Custom GPTs for Fun, Profit, and Potential Liability

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the ability to create custom Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs) is not just a technological breakthrough but a gateway to new opportunities and unforeseen challenges. This talk delves into the simplicity and intricacies of crafting bespoke GPT models using OpenAI's playground. We'll explore how easily one can load personal data into these models, transforming generic AI into a tool tailored to specific needs and interests. However, this ease comes with a caveat – currently, these custom models are accessible exclusively to premium OpenAI account holders, pending the launch of a wider distribution platform.

The presentation will further illuminate the dual nature of custom GPTs: While they are augmented with user-provided data and instructions, their responses are still deeply rooted in their original, extensive training datasets. This inherent characteristic can lead to outputs that might not align with the creator's intentions or expectations, presenting a unique set of challenges.

Additionally, the talk will contrast the relative simplicity of using the playground for custom GPTs with the more complex, yet potent AI Assistants API. This API offers a more intricate approach, requiring coding expertise but providing the flexibility to integrate AI capabilities directly into applications. It shifts the paradigm from an external tool to an integral component of user-developed software.

About Kenneth Kousen

Ken Kousen is a Java Champion, several time JavaOne Rock Star, and a Grails Rock Star. He is the author of the Pragmatic Library books “Mockito Made Clear” and “Help Your Boss Help You,” the O'Reilly books “Kotlin Cookbook”, “Modern Java Recipes”, and “Gradle Recipes for Android”, and the Manning book “Making Java Groovy”. He also has recorded over a dozen video courses for the O'Reilly Learning Platform, covering topics related to Android, Spring, Java, Groovy, Grails, and Gradle.

His academic background include BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from M.I.T., an MA and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Princeton, and an MS in Computer Science from R.P.I. He is currently President of Kousen IT, Inc., based in Connecticut.

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