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'Transformative, fascinating': Here's what top executives at Davos are saying about ChatGPT

An image of a phone with ChatGPT and OpenAI's logo visible.
ChatGPT has gone viral since its launch last year. Getty Images
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DAVOS, Switzerland — Generative AI has been booming in recent months. So far, the peak of its development has been the buzzy chatbot from OpenAI, ChatGPT.

The updated version of the chatbot has only been open to the public since November but is already dominating conversations in the tech world and beyond.

The chatbot is also creating a buzz at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. Here's what top executives have been saying:

Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO

Coursera's CEO said ChatGPT is a mind-blowing "game changer" in an interview with Insider. He said he uses ChatGPT as a writing assistant and blog partner, but acknowledged it still isn't perfect and "is definitely risky" amid ethical concerns.

Maggioncalda said he was impressed by how the chatbot was able to recombine word patterns to create new ideas.

"The first time I sat down in front of ChatGPT, I said 'this is not possible,'" he said.

Rima Qureshi, Verizon chief strategy officer

Qureshi said the chatbot was "the beginning of something" but she expected it to go through a "hype cycle" before it gradually came through with the real applications. 

"With every technology, there is good and then there's bad," she said. "I'm a firm believer that in the long run, the good wins out over the bad, but we have to be aware that there are pitfalls with every technology."

Peggy Johnson, Magic Leap CEO

Johnson told Insider she thought ChatGPT was "definitely a transformative technology."

"We look forward to using it as well and have use cases where we're relying on it and we look for more going forward," she said.

Becky Frankiewicz, ManpowerGroup CCO and president 

Frankiewicz said the chatbot was "super fascinating" and she had been experimenting with it to write job descriptions.

She added that the technology was still in "a forming phase" at the moment but was excited about its future capabilities. 

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Cadie Thompson
Cadie Thompson is the deputy news chief and executive editor at Business Insider. She oversees the business news desk, corporate, finance, leadership and careers, and legal affairs teams. Previously, she was the deputy executive editor of business news, overseeing all tech, media, transportation, and retail coverage. She also led the emerging tech team at Tech Insider.Before joining Insider, she worked as a technology editor and reporter at CNBC. 
Beatrice Nolan was a tech reporter on the business news team in the UK. She joined Insider in January 2022 as a fellow on Business Insider's careers desk. Beatrice covered tech and the future of work, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Some of her stories and early experiments with ChatGPT are widely cited. Beatrice has also discussed her work covering AI trends on panels and radio shows, including NPR.She was based in Business Insider's London office and graduated from the University of  York with a bachelor's degree in English.Featured Articles:Artists say AI image generators are copying their style to make thousands of new images — and it's completely out of their control.ChatGPT was a black swan eventFinland is the world's happiest country, but Finns say we're confusing happiness for something elseThe world is splitting between those who use ChatGPT to get better, smarter, richer — and everyone elseThis man used AI to write and illustrate a children's book in one weekend. He wasn't prepared for the backlash.ChatGPT has only been around for 2 months and is causing untold chaosTwo professors who say they caught students cheating on essays with ChatGPT explain why AI plagiarism can be hard to proveChatGPT wrote college application essays. Admissions professionals said they passed for essays written by students but wouldn't have a chance at any top colleges.College professors are considering creative ways to stop students from using AI to cheatChatGPT wrote my cover letters. Here's how recruiters responded.