Explore six ways to turn ChatGPT or similar tools into powerful allies in business and beyond
Emerging technologies have driven the rapid evolution of the business landscape for more than three decades, and artificial intelligence (AI) is now poised to spur what could become the most significant evolution in business ever. It's become apparent that we're headed toward a future where intelligent machines will handle intricate tasks and help navigate crucial business decisions. With the recent release of ChatGPT and similar tools, it’s become evident that this future is just around the corner.
Since an open letter —co-signed by Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and more than 1,000 AI experts— demanded an urgent pause in the development of AI systems, there is an important debate going on about the effects of this technology. While potential risks to society need to be assessed, it is essential to simultaneously focus on how best to use the developments in the field.
The good news is that any business can benefit from AI without necessarily being involved in the tech sector. Professionals in all fields can use several great tips and tricks to prepare for the future by making the most of conversational AI. As ChatGPT leads the way, we have summarized six ways everyone in the office, from business leaders to employees, can now leverage AI chatbots.
But first, you need to understand the capabilities of ChatGPT and other tools like the newly released Google Bard. They are language models that can generate text in response to prompts, not encyclopedias or magic solutions that can solve all your work problems. AI chatbots are still evolving and may occasionally generate inaccurate or irrelevant responses and sometimes even "hallucinate" information lacking in real-world reality. Thus, it is always essential to review the content for accuracy.
After comprehending the capabilities of ChatGPT and alternatives, the next step is to recognize their application in your enterprise. There are various potential use cases, such as:
Research and analysis: Chatbots can be used to acquire data on a specific subject matter, helping in market research or competitive analysis. Because they rely on the internet for all information, remember that chatbot responses may be inaccurate, especially if there's a significant amount of false information regarding a particular subject. In addition, sources are limited—in ChatGPT’s case, within the last two years, to prevent the use of information that is still evolving or in a state of flux.
Content creation: One of the most compelling use cases for AI chatbots is content creation. For example, ChatGPT can assist in brainstorming ideas for blog posts, social media content, personalized sales and marketing content, emails, messages, and other content formats. The best approach is to optimize the content creation workflow, aiming at faster content production and creation of original material.
Reports and summaries: In many sectors, teams of analysts are responsible for gathering, evaluating, and interpreting data to produce metrics and reports for management. ChatGPT offers an efficient solution through its ability to process vast amounts of data from various systems. With accurate information, AI can quickly generate reports or summaries that provide valuable insights.
Customer service: AI chatbots can respond to commonly asked customer queries, thereby helping a company’s customer support team. ChatGPT performs best when presented with well-crafted questions, and it is important to remember that the chatbot accesses data that is publicly accessible, such as on a company’s website.
Language translation: Companies looking to extend their reach into new regions usually invest significant time and resources into translating their marketing materials, such as websites, product labels, and instruction manuals, into the local language. ChatGPT can offer quick and more precise translations.
Now let’s explore some strategies to get the most out of AI chatbots in business and beyond. Here are six top ways to use ChatGPT and similar tools to unlock the full potential of this technology:
Use ChatGPT as a writing assistant to help generate ideas, improve sentences, and provide advice for enhancing your writing skills. This can be particularly helpful for tasks such as writing short articles, emails, letters, invitations, ads, summaries, or descriptions for social media.
Instead of seeking a fully generated text from the software, request only a structure for you to complete. Try commands like "Create an email template about..." or "Create an invitation template for....". And remember to provide the chatbot with enough context!
ChatGPT can be very useful in helping you plan your tasks. For example, you can request a workflow or study schedule by simply sending the topics, the available time per day, and the deadline to finish each topic. Likewise, you can ask the AI to create a daily routine by presenting which tasks need to be completed and the available time slots.
Another possibility is to generate an itinerary to better explore a region of interest. To do this, inform the chatbot of the name of the place and how many days the trip will last. For example, you could request, "Create an itinerary to explore street markets in Tokyo over five days." The answer may surprise you!
Artificial intelligence tools can quickly search for and narrow down information on a particular topic. This is extremely useful for finding guidance on issues that you are not yet familiar with. One possibility is to study a distinct company or type of job through ChatGPT, asking the chatbot to inform you about the company or to list the necessary requirements for specific positions and professional areas.
For situations like these, some commands you can adapt to your reality are "Summarize the fields of activity of the company..." or "Provide me key questions that should be asked in a job interview for the position of...." As with all chatbot queries, try to be specific when asking questions.
ChatGPT can serve as a fantastic kickstarter for finding inspiration to create content. Tell the artificial intelligence what you want to do, the topic of interest, and provide enough relevant details for the AI to successfully return some tips. Look for ideas to generate social media posts, articles, videos, and photos that can engage users.
For example, you can request something like "Give me content ideas for an Instagram profile about....". It's best to use the system for inspiration, not to copy the content it produces. This is recommended because the chatbot uses information available on the internet, and directly using it risks copying existing content.
Ask AI to provide recommendations based on your or your company’s interests. ChatGPT, for example, performs exceptionally well when you seek products, services, books, movies, or TV shows pertaining to a particular topic.
You can leverage it to obtain tool recommendations, as well, given the abundance of online "top ten" lists for virtually any tool. For example, prompt "What are the best keyword research tools for businesses?". You will receive a list of results with several tools and brief descriptions.
Remember that AI chatbots have been programmed to generate text in response to inputs, so use them as a conversational tool. By providing ChatGPT with relevant information from your industry or business, you can improve its accuracy and relevance when generating responses. This can be especially helpful for customer service use cases, where ChatGPT can be "trained" on frequently asked questions specific to your business.
Chatbots can learn and enhance their abilities by assessing the feedback provided by users. In case you receive an unhelpful or unclear response, don’t hesitate to write additional inputs.
Finally, it's important to remember that ChatGPT and alternatives can be powerful tools for businesses, but they do not replace human intelligence. Leverage artificial intelligence in conjunction with human expertise to ensure you optimize results. By understanding AI’s capabilities, identifying use cases, training it for your specific needs, monitoring its responses, and using it wisely, you can make the most of ChatGPT and other similar tools that are here to stay —in business and our lives.
