- A ChatGPT user, who doesn’t like sports, asked the AI to help him
- After three months, he runs six times a week and has lost more than 11 kilos
- But for the moment, we must use generative AIs with caution, since they can sometimes give false information.
The uses of ChatGPT are already very numerous. And in addition to legal opinions, recipes or even advice for a trip, OpenAI’s AI has also recently shown enormous potential as a sports coach. In any case, this is what we can deduce from a recent publication by Insider which relays the experience of Greg Mushen, a chatbot user who did not like sports, but who now runs six times per week and who, in passing, lost more than 11 kilos. And all of this was accomplished through coaching provided by artificial intelligence.
It was in February that Mushen turned to ChatGPT to ask AI to help him develop a healthier lifestyle. Three months later, in addition to having lost weight, he also has more energy, and better health indicators, such as resting heart rate. As he works in new technologies, he was already familiar with ChatGPT and how it works. According to Insider, he came up with the idea of having the chatbot act like he had a doctorate in sports psychology and neuroscience to get him hooked on running.
And after a few tries on the chatbot, the AI finally gave him a plan that seemed viable. ChatGPT, it seems, has found the right formula to turn someone who doesn’t like sports into someone addicted. And the chatbot’s strategy was to advance the user bit by bit. For example, during the first three days of the program, it did not ask the user to run. Then, he only asked her to run for 5 minutes. “It had an interesting effect on me because it held me back so much, for some reason, that it made me want to do it more”, says Mushen, quoted by Insider. Today, this one makes “easy” races from 45 minutes to an hour. But Mushen also does more intense exercises.
A man who hated cardio asked ChatGPT to get him into running. Now, he’s hooked — and he’s lost 26 pounds. (via @YahooNews) pic.twitter.com/vbM6Iy99ll
— Ńasser 1️⃣ Million Tweets ? (@nasser_mo3gza) May 11, 2023
ChatGPT: use with caution
Mushen admits that he would not have succeeded in achieving his goals if, for example, he had bought books on running. Instead, he compares ChatGPT’s advice to what a personal coach might have given. The problem is that people who are just starting out don’t necessarily want to invest. And this is where ChatGPT is advantageous, since OpenAI’s chatbot is available for free on the internet.
But although ChatGPT managed to make him a real sportsman, this user still recognizes the current limits of AI. This can indeed give erroneous information. And blindly following what ChatGPT says can be a big mistake. Tech-savvy Greg Mushen recognizes this issue as part of his use of it to get into sports, he explains that he was verifying information by asking ChatGPT to cite research.
Anyway, although ChatGPT and similar AIs are still imperfect, the experience of this user shows that this technology could also have enormous potential in the field of sports.
