Dang Minh Tuan, head of CMC Applied Technology Institute (CMC ATI), described ChatGPT is a chatbot created based on a probabilistic language model (Transformer), in which the elements of a sentence (words) are predicted according to probability so that the errors will be at the lowest level. The artificial intelligence (AI) program doesn’t have semantic understanding capability and is not an intelligent database system.

“ChatGPT is just like a parrot which speaks as it is trained, and it cannot understand meanings, though users believe that it can. In other words, ChatGPT is not as clever as we think. It is just a machine learning model based on probability theory,” Tuan said.

The most outstanding feature of ChatGPT is its abilities to interact and communicate as people do. ChatGPT helps users check information by raising questions. With large input data, including 115 parameters and 300 billion words, plus different input data sources, ChatGPT is considered the best chatbot program humans have.

ChatGPT has disadvantages: it may give false or nonsensical answers. In some cases, these are biased answers because they must depend on input data.

Most of the answers given by ChatGTP don’t show sources and proofs, so users need time to verify the answers.

ChatGPT’s disadvantage also lies in the lack of creativity because it is not a knowledge database system. Bad actors can exploit the tool to commit fraud and swindle people.

ChatGPT is powerful 

Chu Cam Tho from the Vietnam Academy of Education Science commented that ChatGPT is very powerful compared with the tools humans have known before.

“ChatGPT can solve all the mathematics questions I pick from textbooks,” she said. “For me, ChatGPT is much more powerful than any chatbot created before."

However, Tho said she is worried about the impact of the smart chatbot on education. It may prompt students to cheat.

“The target of education is teaching thinking. This new tool may lead to laziness,” Tho said, adding that it is a challenge for education managers.

Nguyen Huu Huan from HCM City Economics University, a member of the team researching and developing Milu Vietnam chatbot, said ChatGPT’s ability to give answers quickly and communicate naturally is undeniable but it still cannot catch up with Google. 

Le Phuoc Minh, chair of the Vietnam Association of Young Science and Technology Intellectuals, said: “History shows the concept of Before Christ (BC) and After Christ (AC). We also have a definition Before/After Google (BG/AG). And now, I think, we have Before Chatbot and After Chatbot."

“History science shows the concept of Before Christ (BC) and After Christ (AC). We also have a definition about Before/After Google (BG/AG). And now, I think, we have Before Chatbot and After Chatbot,” Minh said.

“ChatGPT is very interesting and I hope it will become better. Researchers and lecturers now have to work very hard to prepare lectures. But things will change thanks to the smart chatbot,” Minh said.

Minh said ChatGPT is just like a gun, which sometimes causes troubles, but it is very useful in protecting national sovereignty.

“We can set rules and regulations to control it. If we prohibit it just because of its dark side, this will be the failure of managers and scientists,” Minh said.

Meanwhile, Chu Duc Hoang from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), said ChatGPT or any other AI programs are just a tool for people to use. How to behave towards the tool depends on many things.

First of all, it is necessary to promote the study and application of science and technology. When a new thing appears, it would be better to set up a sandbox before deciding what to do next. It is necessary to strictly follow the Party, Government and the State’s policies on science and technology development.

Trong Dat