In the dynamic landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs), OpenAI’s ChatGPT has emerged as the frontrunner with an impressive 89.9% share of voice on platforms like Twitter and Reddit among the top seven LLMs during 2023 (1 January to 22 August), reveals the Social Media Analytics Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “These discussions delved into a spectrum of aspects, from AI’s role in approximating human language to concerns about misinformation and the need for ethical oversight. This insight-packed analysis sheds light on the evolving discourse around AI’s influence on communication and creativity.”
The remaining six most mentioned LLMs were Bard (5.7%), LLaMA (1.6%), Claude (1.1%), PaLM (0.8%), BERT (0.5%) and LaMDA (0.4%).
Tripathy continues: “Hallucination or fabrication of information was one of the most discussed topics around the mentioned LLMs. Twitter influencers are of the opinion that these AI tools are designed to approximate human language, not truth, and often contain half-truths, misremembered details, and plagiarism, confounding users and raising questions about the accuracy and reliability of AI.”
Influencers have also highlighted the need for ethical oversight, fact-checking, and input from social scientists and ethicists to align AI systems with human values. Meanwhile, some influencers argue that hallucinations in AI could lead to creativity and understanding human conversation.
Conversations regarding ChatGPT* on social media revolved around its diverse capabilities, including data analysis, synthesizing literature reviews, and generating summaries and code. The launch of the free ChatGPT iOS app in May 2023 stirred excitement across platforms. Influencers expressed predominantly positive sentiments due to the app’s complimentary nature and parity with web features—like cross-device history synchronization. Moreover, the app’s voice input feature garnered praise for providing comprehensible, precise information.
Influencers have discussed how the GPT has the potential to redefine productivity and squeeze the bell curve, as it can bridge the gap between cognition and expression, allowing for creative expression. On the contrary, influencers also raised concerns about the tool’s ability to produce compelling misinformation. Other potential negative impacts include the ban on GPT usage in some companies on fear of intellectual property theft.
Bard, developed by Google, came under social media backlash as the AI tool made a factual error in its first live demo, which led to a dramatic spike in social media discussions in February 2023. Twitter influencers have highlighted the hallucination issues related to the tool and the vulnerability of Bard’s AI compared to other AI systems.
LLaMA**, developed by Meta Inc, emerged as the third most-mentioned LLM among the social media discussions in 2023. Influencers reacted positively to the launch of LLaMA-2, the latest version of LLaMA in partnership with Microsoft, as this is an open-source LLM, which can be used freely for commercial and research purposes and spur further on AI advancement.
Tripathy concludes: “Amidst the AI landscape, ChatGPT’s commanding presence in social media discussions is a testament to its significance and impact. The diverse conversations shed light on AI’s multifaceted role, its challenges, and the evolving perspectives of influencers. These discussions highlight the intersection of technology and human concerns, underscoring the need for responsible development and informed dialogue.”