I featured my first ChatGPT-inspired “micro essay” in a previous post. Below is a screenshot of the new “micro essay” for my module on the common law:

FYI: I will further discuss the motivation for this assignment in a future post (after my students have submitted their responses); in the meantime, I cut-and-pasted ChatGPT’s original response to my prompt below the fold:

Large language models like ChatGPT have the potential to cause various harms to their users, including:

1. Misinformation: LLMs can generate false or misleading information, which can spread quickly and cause confusion or harm.

2. Bias and Discrimination: LLMs may reflect and amplify existing biases present in the training data, leading to biased or discriminatory outputs.

3. Privacy Concerns: Users might inadvertently share sensitive or personal information while interacting with LLMs, raising privacy risks.

4. Addiction and Time Sink: Users can become addicted to LLM interactions, spending excessive time and neglecting real-life responsibilities.

5. Psychological Impact: LLMs may contribute to feelings of isolation or loneliness, as users substitute human interaction with AI.

6. Loss of Critical Thinking: Relying on LLMs for answers can erode critical thinking skills and discourage independent research.

7. Security Risks: LLMs can be exploited by malicious actors to generate convincing phishing emails, social engineering attacks, or deepfakes.

8. Economic Disruption: Automation driven by LLMs might lead to job displacement in various industries, impacting livelihoods.

9. Depersonalization of Services: The use of LLMs in customer service can lead to impersonal interactions, reducing customer satisfaction.

10. Ethical Concerns: LLMs can raise ethical dilemmas, such as the creation of AI-generated content without proper attribution or consent.

Addressing these potential harms requires responsible development, ethical guidelines, and ongoing research to mitigate risks associated with large language models.