Imagine a world where you can get anything you ask for without question. By “anything”, we mean information and having online tasks done. ChatGPT won’t give you a million dollars if you ask for it, but the AI will tell you how to earn seven figures.
Since ChatGPT was introduced in 2022, AI has become a buzzword in business. You’ll almost always hear someone say they use ChatGPT in their company to handle various functions ranging from research to creating content to composing emails.
The popularity of ChatGPT has grown to a point that some users claim it can do “just about anything”.
Before you decide to jump into the ChatGPT bandwagon, read our article to learn more about this game-changing AI, and figure out if you need it for your business.
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chatbot and the “GPT” stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer”. Although categorized as an AI, ChatGPT was developed using Large Language Model (LLM).
LLM is a language learning model that extends the capability of the app beyond just analyzing volumes of data. It allows ChatGPT to generate content. For this reason, ChatGPT is more accurately described as “Generative AI”.
ChatGPT is often compared to the standard chatbots that handle customer support services on websites.
The difference is that with standard chatbots, users get automatically-generated, default responses. People who engage with these types of chatbots often feel frustrated and unsatisfied with the answers they get to their questions.
In comparison, ChatGPT’s capabilities are augmented by Machine Learning (ML) and specialized algorithms that help it formulate the best responses by analyzing large volumes of data on human feedback.
As a “Pre-trained Transformer”, people who engage with ChatGPT are expected to experience a human-like dialogue with the Generative AI. ChatGPT is equipped with Transformer Neural Networks that enable it to predict the next word, sentence, or paragraph by analyzing the sequence of data.
Thus, in theory, as ChatGPT continues to “learn”, it will progressively give its users accurate responses to their inquiries.
ChatGPT was developed by OpenAI, a technology company whose founders include Elon Musk and Sam Altman.
What Are The Uses Of ChatGPT?
Think of ChatGPT as an Information Center that’s packaged as an app.
Unlike the Information Center at a mall or a train station, you can ask ChatGPT anything.
“Why is the sky blue?”
“What is the secret to happiness?”
“What’s the best way to lose weight without exercising?”
There are no limits to the types of questions you can ask ChatGPT.
Previously, ChatGPT could only provide information that was supported by data up to 2021. That ceiling has been lifted and the latest version of the generative AI can give users information that’s supported by updated data.
Other than finding answers to questions that pop up in your head, ChatGPT has been found to have other applications:
- Write blogs.
- Perform topic research.
- Compose emails.
- Create graphic art.
- Generate scripts.
- Summarize articles.
- Create transcripts of podcasts.
- Write an e-book.
- Provide recommendations on the best choice of colors for your website, your home, or your office.
- Create a resume.
- Create code for computer programs.
- Compose original music.
- Answer trivia.
- Map out an investment strategy.
- Present possible outcomes of your planned business venture.
- Calculate the break-even point of your business.
- Prepare a feasibility study for your business.
- Convert complex language such as legalese into simple, easy-to-understand language.
And more!
Before you say, “Wow! I can use ChatGPT to replace everyone on my team. I can save money and be more productive!”, it is by no means perfect or infallible. There are pros and cons to using ChatGPT.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT has become polarizing as it gained popularity. Like the Internet, social media, smartphones, and other innovations of digital technology, the power of ChatGPT can be harnessed for good… and bad.
Let’s start with the pros of using ChatGPT…
The Pros
1. Improve Customer Service
With its ability to engage in conversations that replicate human interaction, customers won’t have to deal with automated, default responses anymore. Customers will feel better knowing their concerns were received, discussed, and attended to.
2. Boost Productivity
As an entrepreneur, most of your waking hours should be dedicated to managing the core functions of your business. You can use ChatGPT to automate processes that involve non-core and back-office functions.
For example, you can integrate ChatGPT with your CRM program. ChatGPT can handle the data entry and use its processing power to give you reliable forecasts, track future trends, and categorize and create buyer profiles.
3. Lower Operating Costs
By designating non-essential work to ChatGPT, you can streamline your monthly operating costs. Go learn with your remote team and focus on hiring talent with the skills needed to improve product quality and service.
For example, if your business offers legal consultation, you can allocate more funds to contracting lawyers from diverse fields of expertise and transfer functions such as data entry, transcription, customer service, and content writing to ChatGPT.
4. Enhance Accessibility
ChatGPT can verbalize its responses to help those who are sight-impaired. If your website attracts visitors from other countries, ChatGPT can translate content into the desired language.
5. Improve User Experience
When you combine all of these benefits, your customers and website users will be happy. Thus, ChatGPT can contribute to building customer loyalty and excellent user experience.
If your customers and website visitors are impressed, Google will also be happy. Your website might get rewarded with a boost in the search rankings.
The Cons
1. Lacks Creativity
Have you ever read a blog that was written by ChatGPT? The content is pretty much direct-to-the-point. There’s no fluff, no setup, no hook. You get the information you need right away.
While that’s great, the blog comes out cold, dry, and bereft of emotion. The blog is useful but without emotion, it won’t engage the reader. Emotion is only possible when the writer uses creativity to break out of structured content writing and find a connection with the audience.
2. Encourages Lackadaisical Behavior
A student once bragged on the social media platform X that he used ChatGPT to write an essay and was rewarded with an “A-” by his professor. Sure, an A- is nice. However, the student deserves an “F” for effort.
Learning is one of the perks of content writing. You’re not just scribbling words on a word processor. You’re articulating information that you’ve acquired from research into readable and useful content.
If you forgo the journey from research to writing, you won’t gain an asset that will pay dividends in the future – Knowledge.
3. Risk of Losing Context
A creative content writer can use puns as a hook in the opening line of a blog.
For example:
“If rising health insurance premiums are making you sick, canceling the policy might be your only cure.”
ChatGPT might not understand the context of the line and edit it in a way that loses its relevance, appeal, and engagement with the audience.
4. Enhance Cyber-criminal Activity
ChatGPT can write code… including malware code.
OpenAI has set safeguards in place. However, cyber-criminals have found out that giving detailed explanations about the coding stages is enough to get around the restrictions.
Cyber-criminals have used ChatGPT to uncover passwords and distribute phishing emails.
5. Increase Exposure to Legal Issues
Patronus AI tested various LLMs to find out which ones generated the highest number of copyrighted content.
The latest version of ChatGPT generated the highest number of copyrighted content at 44%. If you publish copyrighted content, you could be facing expensive legal issues that could shut down your business for good.
Remember that ChatGPT processes large volumes of information from the Internet. ChatGPT comes up with the best responses based on how it analyzed the data. However, Generative AI is not equipped to distinguish between Intellectual Property (IP) and information that’s accessible to the public.
If a singer commands ChatGPT to compose a song about ice cream as if it was written by Taylor Swift, it might end up using a song by Swift about her growing-up years but change the lyrics to include “Vanilla” and “Rocky Road”.
Do You Need ChatGPT For Your Business?
The short answer is “Yes”.
As you’ve read from the previous section, using ChatGPT for your business can help you streamline monthly expenses, boost productivity, and improve the efficiency of processes.
Any business regardless of type, industry, and size would surely embrace those benefits.
Likewise, given ChatGPT’s ability to interact with users in an almost human-like fashion, it can greatly improve your level of customer service and create more happy customers.
ChatGPT is a technological game-changer – one app that’s capable of managing a large number of tasks without getting tired, sick, and complacent. It is a powerful tool that can help businesses become profitable by increasing productivity while decreasing costs.
However, as the saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Like other technological innovations, ChatGPT’s power can be harnessed for both good and bad intentions.
ChatGPT becomes a tool for criminal activity when its coding capability is used to create malware that can steal information or shut down systems. As a research tool, ChatGPT is indispensable. However, when students use it to prepare graded school work, ChatGPT tarnishes academic integrity.
What you need to keep in mind is that ChatGPT isn’t the veritable “lightning in the bottle”. It’s not perfect. In fact, as a program that’s designed to keep learning, ChatGPT is far from perfect.
If the dataset ChatGPT has biased information, it will give you a response that’s not objective. While it does a good job of learning human language, ChatGPT has a flawed understanding of context.
ChatGPT can be used as a tool to help your business grow. Simply by providing support and handling non-essential functions, ChatGPT can improve productivity, introduce efficient processes, and give companies data-backed insights to help them formulate well-thought-out decisions.
How To Use ChatGPT For Your Business
Before you can use ChatGPT for your business, you have to first open an account with OpenAI.
Follow the steps we’ve outlined below to bring you closer to asking ChatGPT questions:
- Go to the ChatGPT website.
- Click “Sign Up”.
- Provide the following information:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Mobile Number
- Accept ChatGPT’s disclaimers.
That’s it!
However, before you interact with ChatGPT, we recommend getting familiar with its features. A good place to start is ChatGPT’s Settings menu and click “Customize Instructions”.
- Set the parameters on how you want ChatGPT to respond to your prompts.
- Provide personal information that ChatGPT can use to establish its search parameters.
- Let ChatGPT know if you prefer short, concise answers or long, more detailed explanations to your prompts.
If you haven’t used ChatGPT for your business, start by having the LLM handle non-core functions:
- Customer Service
- Administrative/Back-Office Work
- Research
- Data Entry
- CRM Updates
- Data Analysis
- Report Generation
- Quality Control Work
- Social Media Management
- Content Writing
Google has always maintained its position that high-quality content will help websites rank high in its SERP. Previously, Google’s Search Engine Essentials considered AI-generated content as spam because they were of substandard quality. Likewise, keywords were used to manipulate search rankings.
In the case of ChatGPT, its ML capabilities have enabled it to study, analyze, and create content of higher quality compared to early iterations of AI. For this reason, Google hasn’t penalized websites that use ChatGPT-generated content.
However, remember what we discussed earlier.
ChatGPT cannot distinguish between copyrighted content and content that’s accessible for public use. By using ChatGPT, you’ll run the risk of publishing copyrighted content.
That’s why some businesses use software that can detect ChatGPT-generated content. The penalties for using copyrighted content are quite hefty. You could be asked to pay penalties amounting to US$250,000 per offense and spend 5 to 10 years in jail.
Schools use ChatGPT detecting software to catch students who use the app to generate term papers, essays, book reports, assignments, and other forms of written content.
If you want to use ChatGPT to create content, we recommend limiting the scope of work to the following:
- Emails
- Newsletters
- Social Media Posts
- Product Descriptions
- Meta Tags
- Call-to-Action
- Hub Pages
- Content Curation
- Editing
- Spelling and Grammar Check
It would be risky to use ChatGPT to write blogs, articles, research papers, and music compositions because the possibility of getting accused of copyright infringement will always be there.
Conclusion
ChatGPT can generate human-like responses but it’s still not 100% human. Learning by analyzing data is not the same as going through life experiences. ChatGPT can replicate but not relate to what it’s like to be human. You still need people to run key areas of your business.
At Mountaintop Web Design, we use ChatGPT for research purposes and to handle a few administrative tasks. When it comes to web design and content writing, it’s 100% human talent. That’s how we’ve been designing and developing award-winning websites and blogs for years.
If you’re interested to know what we can do to help your business grow, contact us. Book a free 30-minute consultation now!
