As my fingers hovered over my laptop keyboard, I paused. “Do I really want to do this?” I thought. “Do I even want to know if this is possible?” In the ChatGPT prompt, I typed: Write an editor letter for Chicago Agent magazine’s annual tech issue.
Within seconds, ChatGPT returned an eight-paragraph letter to readers, touching on the intersection of technology, real estate and Chicago. I was impressed with the program’s ability to churn out as much coherent info as it did with only one sentence of input from me.
On the other hand, it read sort of like a seventh-grader who didn’t read the book trying to pad their report to fill a full page. And the letter included a reference to the “Windy City” that made it clear that no one who lives here wrote it.
Conclusion: My job as an editor is probably safe for now. But it would be foolish to run in fear from artificial intelligence. Like it or not, AI is infiltrating every sector of our job market and economy. At its best, it will help us work smarter and faster. At its worst, it may replace jobs currently held by human beings. Real estate is no exception.
Agents are already using ChatGPT to help write listings and marketing material, and that’s just scratching the surface. Will AI eventually stand in to help write real estate contracts, negotiate deals and more? We tackle some of these issues in this month’s cover story, which delves into how local agents are using AI to fuel their real estate businesses.
Our Technically Speaking column touches on this topic, as well, breaking down the pros and cons of three predictive AI apps for real estate professionals. This month’s Real Issues article also has a tech angle, examining what is being done to protect coastal communities, including Chicago and the North Shore, from rising ocean and lake levels.
There’s plenty more in this issue, too, both related to tech and not. I hope you’ll enjoy what you find, and I can assure you everything you read here was written, photographed, designed and edited by real human beings. We welcome your feedback.