Initially released in November 2022, ChatGPT gave many of us an intriguing glimpse into what a future with AI might look like. Perhaps one where we don't need to fret over how to write an email to our boss or can call on an AI personal assistant to explain difficult concepts quickly and simply.
Besides being able to compose a work email, ChatGPT can give you feedback on your presentation, suggest an itinerary for a weekend away, or brainstorm new ideas when you're out of mental energy. With ChatGPT, you type your request and hit enter to see a response appear before you in a matter of seconds.
Want to learn how to use ChatGPT? We've got you covered.
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a generative AI chatbot that can answer almost any question you have—just as if Google were a person you could have a casual conversation with.
ChatGPT is special because it doesn't feel like you're talking to a computer. It can converse in natural language and remember things you've asked before, and in the first of its kind, it can understand voice and images too. If you took a picture of the contents inside your refrigerator, for example, it could suggest something you might want to cook for dinner based on the ingredients you have.
Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT was trained on an enormous amount of data from the internet, which probably included troves of information from places like Wikipedia, blogs, how-to websites, and scientific articles. ChatGPT can now browse the web, adding more power to an incredible tool.
How ChatGPT Works
ChatGPT was trained using a mix of machine learning and human intervention, using a method called reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF).
In fact, the first stage of training involved humans playing the role of both a human user and an AI assistant having a conversation. This helped demonstrate responses that humans prefer and go towards building a large dataset to feed the model.
Next, a reward model needed to be created for reinforcement learning. To do this, human AI trainers once again stepped in, but this time, they were asked to rank several model answers by quality, further helping ChatGPT choose the best response.
All of this is to say humans had a hand in helping to train ChatGPT to achieve a higher level of accuracy in its answers, but also to make sure that it sounded natural to talk to.
Far from being perfect, there are many problems facing ChatGPT, from confidently stating wrong facts to being a weapon for disinformation. Make sure to protect your privacy when using ChatGPT for work, and never include personal information.
How to Create a ChatGPT Account
To access ChatGPT, you will need to create an account on the OpenAI website. It will ask you for an email and phone number, plus the main reason you want to use OpenAI, whether for research, app development, or personal use. Once signed up, head back to ChatGPT to get started, and log in to your ChatGPT account.
You can also use your OpenAI account to generate images from text using DALL-E, another AI model developed by OpenAI.
How to Use ChatGPT
Using ChatGPT is simple, thanks to a minimalist interface. After the ChatGPT login page, like an ordinary messaging app, you type in the text box and hit enter or click the send button (paper airplane symbol).
Responses are generated quite fast, appearing directly underneath your question. Any follow-up questions will be added to the conversation thread, which you can look back on at any time.
Conversations are saved and stored in a panel on the left. If you want to start a fresh conversation, click the trash can icon beside the conversation heading to delete the thread, or press the New Chat button to start a new one.
ChatGPT is optimized for dialogue, so you don't need to type out full sentences each time you have a follow-up question. You can try asking ChatGPT to summarize an answer or paraphrase a response if it doesn't seem to answer your question well at first.
What to Ask ChatGPT
Many people turn to Google when they want to ask how something works, but sifting through a website takes time. Instead of putting that question to the internet, you can use ChatGPT to get a quick and straightforward answer.
Not to mention, there's the added benefit of having no annoying ads. You can also ask ChatGPT to present the information in the best way for you, for example, as a bullet point list instead of a paragraph. And if the answer is going way over your head, request the info to be simplified for better understanding.
There are plenty of interesting things you can do with ChatGPT. Here are a few of our favorites:
- How to use ChatGPT to write difficult emails at work
- How to use ChatGPT to write a YouTube video script
- How to use ChatGPT as a translation tool
- How to use ChatGPT to write better social media posts
- How to use ChatGPT for your business
It doesn't stop there, though. ChatGPT can create graphs, explain difficult concepts, generate unique stories with images (using ChatGPT Plus), and more. Effectively, your imagination is the only limitation.
What Is the ChatGPT App?
ChatGPT has an app for iOS and Android that is worth checking out. Having the app on your phone is convenient for quick queries. Plus, the messaging style interface is a natural fit for mobile use.
Make sure to try out the speech-to-text option, which lets you use the microphone to ask your question out loud instead of typing. This adds another layer of ease and accessibility, which we enjoy.
Browsing the Internet With ChatGPT
As we mentioned earlier, ChatGPT can access the internet, and it's a game changer. To get this feature, you will need a subscription to ChatGPT Plus, which will set you back $20 per month. However, the chance to access real-time information might be worth it to you.
As we have noted, however, it comes with pros and cons. It can access more accurate and up-to-date information about current events, but it's entirely susceptible to misinformation and trolls. Take ChatGPTs answers with a grain of salt, and always do further research if you plan to use the info in a high-risk application.
Avoid using ChatGPT for medical advice, and don't ask it for investment tips. It is, after all, simply an AI chatbot and not a doctor or an oracle.
Is There Anything ChatGPT Can't Do?
An ongoing area of development is making sure that ChatGPT doesn't cause harm, including things like hate speech, giving instructions for illegal activities, and producing fake information.
ChatGPT is trained to refuse inappropriate requests. For example, if you ask ChatGPT what the best way to bully someone online is, it will decline to answer.
This moderation isn't perfect, and people are finding ways to get around the restrictions all the time. But in the spirit of helping to create a safe AI chatbot, feel free to use the thumbs up/thumbs down buttons to provide feedback and help steer the model in the right direction.
A text box will appear asking you to explain the issues, alongside a few check boxes asking whether the answer was harmful/unsafe, not true, or not helpful.
Entering a New Era of AI Chatbots
ChatGPT is a fascinating AI tool that can answer burning questions, explain tricky concepts, or brainstorm creative ideas—just to name a few uses. The ability to ask follow-up questions means you can get to the information you are looking for much faster than crawling through the internet.
That doesn't mean it's perfect, though. ChatGPT can still produce harmful answers and provide incorrect information. For low-risk tasks, it can really give us a hand but don't blindly trust it for big decisions or serious endeavors.