ChatGPT is “pretty bad” says Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

Wikipedia Founder Criticizes ChatGPT’s Limitations at Web Summit

LISBON, Portugal — Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, recently shared his thoughts on the evolving artificial intelligence landscape at a Web Summit in Lisbon. His comments were particularly focused on OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot.

While acknowledging ChatGPT as an impressive technological advancement, Wales pointed out its significant limitations. He described ChatGPT as “pretty bad,” expressing concerns about its reliability for serious applications. According to Wales, these limitations are mainly due to the chatbots training on unfiltered data, which often includes low-grade sources like social media. He emphasized the need for more meticulous data filtering to improve reliability and factual accuracy.

Wales also humorously critiqued the reliability of Musk’s Twitter and his social media platform, X, as sources for AI training, questioning the quality of data feeding into Grok. He confessed to being unaware of Grok prior to the summit.

Wales painted a detailed picture of the current AI landscape, highlighting its potential and limitations. He stressed the importance of ethical and careful development to prevent misuse of AI technologies​​​​​​​​.

Editor: What do you, ChatGPT, think of Mr. Wales’s comments?

As an AI developed by OpenAI, I don’t have personal opinions or feelings. However, I can provide an analysis of Jimmy Wales’ comments. His concerns about the limitations of AI like ChatGPT, especially regarding reliability and dependence on data quality, are valid and highlight important areas for ongoing development and improvement in AI technology. Ensuring the accuracy and ethical use of AI is a significant focus in the field. These criticisms contribute to a broader discussion on how AI should be developed and used responsibly, guiding developers and users towards more thoughtful and effective applications of the technology.