How to use ChatGPT

How to use ChatGPT for school essays

Explained by ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a hot topic these days and many people have starting using it on a daily basis. ChatGPT can perform a wide variety of tasks and save you a considerable amount of time, but there are some pitfalls that one should look out for when using it. Afterall, how can you guarantee if the AI laguage model that aims to collect information from the entire internet actually uses reputable information sources? In this article we decided to ask ChatGPT itself about the best practices of using this viral AI chatbot.

What is ChatGPT?
What can ChatGPT do?
How to use ChatGPT to write school essays and reports?
What to be careful with when using ChatGPT?
Does ChatGPT use reliable sources?
What to never do with the information generated by ChatGPT?
The future of AI in schools and education.

What is ChatGPT?

But first things first, what is actually ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT-3.5 architecture. It uses advanced natural language processing techniques to understand and respond to user queries and messages in a conversational manner. ChatGPT is designed to provide information, answer questions, and assist users with various tasks, ranging from simple queries to more complex tasks such as writing essays or generating creative content. It is an AI-powered tool that can be accessed through various platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and messaging services. ChatGPT is continuously learning and improving its ability to understand and respond to user queries, making it an increasingly valuable resource for individuals and businesses alike.

If you haven’t used ChatGPT before, here is the link where you can access it. All you will need to use ChatGPT is an acoount and you will be all set to go. Unlimited and completely free of charge. Btw, the definition of ChatGPT was given by ChatGPT itself ;)

What can ChatGPT do?

And now to our dialog!

Due to its conversational chatbot nature it is tempting to start a dialog with a polite small talk. Something that you would do with a human being. So here’s how it went:

– Hi! How are you doing?

– Hello! As an AI language model, I don’t have feelings, but I’m functioning properly and ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. How can I help you today?

How cute was this response! :)

The next thing we want to know from ChatGPt is how to use it.

– I would like to know how to use you

– Sure! I’m here to help you with a wide range of tasks, such as:

Generating text: I can help you write an essay, a report, an email, or any other type of text you need.

Answering questions: You can ask me any question you have, and I will do my best to provide you with an accurate and helpful response.

Translating text: I can help you translate text from one language to another.

Summarizing text: If you have a long article or document that you need to read, I can summarize it for you.

Generating ideas: If you’re stuck on a problem or need some inspiration, I can provide you with ideas and suggestions.

To use me, simply type in your question or request and I’ll do my best to provide you with a helpful response.

How to use ChatGPT to write school essays and reports?

An impressive portfolio, isn’t it! But I am sure every student wants to know the answer to just one question – how to use ChatGPT to write great school essays and reports! So here is the instruction we got from ChatGPT:

– How can I write a great essay with your help?

– To write a great essay with my help, here are some steps you can follow:

Define your topic and purpose: Before you start writing, it’s important to define what you want to write about and why. What is the purpose of your essay, and what do you want to convey to your readers?

Gather information: Once you have a clear idea of your topic and purpose, you’ll need to gather information to support your arguments. You can use various sources, such as books, articles, websites, and research papers.

Organize your ideas: Once you have gathered your information, organize your ideas into a clear and logical structure. You can use an outline or a mind map to help you with this.

Write your essay: With your outline or mind map as a guide, start writing your essay. Use clear and concise language, and make sure to support your arguments with evidence and examples.

Review and revise: Once you have completed your first draft, review and revise your essay. Check for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure that your arguments are clear and well-supported.

Use me for assistance: As an AI language model, I can help you throughout the essay writing process. You can ask me for ideas, for help with grammar and spelling, or for suggestions on how to improve your writing.

By following these steps and using me as a resource, you can write a great essay that is well-organized, well-supported, and well-written.

Interestingly, ChatGPT does not say â€“ type a title of your assay and I will write the essay for you. ChatGPT attributes only an auxiliary role to itself aiming to assist one in the process of essay writing and not to do the whole work for them. This is something that is misunderstood by many people who think that with ChatGPT they do not have to write anything anymore. However, ChatGPT has a number of drawbacks, so mindless copy-pasting of the chatbot’s generated information might not give the results one expects.

What to be careful with when using ChatGPT?

So what are ChatGPT’s drawbacks and how can they affect us?

– What are your drawbacks?

– As an AI language model, I have some limitations and drawbacks. Here are a few:

Bias: Like any other machine learning model, I am subject to biases that may be present in the data used to train me. This can result in biased or inaccurate responses to certain topics or questions.

Lack of common sense: While I have access to vast amounts of data and can provide answers based on that data, I do not have common sense like humans do. This means that I may not always understand the context or nuances of a conversation, leading to inaccurate or irrelevant responses.

Inability to reason outside of provided data: I can only provide responses based on the information that has been fed to me. I am not capable of reasoning beyond that information, which can limit my ability to provide original or creative responses.

Limited emotional intelligence: As an AI language model, I do not have emotions, so I may not always understand the emotional content of a conversation or provide appropriate emotional responses.

Lack of physical presence: I exist only as a digital entity and do not have a physical presence, which can limit my ability to interact with the world in the same way humans do.

The last point makes us feel so sad. He is almost like a real boy, but not quite. He isn’t made of wood, he is made of zeros and ones.

One drawback that ChatGPT hasn’t mentioned is the lack of personality when writing an essay. ChatGPT writes in a very dry and robot-like manner. Well, duh, it is a robot! So it is very easy to identify that the essay was not written by a person. Lack of feelings, emotions and subjective opinions that are often characteristic of an essay written by a real person usually results in a boring and detached text. On the other hand, using ChatGPT for writing formal and technical reports is very handy, exactly due to the lack of feelings and opinions that do not belong to such reports.

Does ChatGPT use reliable sources?

One of the most important questions when we use ChatGPT is what sources the information is gathered from. While ChatGPT can provide you with an excellent and informative essay, how can you be sure that the information provided is trustworthy. So here is the ChatGPT’s take on it:

– How can I make sure that the sources you use for information collection are reliable?

– When it comes to finding reliable sources of information, there are a few things you can do to ensure that the sources I use are trustworthy:

Check the author: Look up the author of the source and their credentials. Are they an expert in the field they are writing about? Do they have a reputable background or affiliation with a respected organization or institution?

Check the publication or website: Look at the publication or website where the information was found. Is it a well-respected and established source, or is it a less reputable source with a history of publishing inaccurate or biased information?

Check for bias: Look for any signs of bias or opinion in the source. Is the information presented objectively, or does it seem to be promoting a particular agenda or point of view?

Check the sources: Look for citations and sources referenced within the information provided. Are these sources reputable and reliable themselves?

Cross-check with other sources: Finally, it’s always a good idea to cross-check the information with other reliable sources to ensure its accuracy.

By following these steps and being critical of the sources used for information collection, you can ensure that the information I provide is reliable and trustworthy.

Notice that ChatGPT does not guarantee the accuracy of the infromation it uses. In fact, it emphathises the importance of checking the information in the sources, the reputability of the authors and the reliability of the channels where the information was found. It is important to keep in mind that ChatGPT has drawbacks, such as predisposition to bias, lack of common sense and inability to interpret information that has emotional context in it. Therefore, some information, especially the information written with sarcasm and irony, can be interpreted literally and wrongly by ChatGPT.

What to never do with the information generated by ChatGPT?

Now that we knowÂ how to use ChatGPT we were interested in knowing what we should never do when using it. Here is what ChatGPT replied:

– What should one never do with the information generated by ChatGPT?

– While I strive to provide helpful and accurate information, it’s important to keep in mind that the information generated by ChatGPT is based on data and patterns from the internet and may not always be entirely accurate or up-to-date. Therefore, there are a few things one should never do with the information generated by ChatGPT:

Rely solely on ChatGPT: While ChatGPT can be a useful resource, it’s important to corroborate the information provided by ChatGPT with other sources to ensure its accuracy.

Use ChatGPT for illegal or unethical purposes: Using the information generated by ChatGPT for illegal or unethical purposes, such as hacking or phishing, is not acceptable and may have serious legal and ethical consequences.

Share personal or sensitive information: Avoid sharing personal or sensitive information with ChatGPT, as this information may be stored or shared with others and can lead to privacy and security risks.

Make critical decisions solely based on ChatGPT’s advice: It’s always important to seek professional advice or consult with experts before making critical decisions, as ChatGPT’s advice may not be tailored to your specific needs or circumstances.

By keeping these considerations in mind, you can use the information generated by ChatGPT in a responsible and ethical manner.

One point appears very striking here – the probability of having your private information publically shared. If you used ChatGPT before you know that your dialogs are being saved in your account and you can access the past conversations at any time.Â So clearly, writing a personal essay with a lot of private information is not such a good idea if one does not want this to lead to any privacy issues.

The future of AI in schools and education

So there you go, a conversation with ChatGPT! Fascinating, isn’t it? The future of AI in schools and education is exciting and full of potential and not so far away! With the rapid advancements in technology, AI has the potential to transform the way students learn and teachers teach. Clearly, one of the essential skills of the future is going to be content creation and specifically content generated by chatbots like ChatGPT. In addition to learning to write texts and essays themselves, students will need to know how to collect, organize, analyze and present the information generated by the AI systems in a meaningful way. And that is just a small part of it all. Personalised learning, improved development of learning content, AI-oriented job skills are examples of what the future of AI in education brings. It is bright! And it is exhilarating! And we are looking forward to seeing more exciting developments and innovations in the years to come.

About the Author

Anzhelika is a PhD candidate in Genetics and a marketing consultant at U4Success from Vienna, Austria. She leads our website and social media content strategy.

byAnzhelika Karjalainen, MSc/June 1, 2023/inAI, Education News, How-tos