For IndividualsFor BusinessesFor UniversitiesFor GovernmentsExploreOnline DegreesCareersLog InJoin for Free0DataData ScienceWhat Is ChatGPT? (and How to Use It)What Is ChatGPT? (and How to Use It)Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on Dec 5, 2024Learn more about ChatGPT, OpenAI's exciting artificial intelligence chatbot, and how best to use the technology safely and responsibly in your work. If you've spent any time online since the first few weeks of 2023, you may have already picked up on the buzz surrounding ChatGPT. But what exactly is this latest tool in generative artificial intelligence (AI)? In this article, we'll introduce ChatGPT and the technology that powers it. We'll also cover its features and limitations and present some tips on how it should (and potentially should not) be used.What is ChatGPT?ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot from OpenAI that enables users to "converse" with it in a way that's meant to mimic natural conversation. As a user, you can ask questions or make requests through prompts, and ChatGPT will respond. The intuitive, easy-to-use, and free tool has already gained popularity as an alternative to traditional search engines and a tool for AI writing, among other things.What does GPT stand for?The "GPT" in ChatGPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer. In AI, training refers to the process of teaching a computer system to recognize patterns and make decisions based on input data, much like how a teacher gives information to their students and then tests their understanding of that information. A transformer is a type of neural network trained to analyze the context of input data and weigh the significance of each part of the data accordingly. Since this type of model learns context, it's commonly used in natural language processing (NLP) to generate text similar to human writing. (In AI, a model is a set of mathematical equations and algorithms a computer uses to analyze data and make decisions. Read more about some common machine learning models here.)While older AI chatbots could answer questions with detailed responses, ChatGPT uses a dialog format, allowing it to answer follow-up and clarifying questions and recognize and reject inappropriate or dangerous requests (such as questions about illegal activity). How to use ChatGPT to augment your workWith a thorough understanding of the features, limitations, and risks associated with generative AI, it becomes a powerful tool for saving time and energy. Knowing how to effectively communicate with ChatGPT or any generative AI model is called prompt engineering.New use cases are emerging every day; here are just a few ways you might incorporate ChatGPT (or another generative AI model) into your day-to-day work:1. Conduct research. While ChatGPT lacks some critical functionality of Google and other search engines (particularly in making attribution easy to see and access), it can be a useful starting point for conducting research. Here are two examples:, With ChatGPT, you can type or start a real-time voice conversation by tapping the soundwave icon in the mobile app. Click the web search icon to get fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources. With canvas, you can work with ChatGPT on projects that require editing and revisions., ChatGPT is fine-tuned from GPT-3.5, a language model trained to produce text. ChatGPT was optimized for dialogue by using Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF) – a method that uses human demonstrations and preference comparisons to guide the model toward desired behavior..