What is ChatGPT? Here’s a Basic, Helpful Explanation.

Most people, it seems, don’t want anything to do with AI (Artificial Intelligence), and don’t want to know the answer to, “What is ChatGPT?” They seem to know it’s an AI program or platform, but that’s as much as they know—or say they want to know.

Why is that? Here are some possible answers.

1. They think AI is dangerous.
2. Many have heard it is destined to take away jobs.
3. It sounds like something from futuristic movies.
4. They think it promotes or encourages cheating at school.
5. They could believe it is the end of human thinking and interaction.

ChatGPT is an inherently safe tool to use. While millions of people use ChatGPT enthusiastically every day, some security experts say there are some rules of thumb to follow… if and when you start using it.

There are plenty more reasons, but the fact is, many people don’t know anything about ChatGPT in particular, and yet they still might have a perspective like those you just read.

And that’s quite okay. There is one thing ChatGPT cannot do: It cannot make you use it if you don’t want to. 

Still, it wouldn’t hurt you to know the basics about AI and understand the answer to the question, What is ChatGPT?  

Here are the basics. If you already know more than this, good for you, wherever you think of AI.

What is ChatGPT?

Here is an answer to that question, provided by Google and its built-in artificial intelligence search component.

• ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI and released on November 30, 2022. It utilizes generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs), such as GPT-4, to generate text, speech, and images in response to user prompts.

That answer doesn’t tell you much or isn’t very helpful, is it? But it does tell you what the GPT stands for: generative, pre-trained transformer.

Is ChatGPT free to use?

Yes, there is a free version that is powerful and robust, capable of doing a lot for you.

What’s the difference between ChatGPT and Google search?

When you search on Google, you get your answers or results through links to articles, websites, images, YouTube channels, social media links, and more…and it’s all from the Internet in real time.

Using ChatGPT is like talking (via messaging) to an expert, mentor, authority, guru, or know-it-all on any topic you want to chat about. However, it does not receive its information in real-time from the Internet, unlike Google. Instead, it is accessing all the information that it was trained on, up until September 2021. So, ChatGPT doesn’t know much about what has happened since that time.

What can I ask ChatGPT?

The better way to put it is, “What can I talk to ChatGPT about?” That’s because it’s about starting a dialogue, almost as if you’re talking to the most intelligent person you’ll ever come across. To whet your appetite, here is a short list of what people are talking to ChatGPT about or asking for help with.

Translations, writing emails, time management help, computer programming, writing songs, writing jokes, weight loss advice, writing essays, brainstorming vacation ideas, and event planning advice. 

You can ask it whatever else you can think of.

Is setting up ChatGPT difficult?

Just the opposite. It’s about as simple to get started as you can imagine. Here is the link to the website where you can create an account. You can either create a password with your email account or use an existing Google, Microsoft, or Apple account.

How do you use it?

Once you have created your account and are on the ChatGPT dashboard, or main page, you’re ready to go! It’s that simple. Just point your cursor to the bottom of the page, and you’ll see a section (similar to Google’s “search box” area) where you can present ChatGPT with your questions or prompts.

When you present your questions or commands—on ChatGPT, they’re called prompts—to ChatGPT, you get a written answer that seems like it’s coming from someone at a help desk. You are, in essence, having an ongoing conversation on the topic you selected. And when you end that conversation, ChatGPT will remember it for you, so it can recall what you asked and the answer it provided before.

Do I have to ask for information in the form of a question?

No, you don’t, although you will likely start that way. You can ask it to create a list for you. Summarize a book. Ask for a summary of the most significant battles of WWII, WWI, or the Vietnam War. You can say, “Give me a recipe for banana cream pie, gluten-free!”

Are there tutorials on how to use ChatGPT?

If you search for “helping get started” on YouTube, you’ll find plenty of resources. Here is one that offers a broad but good overview. Here is a good one called “How to Use Chat GPT for Beginners.”

AI and ChatGPT are here to stay.

To learn more about how artificial intelligence has crept into our lives, visit WhatIsMyIPAddress.com and search for “artificial intelligence” or “AI.” You will review articles and podcast episodes to gain a deeper understanding of the topic.