The ChatGPT Café

  • Publication date October 17, 2023
  • Categories: Events
chatgpt cafe

In partnership with IT and the AI in the Liberal Arts (AILA) initiative, we are excited to bring the ChatGPT Café series to the Amherst community. In this series of informal exploratory pop-up cafés, faculty, staff, and students at Amherst College will have the opportunity to experiment with the latest paid versions of ChatGPT4 and reflect on their experiences. Come join us at various locations around campus to explore what the most powerful version of ChatGPT4 can do. At each café, we will have:

  • Introductory info on ChatGPT: what is it? how does it work?
  • Tips on how to write effective prompts 
  • Guided activities to get you started (if you don’t know where to begin)
  • Helpful folks to discuss and reflect on your ChatGPT experience with
  • Additional resources to support your experimentation and learning!

October 2023

  • Thurs, Oct 19 Noon-2p (Frost Café)
  • Mon, Oct 23, 1-3p (Keefe Atrium)
  • Thurs, Oct 26, 4:30-6p (CHI ThinkTank)
  • More dates in November and December are to be announced!

Want to explore ChatGPT4 on your own?

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to stop by our new ChatGPT4 kiosk on the 1st Floor of Seeley Mudd (next to the Help Desk) to try out the latest paid version of ChatGPT4!  Just walk up and get started! We will have guided activities available for those who want to experiment but don’t know where to start. Contact askIT@amherst.edu with questions. 

Want us to bring the ChatGPT Café to your department? Contact us: askIT@amherst.edu!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT, (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is an AI chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. Drawing on copious data and massive processing power, the most recent release uses GPT4 technology to allow users multimodal interaction. Users can input images or text to generate a variety of products like: text, code snippets, and even scripted dialogue.

Isn’t ChatGPT Free?

There is a free version of ChatGPT, which leverages GPT3.5 technology. However, the ChatGPT Cafe experience will include interaction with the upgraded subscription-based version of ChatGPT4.

Do I need to bring my laptop to participate?

No! We will have laptops pre-loaded with ChatGPT4 and complimentary activities and resources ready to go. Just bring yourself and your curiosity!

I can’t make it to any of these, is there another way for me to experiment with ChatGPT4? 

Certainly! Contact askIT@amherst.edu and we can arrange a time and location that works for you.

Can I request a ChatGPT Café in my department?

Of course! Let us know when you and your colleagues would like to experiment with the technology and we can come to you. Feel free to contact: askIT@amherst.edu with any questions or to arrange a cafe.

Where can I learn more about ChatGPT and its implications for higher ed?

Great question! Below are some resources from Amherst faculty about the tool. We will also have an AI Reading List available at our Cafés for deeper engagement in the realm of AI.