Chatbot creativity

Web-based search engines are commonly used as an ideation tool. Yet their longtime dominant position has attracted sponsored content fuelled by "search engine optimisation" techniques which are pushing down genuinely useful results. In response, chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are poised to shake up how traditional online search works. That is, rather than typing in a string of keywords, chatbots are conversational or interactive agents using natural language that provide instant response to the user. But there's a catch. Whereas most of these chatbots have free versions, they typically limit the number of queries that can be made. So, chatbot platform providers offer premium levels that provide smarter chatbots with additional features which, however, have to be paid for. A usage-paid pricing model, however, and particularly in education, raises the question of users' equal access to chatbots, as paid versions unlock privileged access. Another concern with the use of chatbots is that, and unlike conventional online search producing matter-of-fact results, they have been known for providing deceptively convincing responses, known as “hallucinations". In fact, chatbot generated content may be inaccurate or false. The new generative AI tools, then, open a can of worms regarding accuracy, trustworthiness, bias, hallucination and plagiarism - ethical issues that pose risks to human interaction, performance and equality. But used responsibly, chatbots can assist in stimulating, provoking, and reviewing thoughts and ideas. In short, the extensive knowledge base that chatbots build upon can be a very useful ideation tool. Indicative source:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2713374523000250