A few weeks ago my yoga instructor asked me after class about the hype surrounding ChatGPT and generative AI. Did I think it really was a watershed moment in humanity? It was early in the day, and my immediate response was that only history can determine if this is a watershed moment. However, I added, the actions we take now to understand and weigh the pros and cons of generative AI are incredibly important.

He nodded thoughtfully, and seemed to be gathering his thoughts for a follow-up question, but it didn’t come. As the day wore on, I realized that my answer was clear but probably insufficient. My yoga instructor wasn’t really looking for a single answer; he was, like many of us, looking for a framework to sort through the immense swirl of claims, counterclaims, hype, and critique about generative AI that has been unleashed since ChatGPT’s release in November 2022.

And I realized that I hadn’t seen much in the way of useful frameworks for experts and nonexperts alike to evaluate generative AI products…[continue reading on New America’s website].