Getting started with ChatGPT
If you've ever wished you had a friendly expert sitting beside you, ready to help you write, brainstorm, answer questions, or explain confusing topics, that's essentially what ChatGPT is. It's like having a super-smart assistant who never sleeps and doesn't mind being asked the same question a dozen different ways.
What is AI?
It seems like everyone is talking about AI lately as if it's a brand-new thing. But AI has been around since the 1950s and has been used in lots of ways over the decades for things like credit card fraud detection, voice recognition, OCR, playing chess, spam filters, grammar check, and more.
In the past, this kind of technology might have been called 'machine learning' or 'neural networks.' These are just different ways AI has been built and used over time, but the umbrella term for all of it is AI. Simply put, AI is any technology that can analyze and learn rather than simple "if this, then do that" instructions that a human creates. Generally, this is done by recognizing and using patterns.
But what's different now? Large Language Models, or LLMs, are the specific technology that people are usually talking about when they mention AI these days. These are complex systems trained on vast amounts of human writing, which allows them to predict language and respond in human-like ways. What’s impressive is how flexible they can be and how uncanny they are because they sound and write like real humans, something that we’ve never seen before.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence tool made by OpenAI. It can help you write, summarize, translate, organize, or explain just about anything. You can type in a simple question like "How do I make French toast?" or something more involved like "Help me write a letter to my neighbor asking them to trim their tree, but make it polite and not passive-aggressive."
Whether you’re a student, retiree, small business owner, or just someone trying to figure out why your phone is acting up, ChatGPT can assist.
ChatGPT is just one of several Large Language Models out there, and the most popular. Others include Claude, Google Gemini, and Deepseek.
How to get started
There are several ways to use ChatGPT and they all have advantages and some features only exist on certain apps.
The mobile app is best for dealing with photos, voice, or using it on the go
The desktop app is best for dealing with documents and is great if you do a lot of typing
chatgpt.com requires you to install no software, and for the simplest of requests, doesn’t require you to create an account.
Siri integration on iPhone 15 Pro or later. Say “Siri, ask ChatGPT what herbs go well with asparagus and lemon?"
Third-party integrations like Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity use ChatGPT for their processing.
Be careful simply searching for ChatGPT and downloading whatever app comes up. There are many apps out there that look like ChatGPT and will mention ChatGPT, but aren’t. These apps often use ChatGPT behind the scenes, which any software developer is allowed to do, and repack it into their own interface. Some of these are legitimately useful tools that have unique ways of using data, but many of them are just a cash grab.
Once you download and install the app, you need to create an account to get the most out of it. Even a free account will give you access to additional tools and keep a history of what you do. If you are mostly within the Apple ecosystem, I recommend using “Sign Up With Apple”. If you are a heavy Google user, you can use the similar Google option. Both of these allow you to sign up without having to create another password. You simply sign in with your existing Apple or Google account.
If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or later or a Mac or iPad with an M1 or later processor, you should consider connecting Siri to ChatGPT. To do this, go to the Settings app > Apple Intelligence & Siri > ChatGPT. Log in to your ChatGPT account. You may also want to consider turning off “Confirm ChatGPT Requests”. This way, if you ask Siri a question that stumps it, it will automatically pass the request along to ChatGPT.
Simple ways everyday people use ChatGPT
Here are some examples of how real people are using ChatGPT:
Writing help: "Can you help me write a thank-you note for a retirement gift?"
Health info: "What are some low-sodium snack ideas?"
Tech support: "Why won’t my printer connect to Wi-Fi?"
Travel planning: "Give me a 3-day itinerary for Rome, with walking directions."
Cooking: "What can I make with zucchini, eggs, and Parmesan?"
Home maintenance: "How do I stop my faucet from dripping?"
Learning: "Explain cryptocurrency to me like I’m in high school."
Brainstorming: “Give me five ideas for a 12-year-old’s birthday theme party"
Pop culture: "Summarize the main plot points of Hacks Season 3 so that I'm ready to watch season 4"
Translation: Take a photo of a page in another language and ask, “Translate this to English, and explain any cultural context that might not be obvious to an American English speaker."
Power tools
ChatGPT has some tools that are designed for more specific tasks. I'm not going to get into the specifics of how to do it because it will be different on web, mobile, and desktop apps, and they are constantly changing how these work. These include:
Image and document uploading: you can take photos or load photos from your library to ask all kinds of questions about the content, like “how do I fix this?” or “explain this sign to me,” or “what can I cook with these items in my fridge and pantry?"
Image generation: ask it to make an image or to manipulate an image. It helps to be extremely specific about the details. Ask for an image in a particular style, or a specific aspect ratio, or with a specific character. Or take a photo of a concept sketch and ask to make it real.
Advanced Voice Mode: tap the waveform icon in a conversation to start conversing with ChatGPT (not the microphone icon; that's simply dictation). This can be useful if you want to brainstorm while driving or if you simply prefer to talk rather than type. Requires a paid plan.
Video mode: while in Advanced Voice Mode, tap the video camera icon so that ChatGPT can "see". Technically, the way it works is that it takes periodic photos as you are conversing. This is useful for all kinds of things, like feedback on your houseplant health to help with a repair project.
Canvas: ask it to draft a document or article, which you can then edit or ask ChatGPT to edit for you.
Web search: ChatGPT can search for information on the web. Otherwise, it only has world knowledge from the point at which it was trained, usually a year or two ago. This is useful as a Google replacement.
Tasks: ask it to perform a query at a set interval. I have one that, every Thursday afternoon, gives me a list of things I can do that weekend in San Francisco.
Projects: create a project that has custom instructions. Each conversation started within a project follows those set instructions.
Temporary Chat: when toggled on, ChatGPT doesn't remember your queries, and they will not affect its memory.
Sora video generation: ask it to create a short video clip. This requires a paid account and is done on the Sora website.
Going a step further: advanced queries
You can also include more detailed instructions to get better results:
Tone: "Write a funny but respectful birthday message."
Parameters: "Give me a meal plan that’s vegetarian, gluten-free, and uses overlapping ingredients."
Additional data: "Summarize this article for me" (then paste the article).
Photo support: You can even upload an image and ask questions about it, like "What kind of plant is this?" or "Why is this error message showing on my computer screen?"
Ask ChatGPT to query you: Sometimes, you don’t know what you should be asking or what information you should provide. You can add to the end of one of your queries, “Ask me 3 questions that will help you create a better answer.”
The more you give it, the better it does. For example, a friend once asked it simply, "Help me write a letter to the IRS." The result was too vague. But when she added details like the year, the issue, the tone she wanted, and the key facts, the letter came out professional and ready to send. Giving ChatGPT more information is like giving a GPS the full address instead of just a city name—you'll get where you're going a lot faster and more accurately. Think of it like giving your assistant more background so they can help you more accurately. Don't be afraid of giving it too much data—you can paste crash reports, system log files, add things you don't think are relevant, and you can ramble on.
Here are some real examples I've asked:
I am interested in buying an electric vehicle, probably used. Can you create a table for me comparing my current car, the Hyundai IONIQ 2019 plug-in hybrid, with the 2022 Kia EV6, the 2021 VW ID.4, and any other cars you think I might be interested in. My requirements are that it has at least 200 mile range, has CarPlay, and it's a compact hatchback that can sell in the 20,000 to 30,000 range used. I want to compare range, charging speed, body length and width, acceleration, and also in the table include pros and cons from reviews.
This conversation narrowed my purchase down to a VW ID.4 that I'm really happy with!
I have a big grease stain from butter in my brown khakis (cotton) that didn't come out. I tried washing it with dawn in the sink before running it through the washing machine. Any other tips?
It suggested Murphy's Oil Soap, which worked perfectly!
Understanding the different models
There are a few versions of ChatGPT, and they’re named in ways that don't really make sense. Such as GPT-4 or 4o or o3-mini. Each of them excels at different things, such as images or logic or speed or creativity, or coding. It's best to try different ones and see how they work for you, and rely on the descriptions in the dropdown menu. It was announced that when GPT-5 is released in the summer of 2025, the software will automatically select the best one for the job.
Free vs. paid plan
ChatGPT is offered in 3 different levels: Free, Plus, and Pro. The differences among them are constantly changing, usually with new features starting only at the top and then later trickling down. But currently
Free plan: Great for basic writing, planning, and answering questions. Extremely limited access to more advanced features like image generation and more powerful models.
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): Lots of access to more powerful models like reasoning and image generation. The system has better memory of your discussions, which it can use later. Access to Advanced Voice Mode with video chat. Limited access to research mode.
ChatGPT Pro ($200/month): This provides more access to research mode, and the computer will think longer and harder about big questions and complex problems. Usage is virtually unlimited. This is mostly used by researchers and academics who want to look for patterns or analyze data, or by programmers who want to get better code.
If you’re just curious or if you need it for basics like cooking ideas and simple questions, the free version will do just fine. But if you find yourself using it often or for more demanding tasks, the paid plan is worth a look. If you are unsure, I would suggest starting with the free plan and then trying the paid plan for a month to see if it works better for you. If you are using it in your job, I definitely recommend Plus or Pro.
Accuracy
AI is getting better all the time. It’s becoming faster, more efficient, and more accurate. And shockingly quickly! Part of the reason is that they are using AI to improve AI, creating a snowball effect.
You do have to be cautious, especially when your requests have real-world consequences. AI often “hallucinates” or makes things up when it doesn’t know the answer. To be fair humans often do the same and we call it “bullshitting”. Some computers and people just don’t like saying “I don’t know.” Be sure to check its sources and use your common sense.
Final tips
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try fun prompts like, "Write that again, but make it sound like Julia Child," or "Turn this into a poem in the style of Dr. Seuss." While this may sound silly, it's a great exercise to learn the power of the software. You can also say things like, "Try that again, but shorter," or "Make it sound more casual."
You can ask follow-up questions. It remembers the thread of the conversation.
If you’re stuck, just type what you’re trying to do in plain language. It’ll usually understand.
Even if you don't know exactly what to say, just start typing or talking. ChatGPT is really good with vague requests. How many times have you asked yourself, "What was that movie with that guy with white hair from the show about advertisers?" There is a good chance ChatGPT knows exactly what you're talking about!
If you'd like help setting up ChatGPT on your device, or want to learn how to get the most out of it, let me know. I offer one-on-one sessions to help you get comfortable using it like a pro!
