5 ChatGPT plugins that aren’t worth your time

Which plugins fail to deliver on their promises or should be avoided altogether?


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Since the introduction of ChatGPT plugins a few weeks ago, OpenAI’s chatbot has been offering a wide range of new possibilities. With over 70 plugins available, ChatGPT’s capabilities have been significantly expanded. UpperLoft Creations has highlighted some of their favorites, such as a Speechki for converting text to voice, scraper: tool for extracting and summarizing web page content from URL links, and features to streamline the search for real estate listings on platforms like Zillow.

However, not all ChatGPT plugins live up to expectations. Some may not be as useful as advertised or fail to provide substantial value in addition to ChatGPT’s existing capabilities. While they might seem intriguing in theory, they are not quite ready for widespread adoption. Here are 5 plugins that are best to avoid for now.

• ChatWithVideo

• Algorithma

• RoboAd

• Ambition

• PortfolioPilot

ChatWithVideo

The ChatWithVideo plugin, which claims to provide video summaries and analyze content to answer questions about the video, falls short of its promises. While it initially seemed useful for summarizing long YouTube videos or understanding commenters’ reactions, it has proven to be quite limited in practice. For instance, during an attempt to summarize a three-hour senate hearing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the plugin encountered issues loading the video due to its length, rendering the summarization feature ineffective.

In another attempt with a shorter video clip featuring actor Matthew Macfadyen on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, ChatWithVideo successfully provided a summary. However, when asked about the comments, it couldn’t provide an answer due to ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff at September 2021. Although this limitation is partly attributed to ChatGPT’s training data, it still reflects poorly on the plugin’s functionality.

Therefore, the ChatWithVideo plugin may not be as reliable or effective as initially anticipated.

Algorithma

Similar to popular simulation games like The Sims or Animal Crossing, the Algorithma plugin offers a simulated experience where you embark on a character’s journey by responding to various prompts. Initially, after creating a baby character, Algorithma presents you with four choices: playing with toys, attempting to say a first word, crawling around the house, or taking a nap. Each option affects the character’s happiness, health, appearance, or intelligence in different ways. While the first couple of interactions were enjoyable, the novelty quickly wore off.

Instead of providing a truly immersive and interactive experience with advanced intelligence, it felt more akin to using a basic Tamagotchi from the 90s. One of the key aspects of playing simulation games is visually observing the choices and their outcomes. Unfortunately, the Algorithma plugin only delivers updates in text form, which lacks the engaging element. As a result, I swiftly lost interest in my infant character and began exploring other plugins for a more captivating experience.

RoboAd

One of the plugins, RoboAd, is marketed as an advertising tool that aims to generate conversational and catchy copy by analyzing the content of an e-commerce website. However, in reality, this plugin doesn’t bring much added value to ChatGPT, as generating ad copy without a plugin is already quite straightforward.

Curious about its capabilities, I decided to input the Dunkin Donuts website to see what kind of ads it would generate. To my disappointment, the results were a series of generic text lines for each product. Surprisingly, it took longer for RoboAd to generate these ads than it would have taken a skilled ad copywriter. For instance, one of the generated lines read, “Add delicious flavor to your coffee with Dunkin’ Creamer!” Considering that this plugin claims to produce “compelling headlines, descriptions, and calls to action tailored to the specific brand and product or service,” it clearly fell far short of expectations.

Ambition

The Ambition plugin can be likened to a “let me Google that for you” tool. Developed by RemoteAmbition, a job listings site, this plugin retrieves current job listings based on the user’s specified criteria. However, its functionality is not as comprehensive as a regular Google search or larger job sites like Indeed. When searching for real estate agent positions in NYC, for example, only five results were displayed. According to RemoteAmbition’s website, there are plans to incorporate a feature that allows users to import their resumes/CVs into ChatGPT, which could potentially enhance the plugin’s usefulness. However, for now, relying on a search engine would yield better results.

PortfolioPilot

The PortfolioPilot plugin raises concerns due to its compilation of information on specific stocks and economic trends. While it is well-known that ChatGPT can be prone to inaccuracies and hallucinations, the plugin’s major red flag lies in its claim to provide “actionable recommendations” for portfolio improvement and the ability to automatically enhance one’s portfolio based on individual risk profiles.

Sharing personal or sensitive information with ChatGPT carries inherent risks. Previous instances have exposed user payment details, and by default, user information is utilized to enhance the model unless specifically opted out. Given these factors, sharing your investment portfolio with a plugin that relies on ChatGPT’s large language model raises valid concerns and is generally deemed ill-advised.

Article Source: Mashable Tech