Using ChatGPT at Work: What to Do and What Not to Do

When ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in 2022, you could immediately see the ripples that went through just about every industry.

Teachers had to figure out how to tell the difference between student work and AI-generated assignments. Companies across all industries started putting ChatGPT to work writing articles, blog posts, and handbooks. Attorneys asked various AI platforms to comb through and summarize huge amounts of text. The Screenwriters Guild of America had to negotiate for AI-related terms in their latest contracts. 

No matter what industry you’re in, there are likely conversations going on around you about how AI is–or isn’t–going to change your job. Before there are any huge changes to your career, you have to decide how you are going to use AI at work. After all, there are some really great ways to use, but there are also some ways that could get you into serious trouble. 

Let’s start at the beginning and talk about ChatGPT’s workplace capabilities before we move on to how to use it and how not to use it at work. 

What is ChatGPT? 

ChatGPT is just one of many conversational AI tools. It was developed by OpenAI and uses Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) architecture to understand and generate natural, human-sounding text in response to written prompts.

ChatGPT can: 

• Answer questions
• Provide explanations
• Engage in conversations
• Generate creative writing
• Read and respond to long blocks of tasks
• Restructure information 
• Provide personalized recommendations
• Generate summaries
• Generate code
• Identify errors in code that need to be fixed
• Create interview questions
• Offer insights into topics and discussions

There are many additional ways that it can be used, but these are some of the most common across many professions. 

Using ChatGPT is considered to be a shortcut for some tasks, but it can also be an editor and a brainstorming tool. The important thing to remember is that ChatGPT does not replace human thought–it may sound like a person, but it’s not one. You will always need to double-check everything ChatGPT creates, because you are responsible for whatever you present as your work. ChatGPT makes a lot of mistakes! 

How to Use ChatGPT at Work: Workplace Applications for ChatGPT

The way you use ChatGPT at work will be dependent upon what you do for a living. A writer and a lawyer might not use generative AI tools in the same way. Nor will a doctor and a computer programmer. 

There are some basic rules that you can follow. 

1. Provide context and explain what you need when you give it prompts. The more information it has, the more accurate and helpful its responses will be.
2. Verify any information that ChatGPT provides. Cross-reference with reliable sources, especially for critical tasks or decisions. Sometimes, ChatGPT hallucinates information and presents it as fact, which can be catastrophic for some professional decisions! 
3. Clearly define the scope of tasks and be aware of its limitations. You don’t want to ask it for things it can’t do. For example, ChatGPT cannot create content that provides medical advice or that explains how to commit an illegal act. 
4. Stay mindful of bias. Because ChatGPT is trained using human language and words, there can be unintended bias within its programming. Be aware of potential biases and critically evaluate its suggestions, especially in areas related to sensitive topics or diversity.
5. Stay updated! Keep abreast of ChatGPT’s capabilities and limitations as it evolves to make the most of its features and improvements in your work tasks.
6. Use ChatGPT for brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and planning. Even though you should always review and improve any text that ChatGPT generates, you can often use its initial output for planning purposes.
7. Take a training course or a workshop on how to use AI in your industry. Teachers, lawyers, marketing professionals, software programmers, small business owners, and others will all use AI differently, and there are professionals in your field who are ready to provide guidance and advice.
8. Use ChatGPT to improve your writing. You can ask it to find errors, improve excerpts, revise your work, and help you make improvements. No matter what you’re writing, ChatGPT can help you avoid embarrassing mistakes. 

What NOT to Do With ChatGPT at Work

Just like there are some great ways to use ChatGPT, there are also some things that can get you into trouble at work.

Here are a few things to avoid:

1. Don’t use ChatGPT or other generative AI platforms if there are policies in place that prohibit it.
2. Don’t have inappropriate conversations on ChatGPT. In a work setting, you should still maintain professional conversations with the platform. Your bosses or colleagues may end up reviewing your input and output.
3.  Don’t forget about data security! You should be cautious about sharing sensitive or confidential information with ChatGPT. For example, at this time, there is no way to maintain HIPAA compliance with ChatGPT, so you can never input HIPAA-protected data into the platform. Guidance like FERPA for educators and regulation for financial planners still apply, too. So be careful with what you put into the chatbot.
4. Don’t rely solely on ChatGPT for important decision-making or creative tasks without verifying the accuracy of its output.
5. Don’t use ChatGPT for legal advice. It lacks the expertise and legal understanding necessary to provide accurate legal advice. 

Some Key Takeaways About AI at Work

As AI tools like ChatGPT become more ubiquitous in the workplace, every organization will have to establish clear guidelines and best practices for how they want their employees to use–or not use–generative AI. 

While ChatGPT and other chatbots present exciting opportunities to streamline and enhance various work tasks, there are also serious risks. 

The key is to view ChatGPT as a powerful tool that can help people do good work, rather than replace people entirely. Employees should be trained on how to properly leverage ChatGPT’s capabilities within the bounds of their roles and industry regulations. 

Businesses, in turn, need to stay agile in developing policies that protect sensitive information and intellectual property, while still allowing workers to innovate and boost their productivity with these advanced AI assistants.

The companies and professionals that get this balance right will be best positioned to capitalize on the power of AI in the workplace. But it will require a thoughtful, ethical approach. With the right framework in place, ChatGPT and similar tools can become invaluable allies in powering the future of work.