Vivian is wary of ChatGPT, though, out of fear that it will eventually substitute everyday human interactions: “I feel as if when ChatGPT grows [in scale], everyone is gonna be listening to a robot’s opinion about their communication and ruin the way we communicate.”
Sargam, 20, Pace University
Twenty-year-old Sargam frequently uses ChatGPT and is not shy about it. “AI helps me articulate and explain my thoughts and feelings better,” she says, “when I am just ranting about whatever is on my mind.”
Sargam appreciates that Chat GPT distills “concise information from different sources” in one place, and that, in her experience, generally provides positive responses. “Friends can give negative/biased advice that the AI might not,” she says. “Even if it is biased, it’ll be biased toward protecting you.”
Ava, 19, Texas State University
Ava works for a small boutique in Texas where, she says, her managers actually encourage the staff to use this technology on the job. “All of our Instagram captions are AI-generated from ChatGPT, so though they may be funny and seem original, they aren’t,” she notes. “My managers introduced ChatGPT for me and other employees to use for our social media, giveaways, and even TikTok ideas.”
Lilly, 21, Pace University
Lilly speaks openly about using ChatGPT as a mental health resource: “I have anxiety, and when I spiral or need reassurance, I ask for ways to, like, reframe the situation,” she explains.
Lilly does see a therapist, but says Chat GPT can be a useful resource in between sessions. “If I’m having a PTSD episode and I don’t have anyone to talk to, I’ll go on and say something like, ‘I feel numb, give me tips on how to ground myself,'” she continues, “and sometimes explain the situation and what I’m thinking about.”
Laura, 22, University of St. Andrews
Laura doesn’t use ChatGPT, but her friends and coworkers do, and she recalls that her dad used it as an alternative search engine frequently at one point. “I have coworkers who use it for emails,” she says, “and it’s always so unbearably apparent.”
Laura works for a charity organization and adds that, especially in her field, “if you’re making a request to someone, you are obliged to do so in your own words. Otherwise, why should they care?”
Kylie, 22, Pace University
Kylie works part-time at a fitness center in the city. She isn’t a huge fan of ChatGPT, and she feels it’s encroaching on both her professional and personal life.
“I’ve had friends admit that they have used AI to come up with an answer to a question I asked,” she says, “which makes me almost uncomfortable. I would rather someone just tell me they can’t talk about or answer something until they have time to think than punch keywords into a computer for it to come up with a response that holds no real meaning.”
Kylie adds, “In professional settings, it’s also taking over conversations. I have had people admit to responding to me with AI-generated responses, which is very discouraging, considering one side may be putting their all into a professional response while the other side is taking an almost unethical approach.”
Jenna, 19, Pace University
Though Jenna doesn’t want to be identified as “pro” AI or ChatGPT, she does wish there was more understanding of how helpful it can be. “Sometimes I use AI as a sort of therapy tool for questions I don’t get to ask/discuss with my doctors,” she explains, “whether that’s because I forgot to mention something at an appointment or I don’t want to share something for personal reasons.”
