Enthusiasm and ego dashed

OK, so I asked ChatGPT if Trimble Access does Helmert transformations. It gave a detailed reply that included many transformations that Access does and a suggestion that I visit Trimble for even more details.

Just a bit later, huge splashy banner ads for Trimble equipment permeated every site I visited, including the New York Times, which seems a bit far from and effective ad platform for Trimble.

Bottom line: ChatGPT is sophisticated clickbait that offers advertisers very targeted audiences, far more precise than a simple search engine. Yes, it can be helpful, but there's a stiff price to pay in your browser.

Apologies to all the naysayers; you are right. But the danger is not that ChatGPT will take over the world, it's that ChatGPT will annoy the hell out of you with its derivative ads.

Alas, empirical research roads are always full of potholes.