ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm, giving us a glimpse into the potential of artificial intelligence or AI products. It is a revolutionary technology that is trained to learn what humans mean when asked a question. This AI can answer long-form questions, create humanlike conversational dialogue and much more.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right into learning A-Z about ChatGPT.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. It is a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to create human-like conversations. It processes requests that are entered as prompts and formulate responses.
The language model assists you with tasks like creating essays, and emails, answering questions and even writing codes. ChatGPT is like the automated chat services found on customer service websites. People can ask several questions to the chatbot and it comes with replies. ChatGPT provides a more accurate and in-depth response because of its reinforced learning through human feedback.
Who was the creator of ChatGPT?
This brings us to our next question- who made ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chatbot developed by OpenAI, an AI research company founded by Sam Altman. The company launched ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. This company, based in San Francisco, is also responsible for creating several other AI generative tools, one of the most notable being Dall-E, an AI text-to-art generator.
How Can ChatGPT Be Utilized?
There are many functions to ChatGPT. So, what can you use ChatGPT for?
It can solve simple questions to complex answers. It can write elaborate essays and describe art in great detail using AI art prompts. If your question is “Can I chat” using ChatGPT, the answer is yes, you can chat and even have philosophical discussions with the model.
You can use ChatGPT for endless reasons. Here are some of the most popular tasks you can do using it:
- You Can Write Outlines for Articles and Novels: You can use ChatGPT as a guide to create outlines for your content. Input the topic, tonality, and all the information you require for the outline for it to relevantly respond.
- Debug and Explain Code: If you are a programmer, you can face bugs in your code from time to time. You can utilise ChatGPT to narrow down the problem, saving you hours. You can also use this chatbot to write entire blocks of functional code snippets or analyse existing code bases.
- Create an App: By incorporating the type of app and codebase you need, you can generate the code required to write the programs and source the components to create the app.
- Craft Your Resume and Cover Letter: You can easily create a personalised resume and cover letter when applying for jobs. Create custom copies according to unique job descriptions to increase your chances of getting hired.
- Write Excel Formulas: If you are using Excel and stuck on a certain function. You can simply ask ChatGPT on how to approach the problem or generate the formula required for a certain task.
- Write Music: You can use ChatGPT to write music in any genre. Its learned creativity is one of the greatest advantages of this AI chatbot which you can utilise to create music. Input the type of music you want, the genre and other information to get a detailed response.
- Get Cooking Help: Do you want to explore new recipes but do not know where to start? Use ChatGPT to solve this issue and check out healthier ways to cook popular meals. Remember to write your prompt with all the details you want to get relevant results.
- Get ideas for Any Project: If you want to create a DIY project or start a new art project, prompt this AI chatbot to generate ideas. Mention the type of project you want to do and get a variety of options to start from.
- Summarise Content: ChatGPT helps in simplifying complex information and providing simple descriptions of the same. If you have a time crunch, and you need to revise something wordy, you can use it to input the text to get a complete summarised version.
- Create Grocery Shopping and To-Do Lists: You can use ChatGPT to create a variety of lists. This can be a shopping list, brainstorming list, household tips list or a to-do list. Prompt the type and the length of your list and ChatGPT will produce the required list.
You can strategically use ChatGPT to simplify complex tasks or create lists to make your daily life more productive. You can even use it to write a business plan for you if you are planning to start your own business. Although it is recommended to do your own research as well, ChatGPT can cut down the time and help you with the task.
How was ChatGPT trained?
ChatGPT was trained using a significant amount of data from the internet such as websites, books, and news articles. It also used specific sources like Reddit discussions. This helped ChatGPT learn dialogue and adopt a human style of response.
ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) that is usually trained with massive data to accurately predict what word comes next in a sentence. As per Stanford University, “GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters and was trained on 570 gigabytes of text.” When compared to GPT-2, it is 100 times larger than GPT-2 and uses only 1.5 billion parameters.
The increase in the number of parameters changed the behaviour of this language model. This also made GPT-3 perform certain tasks like translating sentences from English to French, although it did not receive explicit training. Therefore, as per observation, increasing the amount of data improved its output.
LLM predicts one word to entire sentences and paragraphs to entire pages of content. However, they are limited in their ability to understand what a human wants. This is where ChatGPT takes it one step forward with its Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF) training.
Through RLHF, human AI trainers provided the model with conversations in which they played both parts of the user and the AI assistant. The language model was further fine-tuned using supervised learning along with RLFF. This form of training helped ChatGPT understand the human intent in a question due to which it can provide helpful, truthful and harmless answers.
How to Access ChatGPT?
Follow these simple steps to create your own ChatGPT account:
Step 1: To access ChatGPT, you need to click the ChatGPT link chat.openai.com or https://chat.openai.com/auth/login and create an OpenAi account. Alternatively, you can also use the old URL for the chatbot which is chat.openai.com/chat.
Step 2: If you already have an account, you can directly click on Log In. Otherwise, you need to Sign up with your email address and password or you can use your existing Google or Microsoft account.
Accept the disclaimers from ChatGPT by clicking Next and then finally Done.
Step 3: Once you sign in, you can start chatting away with ChatGPT. Ask questions or input prompts to get your conversation started. You can ask as many questions as you would like.
On clicking the left-hand sidebar of the ChatGPT homepage, at the top, you will see a button for New Chat which you can click to start a fresh conversation at any time. This is a valuable feature as the ChatGPT model remembers your previous conversation and responds accordingly. When you start a new chat, it will create a discussion without the context and follow your new instructions.
The left-hand sidebar also has access to your history. You can click any of your history tabs if you want to have access to your previous conversations.
You also get the option to Upgrade to Plus which is the ChatGPT 4 version. This option is also available on the homepage of the ChatGPT window at the top of your screen. The homepage also has options for prompts which you can use or incorporate custom prompts.
At the end of the sidebar, you will find your email address. On clicking the three dots on the side, you can access your Account information including Custom Instructions, Help & FAQ and Settings. You also get the option to Log Out.
By using the Custom Instructions tab, you can take it one step further and personalise ChatGPT according to your needs and requirements.
How does it help you? You can be as elaborate as possible to make ChatGPT understand how you want its responses to be.
The Help & FAQ tab can help you answer various common queries and questions for using ChatGPT. In the Settings tab, you can change your theme, clear chats, export data or even delete your account.
Is there a ChatGPT App?
Yes, there is an official ChatGPT app available for both iPhone and Android users. Make sure to download the app created By OpenAI since you will find similar apps in your App Store and Play Store.
Apart from the apps, you can also access ChatGPT through your search engines. Write ChatGPT in your browser and click the first option you get.
To access the apps, you need to follow similar steps as you did for the ChatGPT website. After downloading the app, sign in via your email or simply log in and start using it by using your specific prompts.
One of the biggest differentiating factors of the ChatGPT app is that you can use voice input. By clicking the sound wave icon in the same spot as the microphone button in the message apps, you can give a verbal prompt. ChatGPT transcribes your voice to text and generates answers within seconds.
You can accomplish the same tasks using both the app and the desktop version. Depending on how and when you use ChatGPT, you can choose any option.
Is ChatGPT Free to Use?
ChatGPT is free to use. You can use it for any purpose like writing and coding and get answers at standard response speed.
You can subscribe to a premium version called ChatGPT Plus. You can get your monthly subscription at $20 where you can access the upgraded version of the model. GPT-4 is more capable and has a faster response time as compared to GPT-3.5. You also get the option to access the internet through plugins.
GPT-4 uses the newest version of OpenAI’s language model system. Therefore, it is more advanced than GPT-3.5 and accepts both text and images as input and it outputs text. What you can do is use this version and analyse graphs, charts and even worksheets.
The advanced intellectual capabilities of GPT-4 have also helped in reducing the error rate in reasoning. This model can pass a series of benchmark exams. A professor at Wharton, the University of Pennsylvania’s business school used ChatGPT to take an MBA exam. ChatGPT passed the exam with a score between B- and B.
The free version is a good option for day-to-day tasks as it has mostly the same technical abilities as the upgraded version. However, it has updated information till September 2021. If you require information after this date, you need to upgrade to the Plus version. The ChatGPT+ uses the latest version of LLM and also has access to the internet.
How Can You Use Custom Instructions?
OpenAI recently launched the feature of custom instructions to improve the degree of customisation for your ChatGPT account. So, what is it?
This feature gives the AI chatbot the context for each conversation. That way, it can respond according to your preferences, making the response tailored perfectly for you. This feature is available both for free and paid versions.
For instance, if you want formal or professional answers from ChatGPT, you can add custom instructions to always make it respond in that way. Or, if you want kid-friendly language, you can simply input this information for ChatGPT to provide you with customised answers.
To use this feature, scroll down to the bottom of the left-hand-side bar. You will see your email and three dots. Click on the dots and you will see the option for Custom Instructions.
Upon clicking the option, you will get two questions:
- What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?
- How would you like ChatGPT to respond?
For the first question, fill in your details regarding the work or subjects you use ChatGPT the most. For example, if you are writing a novel and using the AI chatbot to outline your chapters, you can input information about the novel’s plot, its characters, goals and theme.
For the second question, elaborate on the tonality that you want to reflect in the response of ChatGPT. You can write your preference for short or long responses, and how you want to address them, among others. Thus, according to your needs and requirements, incorporate the required information to get tailored answers.
How to Use Plugins With ChatGPT?
With the help of plugins, you can connect ChatGPT to third-party applications, including real-time information on the web. You can use this premium feature for various activities like planning a trip or finding a place to eat.
There are over 800 third-party plugins available for ChatGPT. This includes Expedia, Fiscal Note, Zillow, OpenTable, Kayak, and more. As per OpenAI, the plugin approach to connect ChatGPT to the internet is more secure.
With the use of plugins, you can write better prompts to get more specific responses. Follow the below steps to get access to plugins:
Step 1: The first step to using plugins is to get the ChatGPT Plus subscription. To do this, login to your account and click the Upgrade to Plus button in the bottom left corner. Fill up your payment information and pay a recurring fee of $20 per month. You get immediate access to the new feature once you upgrade.
Step 2: Open your settings and click on the Beta features. Turn on the options by clicking the slider. Do this for both options- Browse with Bing and Plugins.
Once done, you can exit the Settings and start using plugins.
Step 3: Start a new chat and hover over the GPT-4 option at the top of your screen. Click on the plugins option.
Step 4: Click on the drop-down arrow under the GPT-4 button. You will see a button appear that provides you access to the plugin store. Now, you can browse through all ChatGPT plugins.
If you want to install any specific plugins, click the green install button next to it. After the installation is complete, you can access the plugins from the same menu.
New plugins are added every day. Browse and test different plugins to identify which ones work best for you. If you are not finding a certain plugin useful, you can simply uninstall it.
Remember that ChatGPT Plus plugins and ChatGPT extensions are two different things. With the former, you can access the internet and perform different tasks. The ChatGPT extensions such as Compose AI and WebChatGPT make it easier to use any version of the AI chatbot with the Chrome web browser.
What is the Difference Between ChatGPT and a Search Engine?
One of the significant differences between the two is that ChatGPT is a language model that can hold conversations with the end user. On the other hand, a search engine indexes web pages on the internet. A user can find a variety of information on the internet using a search engine.
The paid version of ChatGPT can access the internet and provide you with up-to-date information. However, the free version uses information from training data to generate a response. This leaves room for error.
Another major difference between the two is that ChatGPT has access to information till September 2021 whereas you can get the latest information via search engines. So, if you have ChatGPT Pro, you have access to Bing’s integration into ChatGPT. This gives the chatbot access to the internet.
Since Bing is a search engine and can index the web, ChatGPT uses the Browse with Bing feature to update the latest results. Here’s how you can use this feature with ChatGPT:
Step 1: The first step is to start a new chat in ChatGPT. Select GPT-4 and however over the button. You will see the browsing beta option. Select it.
Step 2: Use ChatGPT how you normally use it. The Browse with Bing feature is especially helpful when you have a query or question that requires the latest information.
Step 3: When you type in your prompt and enter, ChatGPT does the browsing for you and comes up with relevant, cited information. You can click on each citation number to visit the webpage where ChatGPT found its information.
What Are the Limitations of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT has changed how we used to perform our daily activities like searching and writing. However, you need to know that this AI chatbot has limitations despite its impressive functions. So, let’s look at some common ChatGPT limitations:
- Answer Quality Depends on Your Prompt
The more specific you are with your prompt, the greater the chances for ChatGPT to provide the right answer. This aspect is one of the biggest limitations of this AI model. The quality of the response differs based on the input given.
ChatGPT does not ask for clarification on ambiguous questions. What ChatGPT does is that it guesses the answer to the question. This leads to unintended responses. Sometimes users may need to reword a question multiple times for ChatGPT to understand the intent of the question and answer accordingly.
- Limitations on Specific Response
ChatGPT refuses to answer specific questions that it deems as harmful. The AI model is programmed to not provide answers to these questions.
- Answers Are Not Always Correct
A significant limitation of using ChatGPT is that the answers it provides may not always be correct. As this AI bot has been trained to provide answers that feel right to humans, the answer can sometimes trick humans into believing it is correct.
And why is that? This is because of the nature of how ChatGPT responds. Its polite and explanatory tone makes it easier to mistake all answers as accurate. However, this is not the case all the time as ChatGPT has been observed to provide incorrect answers.
Moreover, the free version of ChatGPT’s data is limited to September 2021. So when searching for current news or events, this tool might not be ideal to do that.
- May Not Work When it is At Capacity
One of the major limitations that users face when using the free version of ChatGPT is that they cannot access it when its capacity is full. Why does it do this?
The ChatGPT website operates using a server. When there are too many people using the server, it overloads and cannot process your request. When this happens, you can try visiting the site later or refresh it periodically.
If you want to skip the wait and have access at all times, you can opt for ChatGPT Plus. The upgraded version allows you access even during peak hours and has a faster response time compared to GPT-3.5.
The Ethics of Using ChatGPT
As you already know now, ChatGPT may not always provide you with the correct response. So, completely depending on this AI chatbot for official tasks like school or office work is not a good idea. In the academic context, passing of AI-generated content as an original work can lead to plagiarism issues.
The ChatGPT model is prone to gender, racial and different social biases. Therefore, it may generate biased output reflecting harmful stereotypes. In some cases, ChatGPT might reproduce copyrighted content. And if you use this content, you can come face to face with potential legal issues.
In order to use this AI chatbot ethically, you need to abide by the guidelines set by your institution or workplace. Remember not to take ChatGPT’s output at face value. Always verify the information using a credible source.
Why Are Many People Worried About ChatGPT?
When ChatGPT was launched, it impressed people all over the world with how it could execute tasks in seconds that usually take hours to complete. For example, this chatbot can write an article on any topic within seconds, potentially eliminating the need for a human writer.
This led to concern about AI chatbots replacing humans in the workplace or atrophying human intelligence. Another major concern which arose is that students can use it to cheat or avoid learning. This has led to many schools restricting access to ChatGPT or workplaces introducing strict guidelines against its usage.
Are There Tools to Detect Text Generated Using ChatGPT?
With concerns regarding the misuse of ChatGPT as a shortcut or for cheating, tools for identifying AI-generated texts are helpful. OpenAI released a free tool known as “classifier” that could identify only 26% of the AI-generated text. However, this tool was shut down as it was not performing properly.
You can find numerous other AI detectors on the market. However, most of these tools do not provide 100% correct results. Therefore, it is recommended to use plagiarism detection tools. Thoroughly checking the content is also vital to identify if the output is generated from ChatGPT or not.
What Are the Alternatives to ChatGPT?
A lot of similar chatbots rose in the market after ChatGPT was launched. Some were already in the market and some gained prominence after ChatGPT.
Although AI ChatGPT has extensive abilities, it has certain limitations. So, if you want to try different AI chatbots to see which tool is more to your liking, you can go for plenty of other options. You can consider Jasper, YouChat, Bing Chat, and Chatsonic, among others.
How Does Bing Chat Compare to ChatGPT?
Microsoft was one of the early investors in OpenAI before ChatGPT was released to the public. Later on, the company partnered with OpenAI to revamp its own search engine, Bing and improve its browser.
Microsoft unveiled a new Bing search engine in February 2023. It runs on next-generation OpenAI LLM, GPT-4 that is customised specifically for search. This makes Bing more advanced and accurate when compared to the free version of ChatGPT. Moreover, Bing has access to the current data and can access the internet for relevant information.
How does Google Bard compare to ChatGPT?
Google’s AI chat service is known as Bard. This experimental AI chat service was launched in February 2023. Bard uses a lightweight version of Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). It draws information from the web to respond to queries which is a significant difference when compared to ChatGPT.
Although Bard has access to the internet, it cannot produce answers more accurate or relevant, making ChatGPT far more superior.
What is the Future of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionise different industries across the globe. This includes customer service, personal productivity, content, and education, among others. With further enhancement in the natural language generation and its understanding capabilities, this AI chatbot may provide improved results. This can be more accurate and efficient, leading to automating various tedious tasks.
Thus, ChatGPT has transformed the way we interact with artificial intelligence. Its human-like text makes it a powerful tool in various applications. With time, we can expect a more reliable and advanced version. However, it is important to proceed with caution, addressing its limitations. Always remember to use this AI chatbot responsibly and ethically.