In 2023, artificial intelligence (AI) became mainstream, marking a significant moment in the advancement of technology. One of the most notable developments was ChatGPT, a chatbot that showcased recent breakthroughs in computer science. However, despite its popularity, many people struggled to comprehend its inner workings and potential applications. Fei-Fei Li, a pioneering AI scientist, referred to this as an inflection moment, highlighting the profound changes and public awakening that AI brought about in 2023. Li also acknowledged the messy nature of this technology, emphasizing the need for people to understand its impact comprehensively.

Shortly after the New Year, the first panic regarding AI emerged as schools began to block ChatGPT due to concerns about its use in assisting students with assignments and tests. Although AI language models, like ChatGPT, learn patterns from vast amounts of human-written works, they often make factual errors. Despite this, the natural outputs generated by AI models sparked curiosity about further advancements and their potential for deception. This led to strikes by Hollywood writers and actors, as well as legal challenges from visual artists and authors, who felt threatened by the capabilities of generative AI tools. Esteemed scientists in the field warned of the unchecked progress of AI, suggesting that it could outsmart humans and pose a threat to their existence. However, other scientists dismissed these concerns as overblown and called attention to more immediate risks.

By spring, AI-generated deepfakes had infiltrated U.S. election campaigns, creating challenges in distinguishing real from fabricated content. The technology also complicated the verification of war footage in Ukraine and Gaza, blurring the line between reality and falsehood. Towards the end of the year, the AI crises shifted focus to OpenAI, the startup responsible for ChatGPT, which faced corporate turmoil due to issues with its CEO. Additionally, political leaders from the European Union emerged from intense talks with a deal for the world's first major AI legal safeguards, which will take effect in 2025.

While there is no denying the technological achievements of commercial AI products unveiled in 2023, Gartner, a market research firm, claimed that generative AI had reached its peak hype. The firm compared the current state of AI to a rollercoaster, reaching the highest hill before descending into a "trough of disillusionment" and eventually returning to reality. Vendors and producers of generative AI made grand claims about its capabilities, but skepticism arose regarding its actual deliverability. For instance, Google faced criticism for editing a video demonstration of its AI model, Gemini, to make it appear more impressive and human-like. Despite leading AI developers pushing certain applications, Gartner analyst Dave Micko believed that the adoption of AI would ultimately stem from bottom-up approaches rather than top-down influences.

It is crucial to recognize that this is not the first wave of AI commercialization. Previous advancements in computer vision aided the development of self-driving cars and facial recognition technology. Speech recognition also became prominent through voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. Tom Gruber, co-founder of Siri Inc., described the current AI wave as the "biggest ever," offering both new possibilities and dangers. Gruber highlighted the astonishing ability of AI to understand language by training it to play solitaire using data from the internet. However, as major national elections approached in 2024, the threat of AI-generated deepfakes loomed large. The rapidly improving language, visual perception, and planning capabilities of AI also presented the potential for highly advanced digital assistants, granting them access to individuals' personal digital lives.

In summary, 2023 witnessed the mainstream integration of AI, primarily through advancements like ChatGPT. However, the technology's complexities and potential risks led to panic, strikes, and legal challenges. The year also brought attention to the need for legal safeguards to regulate AI. While AI achieved significant milestones, skepticism regarding its true capabilities and the ethical implications of its usage remained prevalent. Looking ahead, major national elections and the continued advancement of AI technology would shape the future landscape, posing both opportunities and challenges.