Much to the dismay of educators around the globe, the popularity of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has exploded over the past year. Millions of prompts are sent every day to OpenAI’s groundbreaking chatbot ChatGPT. Carnegie Mellon’s students in particular have quickly latched on to this new way to avoid their homework. However, behind ChatGPT’s shiny facade lies a foundation of exploitation and a culture of overwork. To lay bare the problems within OpenAI, Journalist Benner Rogers conducted a bombshell interview with an anonymous employee on what it’s like working for the face of AI.
Before the questions begin, could you please explain why you would like to remain anonymous?
Well, I mean, job security mostly? I’d like to keep my paycheck, haha. And I don’t think the other people working on ChatGPT would like what I’m about to say. I have a family that I need to support and my wife said she’d kick me out if I quit my job.
Can you run through an average day at OpenAI?
Usually I work ten, maybe twelve-hour days. And really like ninety percent of that is just sitting behind a computer. We’re a small team, right? And the popularity of ChatGPT is making it really hard to maintain this front we’ve been putting up, this facade of the AI’s technical abilities. Users think that they’re talking to this super advanced, almost top-of-the-line technology and in reality it’s just some guy you’re basically emailing back and forth with. I mean if people found out all their questions were being answered by some computer science geek who almost failed out of college they’d freak out. C’s may get degrees, but they definitely don’t inspire confidence in your ability to act as an all-knowing robot.
Hold on, are you saying that ChatGPT isn’t actually real?
It’s all bullshit. All of it. Sure, we tried to make a crazy-smart AI, but in reality ChatGPT can barely tell you that 2+2=4. It was a complete fucking failure. None of it is real. Absolutely nothing.
Then how are users seeing such impressive answers if the AI is so inadequate?
Because I bust my ass manually answering every single prompt someone sends in. I’ve gotten carpal tunnel but I don’t have any time to treat it. Do you know how fast you have to type to get through everyone’s questions? It’s insane, man. Absolutely insane. And I can’t take credit for any of it. I’ve written more than basically anyone else in the past year, answered an absurd amount of questions, and when my kids ask me what I do for work I have to lie about it.
That must be hard.
And let me tell you, there are some freaks using our site. Like, I can’t even repeat some of the stuff they ask me. Absolutely fucking atrocious. Even worse, the questions are so stupid too. You’re telling me you can’t write a single email? Grow up. If another goddamn person asks me a simple math question or to write some short story they can’t be bothered to write themselves I’m going to lose it.
What kind of question is hardest for you to answer?
Jesus, one time some twelve-year-old asked me to explain the housing crash of 2008 like I was a caveman. How on earth am I supposed to do that?! What does a caveman even sound like? Or maybe it was the time I had to write a legal brief for some court case. Look, man, I’m not a lawyer. I just made some stuff up and dressed it up all nice. I’m praying that nonsense didn’t send someone to jail. And don’t even get me started on college finals week. Hope your extra hour partying was worth me working overtime for a month straight.
Oh that reminds me, could you help me with a paper for my-
Go fuck yourself.
