OpenAI has released their API to the general public, allowing developers to make use of ChatGPT’s outputs in a systematic way. However, dealing with unstructured data outputs can be challenging for programmers who prefer structured data types. Prompt engineering and regular expressions (Regex) can help to some extent, but they are not perfect and may not always provide consistent results. OpenAI has addressed this issue by introducing function calling, which enables ChatGPT to produce structured JSON outputs that can interact with custom functions. This eliminates the need for complex prompt engineering and Regex, making data processing more reliable and efficient.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI introduces function calling for structured JSON outputs | Change from unstructured string outputs to structured JSON outputs | Developers can easily work with structured data types | Simplifying data handling and improving consistency |