The Curious Companion: Ep. 14 – ChatGPT for Absolute Beginners
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Curious Reader! Welcome to this week’s Curious Companion newsletter. What you came for is below, and you can CLICK HERE to listen to the episode if you decide you prefer earbuds to eyeballs. Happy reading! This episode lays out exactly how to start using ChatGPT (in two super simple steps), for even the most beginner of users. I break down why using the tool is the best way to understand and critique it, share my take on AI as an equalizer, and walk through a surprisingly useful feature called “Schedules”. Let’s get curious. IntroIf you’re already using ChatGPT, this one might not be for you, and that’s okay. Every episode isn’t meant for everyone. Each week when I sit down to record an episode, I think about what would be helpful, useful, and usable. Sometimes an episode writes itself because there’s a big tech update, and sometimes I have to dig into the creativity well. This one was a bit of both, and was largely inspired by seeing folks on Instagram losing their minds over Sora videos, some thinking they were real, while others called out real videos as AI. And it got me thinking: One of the best ways to learn about a thing, and be in the know about a thing, and critique a thing in a way that could actually make a difference, is to use the thing Why Start Using ChatGPT at AllAI is here and it’s not going anywhere. We’re absolutely in a bubble (I talked about this in episode 10) but bubbles popping doesn’t mean extinction. It’ll burst eventually, but AI isn’t leaving with it. I’ve never been one for fearmongering, so you also won’t hear me say, “Use it or get left behind and die.” Immediately no. But I did hear an interesting take recently from someone said AI is the closest thing Black people might ever get to reparations, because it can level the playing field. Now, I don’t love the messenger (he’s a whack political analyst), but I can appreciate the message. When ChatGPT rolled out in 2023, I said something similar about how it could remove barriers in the online space. For $20 a month, you suddenly had access to a thought partner, a summarizer, a list-builder, and a very beginner-level intern. That kind of access matters. I won’t say that ChatGPT has cut my workload in half, but it has been significantly helpful in many ways, even if the main way was freeing up some brain space, allowing me to perform a different task. I bring all this up as a sort of answer to the question “Why should someone even start using ChatGPT in the first place?” Look, if you don’t want to use it, don’t use it. I literally don’t care. But if any part of you is curious about it, even if it’s just because other people are using it and you don’t want to feel left out, here’s how I suggest getting started. The Simplest Way to StartHere’s my super simple two-step recommendation:
That’s it. That’s literally the whole getting-started guide. Leave the site open if you work on a computer, and any time you’d type something into Google, type it into ChatGPT instead. See what it gives you. Notice where it helps and where it doesn’t. If you’re in the online space, especially if you create content to market your business, it’ll click pretty quickly. But even if you’re not, ChatGPT can make life easier in small, surprisingly human ways. Like figuring out what to make for dinner. The Bigger PictureMy excitement around AI isn’t about optimization or productivity. It never has been. It’s about reclaiming time to be more human. More time to spend with the people you love, doing things that you love doing. I say it right on the homepage of the website for this podcast, chatgptcurious.com. (Go check out the website if you haven’t already. I worked hard on that shit!) So, if you want a deep dive into tech intricacies, check out pretty much any of the other episodes I have. But if you just want to get started? Go to chatgpt.com. Ask your questions. Give it a week. Then you can worry about the other stuff. You can’t optimize a habit you haven’t built. How I Used ChatGPT This WeekEach week I include a section where I briefly discuss how I used ChatGPT that week. This one’s a fun one that I stumbled upon by accident. Backstory: We’ve got a bunch of Nest cameras at home and the one in the backyard recently died. I couldn’t bring myself to drop $200 on another one, mostly because I’ve been dreaming about switching to a full CCTV setup someday, so I asked ChatGPT to help me look for deals. At the end of our fruitless search, it said: “If you like, I can keep a watch for the Nest Cam Outdoor (battery) for your region and ping you when a good sale shows—like your personal bargain alarm. Want me to set that up?”
Naturally, I said yes, and I specified no Amazon links and only 20% off or more. Turns out, what it set up is called a “Schedule”. Schedules in ChatGPT let you automate things—like having it check for deals, updates, or information on a regular basis without you lifting a finger. It’s like giving ChatGPT standing orders to go do something, then report back on schedule. You can set this up just by typing it in the prompt box, or you can go to Settings → Schedules → Manage to view, edit, or delete them. Now, every Monday I get an email with the findings, which continue to be fruitless, but is still pretty cool! Of note, I didn’t set up the email notifications, it just does that on its own and is apparently the default setting. Honestly, I think it’s a super cool feature and is definitely worth exploring. Wrapping It UpThe goal with this episode was to make something for the beginners, and something you experienced folks can share with them. If you think I hit the mark, send it to someone you know who’s curious about ChatGPT. As always, endlessly appreciative for every single one of you. Catch you next Thursday. Maestro out. AI Disclaimer: In the spirit of transparency (if only we could get that from these tech companies), this email was generated with a very solid alley-oop from ChatGPT. I write super detailed outlines for every podcast episode (proof here), and then use ChatGPT to turn those into succinct, readable recaps that I lightly edit to produce these Curious Companions. Could I “write” it all by hand? Sure. Do I want to? Absolutely not. So instead, I let the robot do the work, so I can focus on the stuff that I actually enjoy doing and you get the content delivered to your digital doorstep, no AirPods required. High fives all around. Did someone forward you this email? Stay curious. |