Imagine you are at a family gathering and your niece asks, “Is ChatGPT going to take over the world.” You smile while trying to come up with a smart answer. But as you look around the room you see others listening attentively with shared concern. Scenarios like this are unfolding all around us, in just a few months ChatGPT has become a subject that raises both awe and fright.

It is amazing that a science that has been around for approximately 70 years, only discussed in limited technical circles, is now a public phenomenon. This is the result of ChatGPT’s tremendous success, accumulating 100 million users just two months after launch, earning the title of fastest growing consumer application in history. ChatGPT can hold human like conversations, compose text and even write code. Its range of application and capabilities have captivated the public and the media. It has even surprised technical experts who are voicing opinions that range from scared to optimistic, some calling for development to stop and others clamoring to push forward.

Here are some current key questions about the good, the bad and the unknown of the AI revolution

• Why does ChatGPT capture our psyche in a way no other AI ever could?
• Is AI advancement controllable or an unstoppable juggernaut?
• Can we wait to worry until after we achieve General Artificial Intelligence (machines that can perform any intellectual task that a human being can)?
• Will Scientists and Policy Makers scramble to find ways to regulate AI work? Will they ever contain it?

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be diving into each of these to discuss current thinking and possible outcomes. So, if you’re wondering about the role of AI in our future or simply want to know what to tell your niece, stick around. We are just getting started.