6 Ways Small Businesses Can Use ChatGPT Right Now

The recent emergence of easily accessible AI-backed tools and technology has acted as a disruptive force across a variety of settings – and small and large business settings are no exception. One of the most talked-about recent AI tools is ChatGPT, a generative AI chatbot that can create unique, human-like replies in response to prompts and questions asked by the user.

As the tool has exploded in popularity, professionals have found that there are a variety of useful ways to apply ChatGPT to business processes. We’ll discuss some of those applications below. But first, let’s learn a bit more about ChatGPT in general.

What is ChatGPT?
Launched in November 2022 by AI research lab OpenAI, ChatGPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) is a generative chatbot capable of generating unique responses to user input. Trained with advanced machine learning and copious amounts of written content data, ChatGPT computes responses from data pulled from the internet, blogs, books, research publications, magazines, and more.

While chatbots have been around for decades, ChatGPT is considered a cut above the rest. The key differentiator is that ChatGPT’s underlying programming allows the tool to understand context. With that understanding comes the ability to produce output in a multitude of tones, styles, and writing techniques on a seemingly endless variety of topics and subject matter.

If you are curious about what ChatGPT can do for you, why not give it a try? Here are six ways easy ways you can start using ChatGPT today to improve your own personal and business productivity:

1. Creating Outlines
You can use ChatGPT to help you create outlines for projects or new initiatives. Let’s say for example your company is moving into new sales verticals and product offerings. ChatGPT can help you do research by creating outlines on the new industries and sectors you’re moving into. Outlines like this can be helpful because they won’t overwhelm you with too much information and serve as an easy starting point for a new endeavor.

2. Information Summarization
ChatGPT can auto-summarize and organize the textual input the user feeds it. This can include a summary of meeting notes and transcripts, research notes and presentations, and more.

3. Developing Job Interview Questions
If you’re hiring for a new position and are stuck on how to ask the right questions to properly qualify interviewees, prompt ChatGPT to give you some commonly asked questions for the position you’re hiring.

4. Brainstorming and General Research
Using ChatGPT as a brainstorming starting point is perhaps the tool’s greatest strength. When you need a fresh idea, or even a place to get started, ChatGPT is ideal. It can help you brainstorm names for a new product, develop ideas for your next company retreat, help create customer personas, or even provide suggestions on where to dine out on your next business trip.

5. Simplifying Complex Topics
Transforming large packets of information into digestible bits is one of ChatGPT’s building blocks. This includes complex topics, such as industry trends or current supply chain issues. ChatGPT’s capabilities allow it to concisely break down and summarize complicated issues.

6. Writing and Content Creation
ChatGPT’s access to large amounts of text data give it the ability to generate content for a wide range of purposes quickly including emails, letters, blog posts, white papers, and even presentations. You can also use it to review and validate grammar, word usage and more.

Precautionary Considerations
ChatGPT can add new efficiencies to certain functions of any small business. However, like any AI tool, human oversight is important. It’s not perfect and is still prone to some errors. As a general precaution, always be sure to proofread and fact check the output ChatGPT provides you. Also, be aware of possibility of plagiarism. As a final note, think of ChatGPT as an idea generator, and not necessarily a final voice or authority on any business function. Want to give it a try? Sign up for an account here.