Calculator is modified to run ChatGPT

On Saturday, YouTube content creator ChromaLock posted a video revealing a surprising project. He managed to modify a Texas Instruments TI-84 graphing calculator to connect to the internet and access OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

With this innovation, the device allows users to send questions and receive answers directly on the calculator screen. To do this, it used a calculator connector to access the internet, as well as a direct line to the chatbot. Check out more details.

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The Modification: TI-32 and ChatGPT

The video was posted under the title “I Made The Ultimate Cheating Device” and shows how modder ChromaLock developed a custom hardware solution to transform the TI-84 into yet another device capable of accessing ChatGPT responses.

To do this, he revealed that he started by investigating the TI-84’s connection port, which is typically used to transfer educational programs. From there, he designed a custom circuit board called the TI-32, which includes a Wi-Fi microcontroller, the Seed Studio ESP32-C3 (which can be purchased in the US for approximately 5 dollars). In addition, the modification involved creating custom software to interact with the calculator’s system, available for free on GitHub.

In other words, although it seems like a great option for cheating in schools, it is not something that is easy to do. Furthermore, he made it clear that it will not be a commercial product, because he would have a lot of problems if he considered that idea.

And even the modder himself, who is already a professional, revealed that he encountered several technical challenges along the way, such as voltage incompatibilities and signal integrity issues. It was only after several attempts that he managed to integrate the hardware inside the TI-84 case without leaving any visible traces of the modification.

Modification allows more tricks

While the most notable feature of the modification is the ChatGPT interface, the device goes further. The system simulates another TI-84, allowing the use of the calculator’s “send” and “receive” commands to transfer files, which ends up allowing the installation of programs that offer “applets” (mini-applications).

Among the available options, the video highlights an image browser, which allows access to visual aids previously stored on a central server, as well as an application navigation system that allows downloading not only games, but also textual pastes disguised as program source code.

If this becomes fashionable…

Certainly one of the most worrying aspects of projects like this is precisely the ability to bypass anti-cheating systems in educational institutions. In this specific case, the modder even confirmed that the system can be downloaded on demand, which would make it undetectable if a teacher tries to inspect or clear the calculator’s memory before a test. In addition, the device is supposedly able to unlock the calculator from “Test Mode”, a state that prevents the use of advanced functions during exams.

ChromaLock’s achievement is remarkable, and seeing something as modern as ChatGPT running on such a simple and old device is certainly a very interesting technical achievement, but if this trend catches on it could become a problem in educational institutions.

Even with the vast possibilities of cheating like this, academic honesty and personal effort continue to be the best paths to success. After all, even during the tests the calculator still “answered” some questions wrong, so is it really worth the effort?

Furthermore, it is definitely easier to learn school or college subjects than to create a device of this magnitude.

Fonte: arstechnica