Tech Enthusiast Weekly (Issue 234): How good is AI chat?

Original link: http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2022/12/weekly-issue-234.html

Here is a record of the technology content worth sharing every week, released on Friday.

cover picture

In the library in Utrecht, the Netherlands, if readers want to charge their electronic devices, they must use their own bicycles to generate electricity. ( via )

Topic of the Week: How Strong is AI Chat?

The biggest technology news last week was that OpenAI released ChatGPT , an AI chat software.

In fact, it is not a chat software, but more like a “Mr. Can’t Ask”, which can tell you the answer no matter what the question is.

The quality of its answers is astounding, less like a robot and more like an encyclopedia.

Netizens asked it: “Everyone says that renting a house is helping the landlord pay the mortgage, so buying a house is a better choice. What do you think?”

It answers as follows:

“Yes, there are people who think that renting will only help the landlord pay off their mortgage and buying a home is a better option. But that’s just a perception and it’s not infallible.

In fact, renting a house also has many advantages. Renting, for example, allows you to own a residence for a short period of time and make relocation easier. Plus, you don’t have to worry about home repairs and maintenance, as these costs are usually borne by the landlord. Plus, if you rent, you can also put more of your money into other investments for higher yields. Therefore, there are many advantages to renting a house, not just helping the landlord repay the mortgage. “

Can you believe it, this is the software’s answer? It’s amazing, I can’t even sum it up. Its level is no longer speaking like a human (that is, the level of the “Turing Test”), but beyond the expression of ordinary people, speaking like a scholar.

Its ability to answer questions goes far beyond general questions and answers. You ask it a knowledge point, and it will give an explanation or tutorial, just like a teacher teaching a class.

A physicist tried it for 20 minutes, asked it some history of modern physics, and couldn’t help sighing (above):

“It would be great if I could have mentors like this in high school and college…I think we have reinvented the method of mass education. The current university model will not exist.”

In other words, he believes that ChatGPT will trigger an educational revolution, partially replace teachers, and it is entirely possible that AI will teach people in the future.

It is precisely because of the high quality of ChatGPT’s answers that StackOverflow, the world’s largest programmer question-and-answer website, announced that it is temporarily prohibited from posting its answers on the grounds that its error rate is relatively high.

However, people’s answers can also be wrong. Moreover, its accuracy rate is related to the training materials. If more materials are provided to it for training, the accuracy rate can be improved. What’s more, it is only version 1.0 now, and it will perform even better when it is upgraded to version 2.0 or 3.0 in a few months.

I think the real reason StackOverflow banned it is that if you put AI and humans on the same site, answering questions together, we don’t know what will happen. If the AI ​​answers too well, users may feel that they don’t need a Q&A site and just ask the AI.

In fact, some people have suggested that the importance of search engines will decline, and questions can be asked directly to AI. There is even a Chrome browser plug- in on the Internet that inserts ChatGPT’s answers (pictured below) on Google’s search results page, allowing users to compare who answers better.

There is also a Zhihu plug- in similar to that, which inserts ChatGPT answers on the Zhihu page.

New uses of ChatGPT are added every day now. Some people let it explain the code, some people let it write programs and find bugs, and some people even let it act as a virtual machine , I say a command, and you tell me the execution result.

Looking at its omnipotent appearance, I was thinking, is it possible for me to stop writing the weekly magazine in the future and let it do it? I just have to sift through this week’s material and it does the wrapping up and presentation.

ChatGPT plus the AI ​​​​drawing engine that appeared before, I have a feeling: 2022 will be the first year of AI applications , and the major transformation of human society by artificial intelligence will begin this year.

Previously, AI models were more like toys and academic products, but starting in 2022, it can truly replace (and surpass) human intellectual labor. We simply cannot predict how this technology will change human society when it is used on a large scale.

ChatGPT app

ChatGPT is free to use, but requires mobile phone registration. It does not support mobile phone numbers in mainland China. If you want to play, you need an overseas mobile phone number, or use an overseas code receiving platform , or buy an OpenAI account on an e-commerce platform.

In addition, in the past few days, applications based on ChatGPT have emerged in an endless stream, and some are listed below.

1. Talk – GPT-2

This project allows you to chat with AI voice. The webpage first recognizes your voice, and then AI generates a text answer, and then speaks it in machine voice. It even allows two web pages to chat with each other, see author notes .

2. ChatGPT ProBot

A GitHub bot that lets ChatGPT review and refactor code for you, or chat with it on GitHub pages. (Contributed by @oceanlvr )

3. ChatGPT desktop application

This software packs ChatGPT into a cross-platform desktop application, allowing you to chat with it on the desktop. (Contributed by @lencx )

Double Twelve Booklet Activities

People often ask me, how do domestic programmers realize their knowledge?

In my opinion, writing a “Gold Nuggets Booklet” is a relatively simple method. It is a course platform for rare earth nuggets, where you can post self-written tutorials, and the price ranges from more than a dozen yuan to more than one hundred yuan. If you sell well, you can earn a lot of money.

Double Twelve is coming soon, and “Nuggets Booklet” is holding a year-end promotion. You can go and see if there are any tutorials you need, and also refer to other people’s tutorials on how to write.

This activity is very powerful: 40% off all brochures, and there are 30 free orders; as long as the specified amount is reached, green plants/peripherals/football toys will be given away; repost on Moments, collect likes to draw Tencent Video VIP; others You can get cash back when you buy through the link you share.

Click this link , or scan the QR code on the poster above, and you can enter the “Nuggets Brochure” and participate in the event. Friends who are interested, don’t miss this offer.

Technology dynamics

1. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration

On November 27, the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, erupted, causing a power outage at the nearby Mauna Loa Observatory.

There is a very important instrument in the observatory, which has been counting the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide since 1958. Counting had to be stopped due to a power outage. It is estimated that it will take at least several months to repair the electrical equipment, and there will be no monitoring data during this period.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is one of the most important indicators of global warming. The higher the concentration, the higher the temperature will be. This metric has been rising over the past few decades and is currently at its highest point.

2. Planting on Mars

American scientists proposed that alfalfa is very suitable for growing on Martian soil.

Martian soil is characterized by low nutrients and high salinity. Scientists have found that alfalfa can grow healthily in simulated Martian soil without the need for additional fertilizers.

Although alfalfa is of little use to humans, it can be used as fertilizer when mature. Scientists believe that radishes and lettuce can be successfully grown on Martian soil improved with fertilizers.

3. A Tesla that doesn’t need charging piles

The biggest pain point of electric vehicles is to find charging piles. A Tesla owner in the United States had a whim, how can he save Tesla from the pain of charging? Wouldn’t it be enough to have an alternator in the car?

He bought a gasoline generator, and then modified the Tesla himself to bring his own gasoline in the car, and then connected the generator to the charging port. When the car is not in use, the generator kicks in to charge the Tesla.

He has driven 2,600 kilometers in this way without needing a charging pile at all, as long as he can park anywhere, he can charge. He can come up with this method and realize it by hand, he can be called a genius.

4. Exoskeleton

The U.S. Air Force is experimenting with an “exoskeleton”, which will give soldiers greater strength and complete various tasks after wearing this mechanical device.

The current version is primarily a pneumatic leg brace for strengthening the legs. After airport porters wear it, two people can move 1.6 tons of equipment, which usually requires four or five people to move.

This “exoskeleton” could well be a solution for heavy lifting in the future.

article

1. I am building a World Cup football stadium in Qatar (Chinese)

As a participant in the construction, the author discloses the inside story of the construction of the main stadium of the World Cup.

2. How to use the watch as a compass (Chinese)

The official website of Citizen watches has a page that teaches you how to use the watch as a compass to find the south (in the northern hemisphere), which is a very practical little knowledge.

3. Raspberry Pi builds its own music server (Chinese)

Many music services are now charged. The author uses the Raspberry Pi to build his own music server to realize the freedom of listening to music anytime, anywhere. (Contributed by @niumoo )

4. Introduction to NestJS (English)

The author recommends using NestJS as the back-end framework. This article introduces several advantages of this framework in his eyes.

5. How to write a TypeScript library (English)

A simple tutorial on how to write a TypeScript library and publish it on NPM.

6. How JavaScript Validates URLs (English)

This article shows how to use JavaScript to verify that a URL is legitimate.

7. How to use Backblaze and Cloudflare to build a free CDN (English)

Backblaze is a storage provider and Cloudflare is a CDN provider, both of which offer free services. Combine them and you get free storage + CDN.

8. Comparison between KubeSphere and Rainbond, an open source cloud-native platform (Chinese)

The author needs to find a cloud-native application platform with complete functions. After filtering by himself and recommending by friends, the remaining two products are KubeSphere and Rainbond. (Contributed by @zzzhangqi )

tool

1. WordPress WASM

A very interesting project, compiling PHP into WASM files, and then let WordPress run in it.

That is, WordPress runs entirely on the front end, without a PHP server.

2. Djot

This is an upgraded version of the Markdown format, which fixes some unreasonable and difficult to use. I like this format very much, and hope to be able to promote it.

The author, John MacFarlane, is a professor of philosophy at the University of California and a programmer. His main project is the documentation tool Pandoc, and he is also involved in the development of the CommonMark standard.

3. Translate Web Pages

A browser extension that replaces Chrome’s built-in translation function, calling Google or Yandex’s translation API.

4. Halo

An easy-to-use and powerful open source website building tool, based on Spring, recently released version 2.0, with 24k+ stars on GitHub, check Demo . (Contributed by @wan92hen )

5. Apache Superset

A data exploration and data visualization tool that integrates well with various data sources. (Contributed by @jerrylususu )

6. vtui-repl

A Node.js tool that displays two boxes on the command line, one for entering code and one for displaying results. (Contributed by @webfansplz )

7. Enhance

A Node.js website framework, characterized by a simple structure, an HTML page is a route.

resource

1. Canva Chinese font

The graphic design software Canva has launched four Chinese fonts, which are free to use (including commercial use).

2. LeetCode Problem Solving Guide

This warehouse collects and organizes problem-solving guides for various algorithm problems, including implementations in multiple languages. (Contributed by @acbin )

3. Functional Programming Terminology

There are many terms in functional programming. This repository collects these terms and explains them with JavaScript examples. It is in English, but with Chinese translation .

4. Defensive CSS

This website collects various defensive CSS tricks to prevent clients from breaking CSS display.

picture

1. Twitter overnight room

Musk implements the “struggle” policy, and prepares overnight rooms for overtime engineers in the Twitter headquarters building.

Below are photos of the room obtained by the BBC.

Not to mention, such a room is in the center of San Francisco. If it is a hotel, the price must not be less than 1,000 RMB.

2. MUJI House

MUJI is a well-known Japanese brand that produces a variety of daily necessities. In 2017, it launched Muji Hut in Japan.

This is a 9-square-meter cottage, priced at 3 million yen (about 150,000 RMB), including installation.

Its base is reinforced concrete and the upper part is all wooden.

Since it needs external water and electricity, and there is no toilet, it cannot be used for living, and it is only suitable for rich people to put it in the backyard.

abstract

1. Whose breath are you breathing?

How much of the air we breathe is the air that other people breathe out?

On the bus in the morning, it was full of people going to work, all crowded together.

Because the windows weren’t open, the interior of the bus was filled with carbon dioxide exhaled by passengers, according to a New Zealand study. When the car is empty, the carbon dioxide concentration is 516 parts per million, or 516 ppm; after 20 minutes with full passengers, the carbon dioxide concentration rises to 5737 ppm, an increase of more than ten times.

When you get up to that level, it means that for every seven breaths you take on the bus, you’re breathing in someone else’s air.

The worst part about this, aside from feeling bad, is that other people may be exhaling air with viruses and bacteria. You breathe in the carbon dioxide they exhale, and you’re exposed to these viruses and bacteria.

Therefore, carbon dioxide concentration can be used as an indicator of the risk of contracting the new coronavirus. Higher CO2 levels mean more people and potentially more virus particles in the air.

The outdoor carbon dioxide concentration is about 420 ppm, and the safe indoor concentration should be less than 800 ppm. This is also the indoor carbon dioxide concentration recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control, which means good ventilation.

When indoor CO2 levels exceed 1000 ppm, the risk of virus transmission is high once an infected person is present in the room.

If it exceeds 2000 ppm, it means that it is very dangerous, the ventilation is seriously poor, and there are many particles in the air. Of course, this does not mean that you will definitely get infected, it just means that the risk is high.

Worst of all, humans cannot perceive carbon dioxide levels. Carbon dioxide is colorless and odorless. If you are in a high carbon dioxide environment, you will not know it. Plus, airborne particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye.

So, if you’re going into a confined space, it’s a good idea to keep a mini CO2 monitor with you. They’re the size of a deck of cards and can tell you the air’s freshening routine. The interior of confined spaces (such as buses and subways) should preferably also be equipped with a display to display the current carbon dioxide concentration in real time.

In the future, when you see the CO2 level exceeds 800, you should open the windows and let the air be fresher.

remarks

1,

Software engineers and project leads must release code every week or they will leave.

Analyzing projects, developing documentation, helping teammates…these are all fundamental parts of the job, but not a substitute for writing code.

Musk ’s email to Twitter employees

2,

The first few years of the 21st century were the golden age of Web development. At that time, technology and tools developed rapidly, and even the most talented programmers could quickly and easily create various interesting web page effects.

AI content generation is currently at this stage. Build a basic web front end for your model, call some new APIs, and you can roll out a really amazing new feature.

“Artificial Intelligence Today”

3.

If you browse 90 web pages every day from the age of 10 to the age of 80, and each web page takes 4 seconds to load, you will spend a total of 103.66 days waiting for the web page to load.

If you shave 1 second off your page load time, you’ll gain 27 extra days of life!

How much time do we waste waiting for websites to load? “

4.

Programmers are divided between “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” and “update early and release often”.

My thinking is that even if “something isn’t broken”, you can still improve it. Your customers will like this, your competitors won’t. Never stop challenging yourself.

“Balance between “Don’t break, don’t fix” and “Update as soon as possible””

5.

People who are prone to guilt may have more leadership potential because people with guilt tendencies tend to have a strong sense of responsibility to others, which makes them trust them.

“Why Feelings of Guilt May Predict Leadership Potential”

this week in history

2021 (Issue 186): Low latitude, high altitude, climate advantage

2020 (Issue 136): Littlewood’s Law of Locus

2019 (No. 84): One-time job recruitment, you lose it when you run out

2018 (Issue 33): In -person voting is not as good as online voting

illustrate

The weekly magazine is published on my personal website and WeChat public account “Ruan Yifeng’s Weblog” every Friday, welcome to subscribe.

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  • Date of publication: December 9, 2022

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