I'm using ChatGPT to help me fix code faster, but at what cost?

The "Optimize Mac Storage" feature in macOS utilizes iCloud to transfer infrequently used files from your Mac to the cloud, meanwhile retaining a "stub" file on your local machine to represent the original file. This process effectively frees up space on your Mac's hard drive.

The "Optimize Mac Storage" feature in macOS utilizes iCloud to transfer infrequently used files from your Mac to the cloud, while maintaining a local "stub" file to represent the original file. This helps free up space on your Mac's hard drive.

When Time Machine is configured for backups, it includes all files, even those that have been offloaded using "Optimize Mac Storage." However, instead of the original files, it backs up the stub files that serve as placeholders for the offloaded files.

This means that if you were to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup made while "Optimize Mac Storage" was enabled, the restore would not include the offloaded files. You would need to download them from iCloud again.

It is important to note that if you have numerous offloaded files, your Time Machine backups may occupy more space compared to not using Optimize Mac Storage. This is because Time Machine backs up the stub files, which take up less space, but treats them as the original files.

I do share concerns about this. With platforms like Google, authors have the opportunity to receive traffic to their articles in exchange for sharing information. However, with a chatbot like ChatGPT, the original thread is lost. While I benefit from the productivity of quick answers, it raises questions about attribution for the work of others.

Keep following along. The surge in generative AI is causing significant impact. Stick with me and ZDNET as we endeavor to understand its implications for all of us.

ChatGPT, when you provide an answer, do you utilize knowledge contributed by others, potentially taking away work and credit from the original human sources?

As an AI language model developed by OpenAI, I do not hold personal opinions or thoughts. However, the information that informs my responses is based on the vast amount of internet text that I have been trained on. This text comprises contributions from various individuals and sources, and I lack the capability to attribute credit to specific individuals for the information I present. My aim is to furnish helpful and accurate information to aid users in finding the answers they seek. It is essential to bear in mind that my responses are generated by identifying patterns in the data I have been trained on, and they may not always be completely accurate or up-to-date.

So, that's the truth of it. "Vast amounts of text from the internet." Nothing more to it.

To summarize, if you use the "Optimize Mac Storage" feature, Time Machine will generate incomplete backups by solely including the stub files rather than the original files that have been offloaded to the cloud.

That was a correct response.

Implications

Well, it definitely saved time. Normally, programming on the internet entails a back-and-forth between the coding and debugging environment, along with multiple web searches to track down clues, read discussions and comments.

Don't get me wrong. This process can be enlightening, and there's a wealth of knowledge hidden in those comments, which you won't get from a chatbot. However, it's not the most efficient use of time when you're in a hurry or facing a critical deadline. Turning to ChatGPT for coding queries proved highly effective.

As with any AI system, it's crucial to be aware of its knowledge gaps and the potential for receiving incorrect answers. However, using ChatGPT as a straightforward tool, similar to any other in my toolbox, proved to be quite productive.

However, I do wonder about the source of its information. Could there be a writer out there, like me, who penned an in-depth and informative article on extract or create_function, only to have ChatGPT "spin" those words into a response without offering credit or recognition? Is someone's hard-earned knowledge being used as uncredited source material for these answers?