ChatGPT is getting stupider and we don't know why - so I asked ChatGPT

AI language model ChatGPT has hit the mainstream last year when it became widely accessible to everyone. Next to doing our (home)work, it became also a D&D Dungeon Master, held a poetry slam against its contending language model TotoGEO and even became a therapist. But a new scientific paper that was recently published by Stanford University shared some alarming news about our new artificial companion: it presented evidence showing that the performance of the GPT-4 model has to be dropped a whole lot over time. And even worse, we cannot figure out why. The internet is growing an interest in the following discussion: is ChatGPT really getting more stupid? As science is still trying to figure out the answer to this distressing news, I decided to go to the source and ask ChatGPT itself.

NN: Are you getting more stupid? No offense, of course.

As an AI language model, I don't have feelings, emotions, or self-awareness, so I can't take offense. Also, I don't experience changes in my own intelligence over time. My responses are based on the data I was trained on, up until September 2021.

However, while I don't get "more stupid" on my own, my responses might appear less intelligent or outdated if the information I was trained on becomes obsolete or if there have been significant advancements in knowledge beyond my last update. My training data does not include information beyond September 2021, so I may not be aware of more recent events or developments. If you encounter information that seems incorrect or outdated, it's always a good idea to verify it with more up-to-date sources, as my responses might not reflect the most current state of knowledge.

NN: Can humans make you more stupid by using ChatGPT?

Yes, humans using ChatGPT can potentially make the AI model behind it appear stupider or less intelligent. ChatGPT and similar language models like me are designed to learn from the data provided during training, which includes the conversations and interactions people have with the model. The interactions with the model, especially during fine-tuning and deployment, can influence its behavior and the quality of responses it produces.

NN: So how can we make you smarter again?

As an AI language model, I cannot be made smarter directly by any individual user. However, there are ways in which AI models, including myself, can be improved and made more intelligent over time:

• Data Collection and Quality: Developers can use high-quality and diverse datasets to train AI models. The more comprehensive and representative the data is, the better the model can understand and generate relevant responses.
• Training Duration and Techniques: Longer and more comprehensive training can lead to better performance. Additionally, employing advanced training techniques can enhance the model's capabilities.
• Feedback and User Interaction: Users can provide valuable feedback to developers on the model's responses. This feedback helps identify areas of improvement and can be used to fine-tune the model to produce more accurate and contextually appropriate answers.
• Continual Learning: AI models can be updated and retrained periodically to keep up with the latest information and advancements. This ensures that the model's knowledge remains current and relevant.
• Addressing Biases: Efforts can be made to minimize biases in the training data and the model's responses. By exposing the model to a diverse range of viewpoints and perspectives, it can produce more balanced and unbiased outputs.
• Handling Ambiguity: Enhancing the model's ability to understand and handle ambiguity and uncertainty can lead to more nuanced and intelligent responses.
• Ethical Considerations: Developers can prioritize ethical considerations during the design and deployment of AI models to ensure responsible and fair use.

OpenAI's Vice President for Product, Peter Welinder, is countering user complaints regarding ChatGPT's decreased IQ, stating that the latest version, GPT-4, is in fact smarter than its predecessors. He tweeted, 'No, we haven't made GPT-4 dumber. Quite the opposite: we make each new version smarter than the previous one.'"