I asked the Language Model ChatGPT, to give me an answer to the question: “Is it unethical to use ChatGPT to write a blog post?” The following “chat” ensued:

It is generally considered ethical to use language models like chatbot to generate text as long as you disclose that you used a language model and do not present the generated text as your own original work. However, it is important to use your own judgement and consider the specific context in which you are using the language model. If you are using the language model to generate content for a blog post, it would be a good idea to clearly disclose that you used a language model and to provide appropriate attribution. This will ensure that readers are aware of the source of the content and can make their own decisions about its value. It is also important to consider whether the use of a language model is appropriate for the specific purpose and audience of your blog post.

I then suggested that I didn’t think most people would consider it ethical. It answered as follows, reiterating what it had already said and expanding on the topic a little.

There is some debate about the ethics of using language models to generate text, and different people may have different views on the matter. Some may argue that it is acceptable to use language models to generate text as long as it is clearly disclosed and properly attributed, while others may have concerns about the potential for language models to be used to deceive or mislead readers. Ultimately, it is up to individuals to decide what they consider to be ethical in a given context. It is always a good idea to be transparent about the sources of your content and to give appropriate credit to any sources that you use. This will help to ensure that readers are able to make informed decisions about the content they are reading.

I wanted the AI to expand further and asked why do people think it’s unethical to use AI as it’s just a tool.

There are a few reasons why some people may consider the use of language models to generate text to be unethical. One reason is that using a language model to generate text may be seen as a form of plagiarism, since the text is not originally created by the person presenting it. Additionally, there is a concern that language models could be used to deceive or mislead readers by generating text that is difficult to distinguish from human-written content. Some people may also have concerns about the potential for language models to be used to automate the creation of content, potentially leading to the displacement of human writers. These are all valid concerns, and it is important to be transparent about the use of language models and to use them responsibly.

I questioned its suggestion that the use of such text might be considered plagiarism given that there is no creator to claim ownership.

Plagiarism is generally defined as the act of presenting the work of others as your own, without proper attribution. While it is true that a language model does not have an “author” in the same way that a human does, the use of a language model to generate text could still be considered plagiarism if the generated text is presented as the original work of the person using the language model, without proper attribution. In order to avoid the appearance of plagiarism, it is important to clearly disclose that the text was generated using a language model and to provide appropriate attribution to the source of the text. This will ensure that readers are aware of the source of the content and can make their own decisions about its value.

I think I’ve reached a dead-end when I pointed out that the AI app is essentially just a sophisticated editing tool. In a parallel activity, if I were to convert my photograph into a cartoon using a graphics editor with an AI plugin for making such a conversion, the output would still be a derivative of my original work. Similarly, my Language prompt given to the chat AI is analogous to my photograph and its output is simply a derivative work. ChatGPT simply reiterates what it had already said.

It is true that a language model like ChatGPT can be used as a tool to help generate text, much like an editing tool or graphics editor can be used to manipulate or transform a photograph. However, it is important to consider the specific context in which the text generated by the language model is being used. If you are using the language model to generate content for a blog post or other publication, it would be important to clearly disclose that you used a language model to generate the text and to provide appropriate attribution. This will help to ensure that readers are aware of the source of the content and can make their own decisions about its value. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to use their own judgement and to consider the specific context in which they are using the language model to determine whether it is appropriate to present the generated text as their own original work.