OpenAI Dots criticized for process jargon over finished work
The author unpacks Dots' favorite words like checking, verifying and auditing, arguing it reports process language instead of just delivering the finished work.
ChatGPT's Dots do almost everything apart from actual work. The following is a guide to the words, and what I feel like they mean, that it uses. But I just needed to get on with the work, come back to me saying it's done, rather than all the following. “Checking” Looking at something specific. Tell me what you looked at and what you found. “Verifying” Comparing a claim with evidence. Which source, which version, and did it match? “Validating” Seeing whether the result meets the requirements. Something can run perfectly and still do the wrong thing. “Testing” Running it under stated conditions. What passed, what failed, and what haven't you tested? “Reviewing” Reading or inspecting the work and making a judgement. Give me the findings, rather than just saying a review happened. “Auditing” Working through a defined scope. If you looked at one folder, say one folder. Don't quietly turn that into “the whole system”. “Reconciling” Comparing records and explaining the differences. Which items match, which don't, and what still needs fixing? “Triaging” Deciding what needs attention first. Useful, but I'd also like the important work to get done. “Investigating” Trying to establish the cause. Tell me what the evidence supports and where you're still guessing. “Researching” Gathering information to answer a question. What did you learn, which sources support it, and how does it help finish the task? “Delegating” Giving the work to another agent or person. Has someone actually picked it up, and who is following through? “Monitoring” Watching for something to change. What is being watched, how often, and what happens if it fails? “Blocked” Unable to take a particular next step. Tell me exactly what is missing and carry on with the work that doesn't depend on it. “Implemented” The change has been made. Has it reached the place I actually use, and does it work there? “Done” The thing I asked for is finished, in the right place, and I can use it. If I asked for a draft in Typefully, show me the draft in Typefully. The last two are what I want to hear and way less of the others. I'm sure this is related to the different types of sessions it has to go through. If we are to use the dot sessions, they need to be more powerful and be able to do a lot more. I'd also argue that they need to have higher numbers of parallel work and a queuing system that puts 30 things in a queue of 10 lanes.