Chat GPT and the cybersecurity dangers for your SME

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has broken all records and statistics for popularity and users. In just two months, it reached 100 million active users, making it the fastest growing consumer application ever recorded. Here's what ChatGPT is all about and some of the keys to its success.

What is ChatGPT and how does it work?

ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI that uses artificial intelligence based on machine learning to generate responses and maintain conversations with users. It works through a natural language generation process, where it has been trained on large amounts of text to learn patterns, structures and linguistic knowledge.

ChatGPT's operation is based on an architecture called Transformer, which allows it to understand and generate coherent text. During training, it was presented with examples of input text and taught to predict the next word or phrase based on the context provided. This allows the model to generate relevant responses when presented with input text.

When you ask a question or start a conversation, ChatGPT analyzes the context and uses its prior knowledge to generate a coherent answer. This way, you can ask it about any topic, and it will provide you with a well-structured, reasoned and logical answer.

Below is an example of a question asked to ChatGPT about global warming:

Although the model can provide accurate and useful information in many cases, it is important to be aware of some of the pitfalls of this artificial intelligence model.

Main risks that ChatGPT may pose

1. Generation of false or misleading content: ChatGPT has the ability to generate responses that may appear accurate but are not necessarily based on verified facts. This can lead to the dissemination of incorrect or misleading information.
2. Inherent biases: the model is trained on large textual data sets collected from the Internet, which may introduce existing biases in those data, such as gender, race, or cultural biases. This may generate biased or discriminatory responses.
3. Lack of context and full understanding: although ChatGPT can generate coherent responses, it can sometimes lack full understanding of the context, which can lead to inaccurate or incomplete responses.
4. Outdated information: artificial intelligence models are increasingly updated, but in the case of ChatGPT-3, the information it offers is up to its training date in September 2021.

It is important to adopt a responsible use of ChatGPT and the various artificial intelligence tools.

Tips to avoid ChatGPT risks

Here are some guidelines to avoid these risks:

• Verify the information generated by the model before sharing it or making decisions based on it.
• Recognize and challenge biases in the responses.
• Report any inappropriate or offensive responses.
• Provide clear and specific instructions when interacting with the model.
• Supplement model responses with reliable and up-to-date sources.
• Promote responsible use of technology and education about associated risks.

As you have seen, ChatGPT has its advantages and disadvantages. Also, like any other tool, this platform can help increase productivity and improve the processes of your SME as long as you use it responsibly.