How to use ChatGPT at work
I spend a lot of my time teaching people how to use ChatGPT at work. Techincally I’m teaching how to build AI literacy skills for the workplace. But the reality is that I spend a lot of time showing people how to use ChatGPT in their job.
Most poeple think of using ChatGPT to write emails. That’s probably the top use case for ChatGPT at work. And it’s good at that! But there are hundreds more examples of using ChatGPT in your job. For example, my favorite use of ChatGPT is creating bios. If you’ve ever been asked to write a quick summary about yourself, it can feel so awkward. What do you even say? Well, ChatGPT can help with that.
In fact, I made a quick video to show you how:
Can you use chatgpt at work?
Let’s start here because many employees are unsure if they’re allowed to use ChatGPT at work. In fact, according to a LinkedIn report, “52% of people who use AI at work are reluctant to admit to using it for their most.”
But unless your company blocks ChatGPT, yes, you can use ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) at work. I recommend you at least experiment with how to use ChatGPT at work so you get familiar with how the tools work, what they do well, and what they don’t do well. Although they are impressive tools, they can’t do everything.
Learn what ChatGPT is good at
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out ways to use ChatGPT at work. Figuring out how can chatgpt help you at work starts with knowing what ChatGPT is good at. Below are the most common things ChatGPT does well (note: I am only focusing on text-based use cases, not image generation.)
Analyzing/categorizing text
Purpose: Analyze or categorize a given text. For example, if you have a lot of customer feedback in a spreadsheet, you can ask ChatGPT to analyze the data for themes or ideas.
Transforming text
Purpose: Transform the text in a specific way, such as rewriting something to sound more formal or translating. For example, I will often use ChatGPT to translate technical explanations from engineers into non-technical documents for easier understanding.
Creating/expanding text
Purpose: To create new text or expand on an existing idea. This is a great tactic when you have only an outline or a half baked thought. Use ChatGPT to expand on the idea, add details and exmaples.
Summarizing text
Purpose: Summarize a given text. This is straightforward. You have a lot of content. You won’t read it all. Ask ChatGPT to summarize the main points, takeaways, and even make recommendations.
Brainstorming/problem solving
Purpose: To brainstorm ideas or solve a problem. Think of this as using ChatGPT to explore new ideas, solutions, or get help with tricky problems.
Then learn what ChatGPT is bad at
When we talk about what ChatGPT is good at, we have to cover what it’s bad at. The list is long, but it includes:
Accuracy (hallucinations)
Inconsistent outputs
Interpretability and explainability
Understanding context / emotions
Here’s an example of Facebook’s AI tool pretending to be a parent. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have no awareness or context of their situation. And it will make things up.
In addition to making things up, generative AI tools like ChatGPT contain bias, creating harmful outputs.
Is ChatGPT safe to use at work?
The answer depends on the task and your work. For example, if you work in healthcare with patient data, and your task requires you to put in patient data, no it’s n Please transform the following text by specific transformation, e.g., rewriting for clarity, simplifying for a younger audience, translating to Spanish. Explain any changes you make: [text to transform]ot safe. If you work in retail and you’re trying to analyze a spreadsheet of customer feedback (that doesn’t contain any identifying details), then yes
The biggest risk of using ChatGPT at work is the risk to data privacy. Everything you put into ChatGPT can be used to train a model. And sometimes those models leak the data. (Learning links: What is a model? What is data?)
The short answer is yes, ChatGPT is relatively safe, provided you follow some basic precautions:
Never put sensitive data into ChatGPT.
This includes sensitive company data (code bases, contracts, legal documents, financial transactions/documents, etc) and customer/employee data (names, addresses, SSN, phone numbers, health information, etc)
Don’t use ChatGPT to make critical decisions that impact humans
These include not using it for hiring, firing, promotions, or ranking people, or anything that affects their employment status
Don’t use it to make critical decisions about the business
These include M&A, quantitative financial calculations and projections, strategic decisions that require complicated context (ChatGPT doesn’t have all the information to understand your business)
Remember that ChatGPT will completely make up information (it will hallucinate answers)
If you are a using it for a work task that is out of your area of expertise, get a human with expertise to take a look to make sure it’s accurate.
If you’re unsure if ChatGPT is safe to use for a task, then it’s best not to use ChatGPT for it. Also, check with your HR department to see if your company has a comprehensive AI literacy training program so you can learn if or when it is safe to use ChatGPT for your job. (If they don’t have one, send them my way)
35 examples of using ChatGPT at work
Using ChatGPT at work means working on prompting. You don’t need to be a prompt engineer to get good results. You just need a few templates and some time to play with them. So here are 20 ChatGPT prompts to explore how you might use ChatGPT in your job.
When you see the brackets [ ], add the information listed in the brackets.
Start by picking a prompt or two that might help you in your job.
Project Management and Problem-Solving
Summarize the key points from this project kickoff meeting: [insert meeting notes].
Brainstorm potential solutions to address the delays in our current project: [insert project details and issues].
Organize meeting notes by categorizing action items into 'to-do,' 'assigned tasks,' and 'follow-up actions.’ [insert notes].
Create a detailed project timeline to visualize milestones and deadlines: [insert project scope].
Develop a stakeholder communication plan for keeping everyone informed throughout the project: [insert project details].
Customer Experience and Market Research
Analyze these customer experience surveys and categorize the feedback into 'positive,' 'negative,' and 'suggestions for improvement': [insert surveys].
Create a comprehensive customer experience improvement plan based on these survey results: [insert results].
Summarize this comprehensive market research report into key findings and recommendations: [insert report].
Design a customer loyalty program to increase retention based on survey insights: [insert feedback].
Conduct a SWOT analysis for improving our market position based on current trends: [insert trends].
Content Creation and Communication
Create a series of social media posts for a week-long campaign promoting our new product launch based on this brief: [insert brief].
Create a series of email templates for responding to common customer inquiries based on the following examples: [insert examples].
Transform this detailed sales pitch into a concise elevator pitch: [insert sales pitch].
Write an engaging blog post to educate readers on a key topic related to our industry: [insert topic].
Develop an infographic concept to visually communicate a complex idea: [insert topic].
Financial and Analytical Tasks
Summarize the key financial performance indicators from this annual report: [insert annual report].
Transform the following complex financial report into a simplified version that can be understood by non-financial stakeholders: [insert financial report].
Develop a financial forecast for the next quarter based on recent trends and data: [insert data].
Analyze cost-reduction opportunities in current operations: [insert cost data].
Prepare a comparative analysis of financial performance against competitors: [insert industry benchmarks].
Learning and Development
Help me create a personalized learning plan for [specific skill]. My learning goals are [goal], I can dedicate [time], and I prefer [learning style]. Here's what motivates me: [motivation].
Help me navigate a career change. I’m feeling stuck in my current role and want to explore new opportunities that align with my skills, interests, and goals. Here’s a bit about me: [your background and aspirations].
Create a comprehensive training program outline for new hires based on this initial framework: [insert framework].
Design a mentorship program for employees seeking skill advancement or career guidance: [insert goals].
Recommend books, courses, or tools for developing expertise in [specific field or skill]: [insert field/skill].
Editing and Simplification
Summarize the key points from this 30-page employee handbook into a one-page overview: [insert handbook text].
Transform the following text by specific transformation, e.g., rewriting for clarity, simplifying for a younger audience, translating to Spanish. Explain any changes you make: [text to transform].
Edit this report for grammatical accuracy and consistency in tone: [insert text].
Rewrite this policy document to make it more engaging and easier to understand: [insert policy].
Simplify this technical manual for use by a general audience: [insert manual].
Sales and Strategy
Brainstorm strategies to improve conversion rates from initial contact to closing a sale: [insert current strategy].
Develop a sales script for engaging potential clients during initial calls: [insert product/service details].
Create a follow-up email template for potential clients based on this initial outreach email: [insert initial email].
Design a loyalty incentive program to encourage repeat business: [insert customer data].
Outline a referral program to drive new customer acquisition: [insert business goals].
What to do if ChatGPT is blocked at work
According to Cisco, “more than one in four (27%) said their organizations have banned GenAI applications.” If you’re one of the people in those organization, you aren’t alone.
While it’s inconvenient for you, companies have plenty of reasons for doing so. Their top reasons are to ensure private company or customer data isn’t shared with the models.
If a company blocks ChatGPT at work it will limit your opportunity to build those critical AI skills. And AI skills in high demand across the workplace. According to LinkedIn and Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trends report “66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills.” (though I’d be curious how many of those leaders have those same AI skills).
So what should you do if they block ChatGPT? One, find out why. It may be security related. Or maybe you have to get a special training to be able to access it. If that’s the case, make the business case for why you should learn it (there are some great reasons in that report linked above).
Also, it may also be the case that they only block ChatGPT but not others. Here are alternatives to ChatGPT to try at work:
Perplexity (This is a generative AI search engine but it does create text as well)
And those are just the big companies with powerful ChatGPT-like tools. In 2024, many companies are integrating similar generative AI tools into their products. Notion has generative AI tools that let you to generate, analyze and chat. Jasper has a whole suite of tools you can use to generate content.
If you aren’t sure if you are allowed to use chatgpt at work, check with your IT department or your manager.
Ready to get started leveraging ChatGPT at work?
Yes, you’re ready. Here’s a recap on how you can get started with ChatGPT at work:
Review what ChatGPT is good and bad at
Practice good data privacy to ensure decrease any risk of using ChatGPT
Check in with your workplace to learn if ChatGPT usage is allowed
Experiment with different prompts that fit tasks in your work week - you don’t need to use it everyday or for every task
Find courses to keep learning about generative AI in the workplace!