I’d been reading about ChatGPT for a while now and really didn’t understand it. What I had been reading was not very positive and from the point of view of how it will take away human jobs, how it will reduce the amount of and need for human interaction. In other words, it was a negative and fear-based point of view.
Then I saw a TV clip by an old mentor of mine about ChatGPT and how to implement it. He actually made a point that was simple and caught my attention.
I started thinking, maybe this isn’t all so bad, and I just don’t know that much if anything about it. So I decided to educate myself on it, which wasn’t all that hard to do given all of the information readily available, if you know where to look.
That information actually found me. It started showing up in my inbox, from some of the software companies and programs I’d been using in my business, for years.
When I first heard it, and even months after, what I was seeing was not very positive or constructive. As its popularity multiplied, and people, even businesses, started using it more and more, I decided to educate myself on what this is and how it can be used.
Let’s start with what it is.
ChatGPT. Is a form of artificial intelligence that is used to communicate or chat in human conversations. It’s an electronic bot used to answer questions mostly, or ideas, thoughts and even string them together as essays, reports or articles.
You can simply give it a prompt or ask it a question and it will give you replies, ideas and even an entire article if that is what you want.
The Good.
ChatGPT has become so popular and so useful for many reasons. Below I’ve highlighted just a few to give you an idea of how it could revolutionize your own business.
Speed. If you haven’t used ChatGPT before, you’ll be amazed how quickly it delivers information – on any topic. Which can be extremely helpful when you are looking for a quick response or answer. And it can certainly save you time on researching the topic yourself. Imagine how much faster your workflow can be with a tool that works as instantaneously as ChatGPT.
Learning unfamiliar or complex topics. Let’s say you have a new client whose business is in an industry you aren’t familiar with. ChatGPT can be helpful in learning the terms and keywords related to that industry. It can be useful in understanding what they are and what they mean. And also in providing context that can be helpful when working with your client. And, when you need to understand a complex topic, ChatGPT can summarize the information in easy-to-understand language for you.
Managing tasks. You’ve probably been faced with this as a customer of Amazon and other companies that use ChatGPT for customer service inquiries. Businesses have been using chatbots for decades in these ways. Now, even more advanced tasks can be automated through ChatGPT – things that before had to go through an actual person. Other task management options include coding, data management, writing emails, producing marketing content, search engine optimization, and creating presentations. Just to name a few!
Versatility. The uses of ChatGPT don’t stop there; you’ll find a long list of ways to put the technology to use. You just need to explore them and decide what makes sense for you and your work. Here are some additional examples: Creating resumes, creating content in other languages, translating content, writing songs, getting personal advice, making travel plans, and much, much more.
The Bad.
Every technology that advances the way we live and work has its share of drawbacks. There are some challenges that are especially relevant to entrepreneurs and even consumers. Take a look…
Replacing human contact. This is probably the biggest challenge with the use of ChatGPT – and the one that I find to be a concern. You’re replacing human connection with a technological interface. Robots are not appropriate solutions to problems that only humans can effectively understand and address. And, when you have content written by robots, no matter how humanized it might seem, it will never have the personal touch as something produced by real people.
Inaccuracies. Even if you can look past the lack of human touch in ChatGPT content, there will still be inaccuracies and limitations. Important topics, like those that involve health and safety, for example, require a certain amount of human oversight.
Privacy concerns.Business Insider recently discussed privacy concerns surrounding the use of ChatGPT. Businesses that have to deal with personal data should be especially aware of how ChatGPT can compromise customer and business security. According to The Wall Street Journal, companies including Apple are putting restrictions on how this technology can be used out of concern about confidentiality leaks and other cybersecurity problems. Is your business set up to deal with these issues should they come up?
The risk.
Effects on your brand. As a writer and as a business owner, the brand is now more important than ever and a personal brand is becoming an integral part of that equation. ChatGPT actually increases the risk for the business for integrity, authenticity which is now more critical than ever and customer experience.
Complications to customer service and communication. As a consumer, chat bots that I’m sure you’ve all seen, are often not the most user friendly tool. You know those chat bots you see on websites, can be super helpful to the business, on multiple levels – saving time, freeing up personnel from having to answer the simplest of questions. However, as the consumer their knowledge base is extremely limited and they cannot answer anything beyond the basics. So ask it anything outside the norm or outside of that small realm and you’ve reached its limit. I’m not talking about very advanced topics, anything that may be unique to your situation. These limitations create frustration, even roadblocks to doing business with these companies.
When personal customer service is completely replaced with a bot, it’s a problem. There still needs to be a way to get to human interaction.
Trust of the content and in relationships. Trust is a unique and significant factor in all relationships, including business relationships. ChatGPT brings up the question and even a dilemma on how to trust, even build trust with artificial intelligence without a clear way to delineate between what was written by a robot and that of personal writing.
Whether or not you use ChatGPT – or place certain restrictions on how it is used – is an individual choice that only you can make as a business owner or executive. The decision is before you and if it isn’t it will be. There can be many beneficial uses for ChatGPT on a technological level, and still maintaining your own voice, insights and personality is possible. In my own work, human interaction, real-life connections, and personal writing and authenticity are important too.
Maureen Considine is Founder and CEO of Finding Your Way Coaching. A Master Coach with expertise in Income Acceleration, Business Development, Sales and Mindset, she is the Wealth Health Creation Strategist for entrepreneurs, executives, and other high performers. Maureen has over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing. She has helped hundreds of clients grow their businesses and reach their true potential using her unique, intuitive, and holistic approach. Maureen has a B.A. in Psychology, with training in mindset and the Psychology of Sales.