ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) system that allows interaction similar to that of a human being, has been the hit topic since it became available to the general public around December 2022. In an interview with Lusa, Sara Furão, from the Network and Platform Services department at Altice Labs, spoke about this viral phenomenon.
In her opinion, systems like ChatGPT “are going to be increasingly important in this area of the telecommunications industry” because they “act as a communication bridge between customers and companies and, therefore, through this type of communication, customers can easily ask questions about the solutions that companies offer, they can be able to ask questions or resolve issues that they have”.
The basic technology behind the chatbot “already existed and there are other solutions” in other companies that are already using it. However, the highlight is “the way they [OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT] have managed to work with this volume of data, because it knows a lot of topics,” continues Sara Furão. ChatGPT’s knowledge runs until 2021 and one of the main advantages of using it is the “speed and efficiency” of the information provided. However, we mustn’t forget that “these technologies are based on probability”, so “we must always be aware of how we are measuring information”, she warns.
Regarding this “boom” that ChatGPT is experiencing, the Altice Labs employee believes that “it will allow for greater capacity” in new artificial intelligence applications, in other words, it will increase the level of demand for this type of solution. The risks that exist already existed before ChatGPT came along. However, “we have to work on the techniques that will be able to mitigate these risks”, she points out, giving as an example the fact that OpenAI recently announced a way of being able to tell whether a given text was generated using AI or not.
During the interview, Sara Furão also made a point of emphasizing that AI has “always been part of the DNA” of Altice Labs, “which has a lot of research projects” and products with artificial intelligence in various areas, whether in alarming (predicting that a breakdown will happen) or in platforms for smart cities or 5G. One of these platforms is BOTSchool, which “allows the creation of virtual assistants in a simple and more agile way”. As an example of a “success story”, she mentioned the operator MEO, which “has been answering a lot of calls that come into the call center”. “BOTSchool is able to understand the issue and, in this case, provide a direct response,” solving the customer’s problem. In fact, “it can already triage and give a more personalized service” and then, if necessary, pass the call on to human operators.
In conclusion, Sara Furão says that in her point of view “more and more will be invested in this area of artificial intelligence and increasingly intelligent systems will be developed, with greater cognitive capacity, more automation in more tasks and in more sectors”. When it comes to Altice Labs, the commitment is to “continue to deliver these types of solutions and make sure they reach companies” and “to be able to contribute to society so that we can help people with difficulties on a daily basis, and simplify or even solve those difficulties”, she concludes.