ChatGPT is Dumb. Do These 4 Things to Make it Smart.
The smartest ways to use ChatGPT as a writer, in 2024
1983 was one of the most transformative years in human history.
Much like the invention of the wheel, fire, or electricity, the internet marked the next step in human evolution.
And, almost exactly 40 years later, in November of 2022, A.I. burst onto the scene — threatening to change the course of history yet again. But, the truth is, even the most mainstream A.I., like ChatGPT, are still in their infantile stages.
And, the vast majority of writing jobs are safe… for now. 😌 ✅
With that said, ChatGPT has already changed the writing landscape. And, just like the internet, A.I. tools are slowly becoming essential parts of our everyday routine.
Although without guidance, ChatGPT is relatively dumb, here’s how you can make it smart…
ChatGPT is cheap labour.
I’ve begun wondering what future generations will say about our treatment of A.I.
What if, one day, it becomes sentient? How will this affect labour laws? Will we introduce a statute of human-ish rights?
Anyway, all of this is a conversation for another day.
As of today, A.I. is cheap labour. 🤖💸
In the past, business owners would outsource menial tasks to writers on freelance websites like Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer. This was great for anyone looking to get their foot in the door as a writer. But, A.I. has all but replaced this sector of cheap labour.
As a result, the role of a writer has changed.
Tasks like S.E.O. optimization, re-writing, and basic editing can now be performed by A.I. much quicker and cheaper than hiring a human. So, the value of entry-level work has decreased. But, the value of a great writer has drastically increased.
The truth is, writing is hard.
And, even the most skilled technologies still struggle to capture an authentic human voice. So, if you love to write, don’t outsource your superpower to something only capable of subpar work.
Instead, use it to do these 4 things…
#1. Learn skills at hyperspeed
To break the 4th wall, I didn’t do well in school.
Although just about everyone is at an attention deficit nowadays, due to the invention of the smartphone, I probably had some form of A.D.H.D. I never liked to sit still and the only way I could learn was to incessantly pester the teacher with rapid-fire questions.
This behaviour admittedly got me sent to the principal’s office more often than I would like to admit. But, it also taught me that I was capable of learning.
Just not in a conventional setting. 🧑🎓🙋
Fast-forward to today and something I really appreciate about A.I. is how easy it has made learning new skills. Not being one for textbooks, I prefer to learn by doing. And, thrive with someone standing on call to offer me assistance.
So, if you’re like me, you might find the question-and-answer nature of ChatGPT particularly helpful.
It’s like hiring a private tutor at a fraction of the price.
Plus, if you struggle with procrastinating important tasks, ChatGPT allows you to get started quicker than ever before.
The key is to be clear and continue prompting ChatGTP after its initial response. As the conversation grows, ChatGPT will learn your preferences. And, continue honing in on helpful answers.
Here’s a free master prompt template. 🤖📝
Before we go on, I wanted to quickly touch on prompting.
As a technology, A.I. is only as smart as its user. And, the art of A.I. prompting is quickly becoming a skill all on its own. So, although I would never dream of telling you how to talk to your A.I. assistant, I’ve collected a list of best practices.
I find I get the best results from ChatGPT when I include these 5 attributes: