Is ChatGPT is easy to learn for beginners? A short Guide on AI

I have a sneaking suspicion that if you are reading this blog, you have already heard a bit about ChatGPT and AI Tools. Or you must have been living under a rock for the past year or so.

Whether marketers, writers, students or even programmers, everyone is looking into ChatGPT and similar Tools. And wondering: what does this mean for my work?

And of course you want to know, is it easy as a beginner to dive into this?

Is ChatGPT and AI easy to learn if you’re not tech savvy?

In order to get you started with ChatGPT I will offer you this guide. In this article you can read what ChatGPT is and how to start learning to use it.

A Beginners Guide to ChatGPT

1. What is ChatGPT?
2. How does it work?
3. Who can use an AI Tool like ChatGPT
4. Where can you Find ChatGPT?
5. Using ChatGPT as a newbie: learning to prompt
6. What Are the advantages of ChatGPT
7. What are the disadvantages of ChatGPT
8. Why Should I care about AI?
9. Is ChatGPT available in any language?
10. Is it free?
11. Examples of Other AI Tools

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot created and maintained by OpenAi. It is designed to provide conversational assistance to users. Meaning that if you have a question about a certain topic it will give you the information or answer. But it can help you create and help solve problems as well.

For instance, you can ask it to write a Valentine’s Day Poem, like I did here for my own girlfriend.

You can create almost any text using ChatGPT, whether movie script, blog article or an essay for your history class. You can use it to solve mathematical problems. And even to help you with your coding if you’re a developer. 

 It is built using current and modern natural language processing (NLP) technology that allows it to understand and respond to user queries in a natural and intuitive manner. ChatGPT uses a deep learning model that is trained on vast amounts of human-generated text to generate responses that are both accurate and relevant. Well, as accurate as is possible at the moment. While ChatGPT and AI tools in general can be very helpful, they are not perfect. More on that later.

How does it work?

ChatGPT works by analyzing the query from the user and generating a response based on its understanding of the input. It does this by breaking down the text input into its constituent parts, such as words and phrases, and then using its deep learning model to identify patterns and relationships between these parts. Once it has generated a response, it presents it to the user in a conversational format, using natural language that is easy to understand.

Such a query, command or text input is widely known as a prompt. 

To use ChatGPT in the best possible way, you, the user, will have to give a prompt that the AI Tool understands as well as possible. So that it can give you the information you need.

So, in short, if you want to master ChatGPT, you need to learn how to give a clear prompt.

Fortunately, this sounds harder than it actually is. 

Where to find ChatGPT

You can find ChatGPT if you go to https://openai.com/ on your webbrowser and scroll down. On the left bottom side of your screen you will find ChatGPT (and other AI Tools)

Or go directly to ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/

You have to sign up with your email address before you can start using it. 

One caveat: at the moment there is so much traffic to ChatGPT that it will take some time for you to get through and be able to sign up. Be prepared to refresh the page many times before you can sign up.

Who can use an AI Tool like ChatGPT

Well, basically anyone can use an AI tool like ChatGPT, regardless of their background or profession. It can be useful for a wide range of tasks, from answering questions and providing information to generating creative content and analyzing data.

For instance I myself work as a Online Marketing and SEO consultant. ChatGPT is immensely helpful in creating a Keyword Strategy for my content for example. You can find more information on Keyword Research here.

Individuals who might find an AI tool like ChatGPT useful include:

Students: It can provide assistance with homework and research, answer questions related to various subjects and topics, and even provide guidance on writing essays or papers.

Professionals: ChatGPT can help professionals with tasks such as drafting emails, creating reports, and analyzing data. It can also be used for customer support, helping customers with their queries and concerns. For example if you’re a company that uses Chat in its help desk you can use ChatGPT to write scripts to answer the most commonly asked questions

Creative professionals: The tool can be used to generate ideas and creative content, such as brainstorming ideas for a new project or even generating entire pieces of writing. Like I’ve written here above, it can be perfect for researching topics for your content.

Or even setting up a monthly content strategy.

Anyone looking for information: ChatGPT can be used to answer questions and provide information on a wide range of topics, from science and technology to history and culture.

And you use it just for fun, like I did here with my outline of a Batman script.

Using ChatGPT as a newbie: learning to prompt

OK, you now know what ChatGPT is. But as a beginner, how can you use it quickly?

The key lies in how you give the search commands, also called Prompts.

You type these down in the bar. For fairly simple prompts, ChatGPT gives you information quickly. For example with this one: what is a cat

However, if you want the AI Tool to do more you will have to be more imaginative as well as clearer in your command at the same time.

For example, you could write a short, funny text with the following command:

Write a short, funny story about green goblins in the style of Mark Twain.

Apart from creative things like writing, for example, you can also use prompts for mathematical calculations and even programming code. As in this example

In general, mastering the right commands for ChatGPT is really not that difficult. Think of it as the other skills you have acquired in your life. You will have to put in a little bit of time to learn it. But trust me, the end result will be worth it!

And that’s what this website is specifically for, too.

What Are the advantages of ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s possibilities seem endless. Well, it is not that far yet, but whether you are an individual user or a company, it has really clear benefits.

Such as:

increasing your productivity. It allows you to create gigantic amounts of content in a short time.

Lower costs. You will need fewer staff for content creation or customer service via Chat or Virtual Assistant, for example. And especially given the tight labor markets in many regions, you can then use your staff on other things much more effectively.

Better accuracy. Take code building for example, the AI makes sure there are no human errors in this

What are the disadvantages of ChatGPT

Now it seems like I have nothing but praise for ChatGPT. But it is certainly not a perfect tool at this point.

The AI is still just a machine and therefore unable to create knowledge or content based on emotions and experiences.

Knowledge that is instinctively obvious to most humans right away. 

You can get ChatGPT to write blog after blog on almost any topic at lightning speed. But the actual feelings and experiences on certain topics, those still remain with people. Take a travel blog about Scandinavia, for instance. ChatGPT will be able to give you the best hotels, itineraries and whatnot. But what it’s like to travel there, experience the hospitality and talk to the locals, that still requires a human being.

The sames goes for coding. ChatGPT is able to create lines of code in various programming languages. But can’t teach you how to code or create large, complicated software that need a lot of context.

Besides, so many people want to use ChatGPT at the same time that its servers can’t always handle it. As I described, you need some patience to sign up. And once you have an account, you often run into the fact that due to the busy traffic, your request cannot be processed. And so you get to see an error message.

Why Should I care about AI?

If you are around retirement age, no, you don’t need to be very concerned about ChatGPT and similar AI Tools.

But anyone else, yes, then I can definitely advise you to explore what you can do with AI.

AI will definitely change work in the creative sector. Already, you are coming across more and more AI-generated videos, artworks and articles. And this is only going to increase.

But it will also increase in other sectors. For example, I spoke to an employee of a major European railway company who told me that AI-driven locomotives are already being cautiously experimented with.

So, whether you think AI is great or just tools of the devil, I can only advise you to delve into it a bit if you don’t want to be left behind.

Is ChatGPT available in any language?

Currently, ChatGPT is available and usable in 95 languages. And that number will only grow.

One reproach, though, is that at the time of writing it has a monoculture attached to it. And particularly Western, American culture. Which means that the nuances prevalent in other cultures are not yet fully understood by the AI. But I expect this to change soon too.

Is it free?

ChatGPT is free for any user right now. But since February 2023, a paid version is also offered where the user is not bothered by the many other visitors on its servers. And some other perks are offered.

This one costs $20 a month.

Examples of Other AI Tools

ChatGPT is currently the best-known AI tool, but there are of course paid and free alternatives. In all kinds of areas. Here are a few examples.

– Google Translate and Deepl.com Both fine translation apps

– Google itself. For finding all kinds of info, this currently remains the biggest AI

– MarketingBlocks A paid app that lets you build marketing strategies and required content from A to Z. Very useful for small business owners.

– Writer.com with this tool you can check if your text comes across as AI or Human created and edit where needed.

– ChatSonic An AI Tool for creating written marketing content, ranging from Social Media Posts, emails to whole blog articles. 

– DeepAI This tool can turn your text into images.

and much, much more.