ChatGPT: Revolutionizing Work and Shaping the Future of Homes
ChatGPT has quickly made a name for itself as an innovative AI-powered chatbot that can tackle a variety of tasks. From writing sophisticated responses and acing an MBA exam to assisting with professional writing, ChatGPT is transforming the landscape of white-collar labor. Since its public launch in 2022, this incredible chatbot has not only sparked debates about AI taking jobs away but has also quietly started to shape household work.
Just as people are exploring how ChatGPT can simplify office tasks, they are also experimenting with its potential to alleviate the burdens of unpaid domestic work. Individuals are utilizing the chatbot’s capabilities to plan meals, generate grocery lists, and even act as a family-trip planner and scheduling assistant. Some have even tested its skills in budgeting for a house and creating bedtime stories. Similar to popular virtual assistants like Alexa, ChatGPT and other generative AI are poised to become fixtures in American homes.
While chatbots have the potential to redefine how certain home tasks are executed, it remains uncertain if they can truly address the persistent challenges of time-consuming chores and unequal division of labor. Early adopters of ChatGPT for personal to-do lists have found it incredibly helpful, particularly for one-off tasks. For example, Raina Kumra, the founder of Spicewell and a busy mother of two, used the chatbot to facilitate the formidable task of lining up summer camps for her children. With numerous camps lasting only a week, Kumra had to navigate conflicting schedules, make spreadsheets, conduct research, and organize carpools. However, ChatGPT was able to generate a comprehensive schedule in seconds, saving her countless hours of work.
Nevertheless, there were still substantial tasks that ChatGPT couldn’t handle, such as driving the children to camps or physically completing household chores. It is capable of suggesting recipes, but not cooking meals. It can create chore charts, but not wash dishes or take out the trash. Even in areas where it does assist, oversight is still necessary. Most people would prefer to review a ChatGPT-generated financial plan before implementing it, for instance. Despite its clever scheduling abilities, some of ChatGPT’s summer camp suggestions may require additional online searching. Users have also reported clichéd recommendations and out-of-date information when planning family vacations.
In the coming years, many of these limitations are likely to be addressed. However, Ekaterina Hertog from the University of Oxford’s DomesticAI research project points out that more advanced AI doesn’t guarantee time saved on housework. Historical examples, like the introduction of washing machines, demonstrate that while technology can reduce the burden of chores, it can also inadvertently increase hygiene standards and the frequency of certain tasks. Hertog believes a similar situation could arise with AI, as it will require practice to learn how to maximize relevant and helpful responses. Furthermore, integrating AI into daily home life presents challenges, such as teaching children to use it safely. Additionally, easy access to novel meal plans might raise expectations for variety in diets and subsequently increase time spent cooking and shopping.
Even if ChatGPT saves a few minutes each day, it would signify significant progress since the overall time dedicated to housework has remained stagnant for over two decades. This progress would particularly benefit women, as they perform significantly more housework than men. For example, moms in heterosexual marriages do 1.7 times the amount of housework compared to their husbands. Raina Kumra believes that ChatGPT will immensely help mothers with their unpaid labor.
However, time is just one aspect of the gendered inequality in domestic work. According to author Eve Rodsky, a task involves noticing what needs to be done, planning, and executing it. While ChatGPT can excel in planning and execution, it currently falls short in noticing. It cannot inform you that your child needs medical attention or that a household chore requires attention. Noticing and keeping track of tasks comprise the mental load, where inequality in domestic work primarily resides.
In many heterosexual couples, women often act as managers while men fulfill helper roles assigned by their wives. ChatGPT can be seen as an additional helper, capable of completing delegated tasks skillfully or clumsily. However, an AI is not a substitute for an equal partner but rather a reflection of the prevailing cultural norms. While the chatbot may exhibit occasional sexist outputs, it also has the potential to mirror our best intentions if used within a framework of equitable distribution of labor. In an ideal scenario, artificial intelligence serves as a home helper under the guidance of two equal managers.
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