An Aviation Chat with a Bot

I logged in to OpenAI.com and asked to speak to ChatGPT. It presented me with a box where I could insert a question. I began with the most basic of all aeronautical questions: How does a wing produce lift?

Peter Garrison

Tuesday, December 05, 2023 at 07:20 AM ET

Verified

The use of AI has transformed parts of aviation already, but it cannot yet fulfill the role of a technical writer. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The author tested ChatGPT's aviation knowledge and found it frequently provided incorrect or misleading information on fundamental principles like lift, downwind turns, and longitudinal stability, often echoing common misconceptions.
ChatGPT demonstrated a lack of critical understanding, making "rookie mistakes" and failing to differentiate reliable information, as it operates without human-like "knowledge" or experience.
Despite its rapid evolution and human-like conversational abilities, the AI's consistent inaccuracies and lack of critical judgment suggest that specialized human writers are not yet at risk of immediate replacement.

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Artificial intelligence is in the news these days. Hardly a day goes by without an apocalyptic warning that AI is going to destroy the human race, or worse, deprive writers of their livelihood. Alarmed by these portents, I decided to see whether I was, in fact, in danger of being replaced by a digital text generator. It would have compelling advantages over me: It would be omniscient and would work for free.