centered video game happening in real-time on a 3D rendering of real life but not necessarily real locations. Art imitates life if you will. So, it is to no one’s surprise that the virtual world would include non-playable characters (NPCs) like any other simulation. And that is where ChatGPT comes in.
Tourist Guides
The metaverse may include replicas of real-life locations. Still, for the most part, we expect fantastical and whimsical destinations, from locations on faraway planets to belonging to a different realm. Maybe a replica of Dante’s inferno. No matter the case, you always need a guiding hand, as I doubt Google Maps works in the virtual world. OpenAI’s AI-based software could be the key to a full and authentic experience of the Other World. In fact, based on the AI’s conversational skills, the bots could be the creator of whimsy as they take inspiration from great writers to describe the sceneries and locations throughout the digital space. Who’d want to go to Disneyland when you can visit Middle-Earth—the famous fictional world from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings— and get more Non-Fungible Tolkien (get it?) for their meta-home?
The Master of MCs
In my opinion, the most awkward job in entertainment is that of the master of ceremonies (MC). As the MC, you are tasked with getting the audience’s attention and firmly holding onto it. Just like writers, every MC has a different approach to different events. Factor in the lack of physics in the metaverse, and you are in for the events of your life. ChatGPT, with its eloquent speech, could combine every style of emceeing out there to fit any event you through at it. Imagine watching a Croquet match—the sport from Alice in Wonderland favored by the Queen of Hearts—hosted by a Joker-esque MC. I know he is a villain, but nobody does showmanship and theatrics as he does.
Filler Population
Just like in an essay with a word count to be met, we could see filler avatars in the metaverse to make the world more populated than it already is. For example, they could be walking around shopping centers or coming and going from buildings. Just enough to give the virtual world some life, ironically enough. Think of them like extras in movies. They have no role to play in the plot, but they give it a sense of reality. However, nobody likes a useless ornament. So the ChatGPT filler population could double as the virtual assistants of the actual citizens of the metaverse.
What ChatGPT in the Metaverse Brings to the Table
What you just read is the AI-based software’s contribution to the aesthetic of artificial reality. But there are many practical uses for ChatGPt in the metaverse. First, the software can utilize every language spoken by humankind, ranging from Mandarin to the different dialects of Arabic. In other words, the program would be able to communicate with the residents of the ‘verse in over 7,000 languages. Second, meta-architecture does not follow the laws of physics, so it would be theoretically easier for ChatGPT to design meta-spaces according to any prompt you provide. Certain companies already apply this technology in real life while working around the software’s limitations. Oh, the things they can build! An architect’s dream would become a developer’s nightmare instead of an engineer’s.
The Drawbacks
On paper, ChatGPt’s contribution to the meta-society is immense. And who knows what technology will give more as it keeps marching forward. But for anyone to have an educated opinion, they need to look at the full picture, not just the rainbows and sunshine, no matter how pretty they look.
Bot Infestation
To get the full scope of what you’re about to read, I’d like to draw your attention to Instagram. While it’s not the only platform to experience the following, it is the most affected. You see, Meta’s Instagram is infested with bots. An “influencer” can buy these bots to increase their followers count. And while they are relatively easy to spot due to their lack of “strategy,” they constitute a true problem on the platform. Now, add to that the deep learning ChatGPT is based on, and you get an avatar indistinguishable from others operated by humans.
Biases
The internet is rampant with politically incorrect discourse, be it racial or gender-based. And considering that the internet constitutes a significant part of ChatGPT’s database, you can imagine the type of discourse that could occur. Could you imagine minding your own business in the metaverse and then asking a ChatGPT NPC for directions, and it calls you a slur? Yeah… that sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Misinformation
As stated above, the internet, in all its facets, is part of the AI’s database. And misinformation is genuinely a disease on the web. Take the autism-is-caused-by-vaccine debate. It was one heavily biased study that one debunked repeatedly. Today, you still have firm believers in that notion. The software also gives misinformation with such certainty that you would start doubting yourself even if you knew the correct answer.
Wrap-up
Two of this decade’s most significant innovations meant to simplify our lives—ChatGPT for answers to specific questions and the metaverse for shortening the distance between people—could be destructive combined. We all want the metaverse to succeed as technological advancements benefit humankind. But integrating ChatGPT, if not carefully done, could lead to a dystopian virtual world infested with biased and misinformed bots unless they develop a bot exterminator too.
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