For a few years now, using search engines based on artificial intelligence has become part of our normal everyday life. I mean both chat bots like OpenAI’s chat-GPT and search engines like Perplexity AI and others.
Whenever we ask a question or do a search, we get a concise answer immediately.
But when it comes to chat bots, we almost never know the source and author of the answers we get.
The case of search engines is different:
We get a short answer. This answer is concise. It does not omit the source and author of the answer. On the contrary, within the text of the answer, we have the references indicated. These references lead us to the links of the sources.
Does the fact that we start every search with chat bots or AI search engines really take away the value of sources and authenticity?
The Social Media
With social media came a similar revolution in the publishing world: we stopped visiting newspapers and magazines online. Our main source of information came from social network feeds, and we only clicked on the news that interested us, regardless of who wrote it.
Obviously, this led to radical changes in the world of information and journalism. In fact, newspapers and magazines took the social networking companies to court, seeking settlements for the publishing world.
The key legal issues were copyright infringement, revenue sharing and settlement efforts.
The click-bait
It is likely that language models such as Chat-GPT and other search engines will also come under attack from the dark side.
Let us remember how, even with the advent of social networking, we began to get carried away by sensationalist headlines and ended up in the maelstrom of the ‘click-bait’ trend.
This brought to light a social problem deeply rooted in the human nature, which in the digital world we called ‘fake-news’.
Although it seemed to be a new phenomenon, in reality it never was. Gossip, propaganda and people of low moral standing have always existed in every kind of human society. We have simply seen it with new tools, and we will continue to see human phenomena contaminating every new technology.
Technology will always evolve, but people will always be able to convert illegal actions once performed in the real world into their counterparts in any digital world.
Non-intelligent intelligence
Even with these new information tools, we should be even more vigilant and not be fooled by the term ‘artificial intelligence’, as we are still in the early stages of both developing these tools and using them wisely in our daily lives.
There have been several tests of the fallacies of current AI, and we should always keep these shortcomings in mind when using them.
Don’t trust AI superficially, you’re still smarter
In my experience, I have come across several fallacies, especially with language models such as OpenAI.
This has led me to doubt their so-called ‘intelligence’, and especially to compare their results with other research tools and methods.
Here is an example of a conversation with Chat-GPT that started with a seemingly very simple question:
> ME: which is the first university in history?
The first university in history is often considered to be the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD in Fez, Morocco. It was established by Fatima al-Fihri and is recognized by UNESCO and the Guinness World Records as the oldest existing, continually operating higher educational institution in the world. The university initially served as a madrasa and has played a significant role in the history of education in the Muslim world.
> ME: which is the first modern university?
The University of Berlin, founded in 1810 by Wilhelm von Humboldt, is often regarded as the first modern university. It introduced the concept of academic freedom and the integration of research and teaching, which became a model for universities around the world. The University of Berlin emphasized the importance of a comprehensive education and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, influencing the development of higher education systems in many countries.
> ME: I thought it was the university of Bologna.
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is indeed one of the oldest universities in the world and is often considered the first university in the sense of being the first institution to use the term "university" (universitas) and to have a structured curriculum and student body. It played a crucial role in the development of medieval universities in Europe.
While the University of Bologna is significant in the history of higher education, the term "modern university" typically refers to the model established by the University of Berlin in the early 19th century, which emphasized research and academic freedom. Both universities are important in their own right, but they represent different stages in the evolution of higher education.
> ME: I understood that al-Qarawiyyin is the first university.
You are correct that the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD in Fez, Morocco, is recognized as the oldest existing, continually operating higher educational institution in the world. It holds the title for being the first university in terms of its long-standing history and continuous operation.
The distinction between al-Qarawiyyin and other institutions like the University of Bologna or the University of Berlin often comes down to definitions of what constitutes a "university." Al-Qarawiyyin was a madrasa that evolved into a university, while Bologna is noted for its formal structure and the use of the term "university."
So, in summary, al-Qarawiyyin is indeed the oldest university, while Bologna is significant for its role in the development of the modern university system. Both are important in the history of higher education.
Trust
Today, as in ancient times, the most important thing in the absorption of information or any knowledge is the relationship of trust between people.
Whether it is the people who print a newspaper or publish a YouTube channel online, the most important thing is to know who is distributing the information.Having established the credibility of the authors and content creators, you build trust, but remember that they too are likely to make mistakes.
As for the digitally illiterate, they will still be there. Without education on how to handle information and news, they will easily form extreme ideologies and fall prey to the new forms of manipulation.
Conclusion
Does the use of chat-bots and AI-powered search engines undermine the value of sources and authors?
Yes, there is this huge risk, as there has always been with previous technological revolutions that have changed the world of information.
I imagine it will have a major impact on our society, on the professions in the publishing world and especially in the academic world.
However, human creativity will always have its privileged place in our society. At least as long as current technological tools cannot access the material world without our intervention and supervision.
References and links
Are We Entering a New Era of Social Media Regulation?
Will AI Replace Search Engines? – Web Ascender
Fatima al-Fihri: Founder of the world’s oldest university
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