Current text models are primarily engaged in various forms of summarization, a process integral to creative work, programming, writing, and decision-making.

In programming, for example, summarization involves distilling information found on Google for a particular use case. You have to decide what to summarize and to do it in the right way. But that’s often what you do.

Similarly, writing often involves summarizing books, conversations, or ideas, and arranging these summaries in a unique sequence.

The use of these models can shift perspectives, revealing that many tasks are essentially summarizations that could potentially be automated.

Source

This insight was mentioned by Dan Shipper in The Cognitive Revolution podcast episode Using ChatGPT As a Copilot For Your Mind - YouTube.