AI (Artificial Intelligence)

ChatGPT is probably the AI tool that has received most publicity via news and other media.  It is a generative AI tool that lets users enter prompts to receive humanlike images, text or videos that are created by AI.  It works similarly to the automated chat services found on customer service websites, as people can ask it questions or request clarification to ChatGPT's replies.  It is currently free to sign up and use ChatGPT.

Here are some simple steps to begin using ChatGPT: 
 

1. Create an account

OpenAI is the organization who created and own ChatGPT so to use it, you need to create an account on their website. Go to https://chat.openai.com and then use an email address or a Google or Microsoft account to register.  Click Sign up then follow the prompts to create your account.
 

2. The ChatGPT screen

Once you're logged in, you'll see a fairly simple screen that looks like this:

The Message ChatGPT box at the bottom of the screen is where you'll enter your questions.

On the left-hand side of your screen you'll see a sidebar that shows all your past ChatGPT queries, which is useful if you want to view the answers to queries you've placed before, or run them again.  You can hide this sidebar by clicking the small bar that appears alongside it.
 

3. Start writing your prompts and questions

Type your question into the chatbox.and click the Submit button (the arrow at the right in the chatbox).  The AI chatbot will then generate text to provide an answer to your query.

When ChatGPT has finished generating its response, you will see these buttons below the text, giving you options to Copy the text, flag it as a "Bad response", or Regenerate, which will prompt the program to run the query again to generate a new reply.  

4. Give feedback to ChatGPT

When you use the Regenerate option, a prompt will appear below the text asking you to indicate whether this response was better, worse or the same as the one you received the first time you ran this query:

Your responses via this and the Bad response option can help fine tune the answers ChatGPT will give when answering the same queries in the future.

5. Refine your prompts

Remember that, for all its strengths, ChatGPT is still a machine-like tool - the better the prompt, the better the answer will be.  If you receive a response that isn't exactly what you wanted, try refining the wording of your question.  

Some tips:

• Be clear and specific - don't use vague general terms if what you want is something very specific
• If you have a complex, multi-part question, try breaking it down into simpler individual questions - this makes it easier for ChatGPT to process and makes it more likely you will receive more specific answers
• Ask for examples - this can help generate more helpful responses
• You can specify the style you want your answers in - e.g. include "in simple language" or "for an essay" in your question.
• You can also indicate the length of the answer you want - e.g. specify "in three sentences" or "give a short definition" If the initial response is not quite what you're looking for, consider using follow-up questions to guide the model towards the desired information.
• Ask follow-up questions if necessary

Refining your prompts may involve some trial and error.  Experiment with different wording until you get the results that best match your requirements.

A word of caution!

You will see below the ChatGPT chatbox these warnings - 

Take these warnings seriously!  ChatGPT can be an extremely helpful tool, but it is not infallible - for instance, there have been many reports of ChatGPT generating references to academic works that don't actually exist.  Always check the information you get back from it to ensure it is valid - ESPECIALLY when you are using it for study purposes.

In the following pages, we will provide advice on how to use ChatGPT appropriately in your studies.