You don’t have to be a tech genius to create your own artificial intelligence chatbot.
On Monday, OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, announced that users can now create custom versions of the viral AI chatbot.
If you want to build a useful AI chatbot, you typically need a good knowledge of coding and machine learning, as well as access to large amounts of training data.
But now “anyone can easily create their own GPT – no coding required,” OpenAI said in its Nov. 6 blog post.
“Creating one is as easy as starting a conversation, giving it instructions and additional knowledge, and choosing what it can do, such as searching the Internet, creating images or analyzing data,” the company said.
When it comes to the types of chatbots people can create, the possibilities are endless, says Hod Lipson, a professor of engineering and data science at Columbia University.
“OpenAI wants people to innovate with the chatbots and create specialized chatbots,” he tells CNBC Make It. “There could be funny chatbots, serious chatbots, or chatbots that can give you personalized advice.”
For example, a famous chef might be able to create their own AI chatbot that has knowledge of their personal cooking style and recipes, Lipson says. When fans download it and ask them questions about cooking, the chatbot can respond conversationally, making it feel like they’re talking to the real chef.
At this point, OpenAI plans to allow developers to share their custom chatbots with the public via the “GPT Store.” Essentially, this is OpenAI’s version of an app store where verified developers can upload their chatbots and make them available for other users to download.
OpenAI said in its announcement that developers will also be able to earn money in the coming months depending on how many people use their chatbot.
“They’re really trying to create a marketplace that allows companies and people to innovate and play around with this incredible form of AI that they’ve just introduced,” Lipson says.
But before you create your own chatbot and release it to the world, you should be aware of the possible implications.
“If you develop an AI that advises people in need and says the wrong thing, things could go wrong very quickly,” says Lipson.
Additionally, you should be careful when creating an AI chatbot that gives medical or tax advice, for example, because users will face serious real-life consequences if they act on incorrect advice your chatbot gave them, he says.
Despite these potential pitfalls, Lipson would still encourage people to become familiar with AI chatbots, as it appears they will only get better with time.
“The sooner you can deal with these things, the sooner you get an idea of what the future will look like,” he says. “We are just at the beginning of a completely new era of AI and we will see where it leads.”
DON’T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, your work and your life? Sign up for our new newsletter!
Get CNBC’s free Warren Buffett investing guide, which distills the billionaire’s best advice for regular investors, dos and don’ts, and three key investing principles into one clear and simple guide.
CHECKOUT: ChatGPT probably won’t help you beat the stock market — but it can help investors in other ways, says CFP