Co-creator of ChatGPT talks about growing up in Grand Forks

GRAND FORKS — Josh Duhamel, Carson Wentz, Phil Jackson, are names of North Dakotans recognized around the country. Greg Brockman is a name many may not recognize, but he has likely changed the technological world forever. And he grew up just south of Grand Forks.

Brockman grew up in Thompson, North Dakota, graduated from Red River High School in 2007, and also attended the University of North Dakota as a student.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, 500 people of all ages came out to hear his lesson on campus.

While the campus has changed since his last visit, it’s not nearly as different as Greg Brockman has changed the world. He is the co-creator of

ChatGPT

. It is a chatbot people can converse with as if it were another human.

“We are all going to be entering a world with AI (artificial intelligence). It’s like computers. Who has not used a computer in the past day?” Brockman said.

During his 45-minute discussion with UND President Andy Armacost, the 35 year old talked about growing up in Thompson. He attended middle school at South Middle School and high school at Red River High School. After running out of math classes in ninth grade he took classes at UND for the next three years.

“I was really into drama freshman year. I was in the play in my school, Red River, best Christmas pageant ever, and I really enjoyed that creative side of things and I really reached a fork where I really want to get good at one thing I really wanted to double down on one thing,” Brockman said. “I was doing math competitions and the creative side of things, and I picked math.”

Armacost currently heads up the North Dakota University System’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force. It was formed to create strategies on how best to combat the negative effects of artificial intelligence, such as the potential for academic dishonesty as well as discuss the potential for further applications in curriculum development for higher education. Leaders of the system’s 11 institutions are all part of the task force.

After graduating high school, Brockman attended Harvard and MIT but dropped out of both schools before moving to Silicon Valley where he was part of other tech startups before the creation of AI.

“I actually still get to express that creativity through what I do and found programming and ways of impacting the world,” Brockman said.

Brockman discussed the impact of ChatGPT in a variety of areas, from the potential need for government regulation, to the medical field, to poetry. Another important message Brockman shared that was a key component to the creation of ChatGPT was using creativity to specialize and find a connection no else has made.

He told the crowd the next decade will be one of change.

“AI is actually something that is for everyone,” Brockman said. “I really want people to know it’s something they can use, benefit from, and to really understand where the world is going and how they can contribute.”

Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years. He was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and attended college at Lyndon State College in northern Vermont, where he was recognized twice nationally, including first place, by the National Academy for Arts and Science for television production. Matt enjoys being a voice for the little guy. He focuses on crimes and courts and investigative stories. Just as often, he shares tear-jerking stories and stories of accomplishment. Matt enjoys traveling to small towns across North Dakota and Minnesota to share their stories. He can be reached at mhenson@wday.com and at 610-639-9215. When he’s not at work (rare) Matt resides in Moorhead and enjoys spending time with his daughter, golfing and attending Bison and Sioux games.