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• How to Write an Essay with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples

How to Write an Essay with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples

Published on June 22, 2023 by Koen Driessen . Revised on November 16, 2023.

Passing off AI-generated text as your own work is widely considered plagiarism. However, when used correctly, AI tools like ChatGPT can legitimately help guide your writing process.

These tools are especially helpful in the preparation and revision stages of your essay writing.

You can use ChatGPT to:

• Write a research question
• Develop an outline
• Find relevant source information
• Summarize or paraphrase text
• Get feedback

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Table of contents

Writing a research question, developing an outline, finding source recommendations, summarizing/paraphrasing text, getting feedback, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

You can use ChatGPT to brainstorm potential research questions or to narrow down your thesis statement . Begin by inputting a description of the research topic or assigned question. Then include a prompt like “Write 3 possible research questions on this topic.”

You can make the prompt as specific as you like. For example, you can include the writing level (e.g., high school essay, college essay), perspective (e.g., first person) and the type of essay you intend to write (e.g., argumentative , descriptive , expository , or narrative ).

You can also mention any facts or viewpoints you’ve gathered that should be incorporated into the output.

If the output doesn’t suit your topic, you can click “Regenerate response” to have the tool generate a new response. You can do this as many times as you like, and you can try making your prompt more specific if you struggle to get the results you want.

Example: Using ChatGPT to write a research question

• Generate three possible research questions for an argumentative high school essay on the following topic: “The long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
• To what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated existing social inequalities and what measures can be taken to address these disparities in the long term?
• How has the Covid-19 pandemic transformed education systems, and what are the potential long-term implications for students’ learning outcomes and educational equity?
• What lessons can be learned from the Covid-19 pandemic to enhance global preparedness and response to future public health crises, and how can these lessons be effectively implemented in the long term?
• Based on the second question, develop three further research questions with a specific focus on distance learning.
• What are the long-term effects of widespread adoption of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ academic performance, motivation, and overall educational outcomes?
• How has the shift to distance learning impacted the social and emotional well-being of students, and what strategies can be implemented to address any negative consequences in the long term?
• What are the key factors that contribute to the success of distance learning programs, and how can educational institutions and policymakers ensure equitable access to quality education in the long term, especially for marginalized and underserved student populations?

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Once you’ve decided on a research question, you can use ChatGPT to develop an essay outline . This can help keep you on track by giving you a clear idea of what topics you want to discuss and in what order.

Do this by prompting ChatGPT to create an outline for a specific research question, mentioning any topics or points you want to discuss. You can also mention the writing level and the intended length of your essay so that the tool generates an appropriate outline.

You can then refine this by further prompting ChatGPT or editing the outline manually until it meets your requirements.

Examples: Using ChatGPT to generate an essay outline

• Develop an outline for an argumentative high school essay with the following research question: “What are the long-term effects of widespread adoption of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ academic performance and overall educational outcomes?”The essay will be about 4 pages long.
• Background information on the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to distance learning
• Thesis statement: The widespread adoption of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic has had both positive and negative long-term effects on students’ academic performance and overall educational outcomes.
• Increased flexibility and personalized learning opportunities
• Access to a wider range of resources and educational materials
• Development of self-directed learning skills
• Critiques and limitations of previous studies
• Lack of face-to-face interaction and reduced social engagement
• Increased potential for distractions and lack of structure
• Technological barriers and unequal access to resources
• Examination of studies and data on academic achievement during distance learning
• Analysis of long-term effects on educational attainment and future opportunities
• Discussion of potential implications for college admissions and career readiness
• Strategies for promoting student engagement and motivation in distance learning
• Importance of teacher-student communication and support
• Addressing technological disparities and ensuring equitable access to resources
• Recap of the main points discussed
• Emphasize the need for further research and long-term planning to optimize distance learning experiences
• Restate the thesis and provide a final thought on the potential long-term effects of distance learning on students’ academic performance and overall educational outcomes

Once you know the scope of your essay, you can find relevant primary and secondary sources to support your argument.

However, we don’t recommend prompting ChatGPT to generate a list of sources as it occasionally makes mistakes (like listing nonexistent sources). Instead, it’s a good idea to use ChatGPT to get suggestions for the types of sources relevant to your essay and track them down using a credible research database or your institution’s library.

When you have found relevant sources, use a specialized tool like the Scribbr Citation Generator to cite them in your essay.

Example: Using ChatGPT to find sources

• What types of sources can I use to write an essay on the following research question?”What are the long-term effects of widespread adoption of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ academic performance and overall educational outcomes?”
• Academic Journals and Research Articles: Look for scholarly articles and research studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals. These sources often provide in-depth analysis, empirical evidence, and statistical data on the long-term effects of distance learning.
• Educational and Government Reports: Reports published by educational institutions, government agencies, or educational organizations can offer valuable insights into the impact of distance learning on academic performance and educational outcomes. These reports may include surveys, case studies, and data analysis specific to the Covid-19 pandemic and distance learning.
• Official Websites and Publications: Explore the official websites of educational institutions, education ministries, or educational technology companies. They often publish articles, white papers, or research findings related to distance learning and its effects on students’ academic performance.
• Expert Interviews or Opinion Pieces: Seek out interviews or opinion pieces from experts in the field of education, distance learning, or pedagogy. These sources can provide valuable perspectives and insights on the long-term effects of distance learning on students’ educational outcomes.
• Online Databases and Digital Libraries: Utilize online databases and digital libraries such as JSTOR, Google Scholar, or academic databases provided by your educational institution. These platforms offer a wide range of scholarly articles, research papers, and publications that can support your arguments.
• Surveys and Studies Conducted by Educational Institutions: Some schools or universities may have conducted their own surveys or studies to evaluate the impact of distance learning on students. Check if your educational institution has published any research findings or survey results that are relevant to your topic.

During your writing process, you can use ChatGPT as a summarizing tool to condense text to its essential ideas or as a paraphraser to rephrase text in clear, accessible language. Using ChatGPT in these ways can help you to understand complex material, express your own ideas more clearly, and avoid repetition.

Simply input the relevant text and prompt the tool to summarize or paraphrase it. Alternatively, you can use Scribbr’s free text summarizer and Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool , which are specifically designed for these purposes.

Example: Using ChatGPT to summarize/paraphrase

• Paraphrase the following text using clear language:”Engaging in an extensive examination of the intricate interplay between remote instructional methods and academic achievement necessitates consideration of diverse factors, including the pedagogical efficacy of virtual platforms, the socioemotional ramifications of reduced face-to-face interactions, the equitable accessibility of technological resources, and the potential long-lasting implications for students’ educational trajectories and future opportunities.”
• To thoroughly explore the connection between remote teaching methods and academic success, it is crucial to take into account various factors. These factors include evaluating how well virtual platforms support effective teaching, understanding the impact of limited in-person interactions on students’ emotional well-being, ensuring fair access to technology resources, and recognizing the potential long-term effects on students’ educational paths and future prospects.

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Once you’ve written your essay, you can prompt ChatGPT to provide feedback and recommend improvements.

You can indicate how the tool should provide feedback (e.g., “Act like a university professor examining papers”) and include the specific points you want to receive feedback on (e.g., consistency of tone, clarity of argument, appropriateness of evidence).

While this is not an adequate substitute for an experienced academic supervisor, it can help you with quick preliminary feedback.

You can also use ChatGPT to check grammar mistakes. However, ChatGPT sometimes misses errors and on rare occasions may even introduce new grammatical mistakes. We suggest using a tool like Scribbr’s free grammar checker , which is designed specifically for this purpose. Or, for more in-depth feedback, try Scribbr’s proofreading and editing service .

Example: Using ChatGPT for feedback

• Feedback the above text with regard to consistency of tone, clarity of argument, appropriateness of evidence, and coherence of structure.
• Clarity of Argument: The argument could be further clarified by explicitly connecting the discussed factors to their impact on academic performance. For example, explicitly stating how the proficiency of virtual platforms and equitable access to technology affect academic performance would strengthen the clarity of the argument.
• Appropriateness of Evidence: The evidence provided is generally appropriate and relevant. To enhance the strength of the evidence, consider incorporating specific examples, research studies, or statistics that directly support the discussed factors and their impact on academic performance. This would provide stronger evidence for the claims made.
• Coherence of Structure: The structure of the text is coherent, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing different factors, and a conclusion. To improve coherence, consider adding transitional phrases or sentences at the beginning or end of paragraphs to facilitate the smooth flow of ideas between paragraphs. This would enhance the overall structure and make it easier for the reader to follow the argument.

Overall, the text demonstrates a consistent tone, a clear argument, appropriate evidence, and a coherent structure. Clarifying the argument by explicitly connecting the factors to their impact, incorporating stronger evidence, and adding transitional phrases for better coherence would further enhance the text’s effectiveness. Note Passing off AI-generated text as your own work is generally considered plagiarism (or at least academic dishonesty ) and may result in an automatic fail and other negative consequences . An AI detector may be used to detect this offense.

If you want more tips on using AI tools , understanding plagiarism , and citing sources , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations, examples, and formats.

• Citing ChatGPT
• Best grammar checker
• Best paraphrasing tool
• ChatGPT in your studies
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Best plagiarism checker

Citing sources

• Citation styles
• In-text citation
• Citation examples
• Annotated bibliography

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to summarize text . This can help you understand complex information more easily, summarize the central argument of your own paper, or clarify your research question.

You can also use Scribbr’s free text summarizer , which is designed specifically for this purpose.

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to paraphrase text to help you express your ideas more clearly, explore different ways of phrasing your arguments, and avoid repetition.

However, it’s not specifically designed for this purpose. We recommend using a specialized tool like Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool , which will provide a smoother user experience.

No, it’s not a good idea to do so in general—first, because it’s normally considered plagiarism or academic dishonesty to represent someone else’s work as your own (even if that “someone” is an AI language model). Even if you cite ChatGPT , you’ll still be penalized unless this is specifically allowed by your university . Institutions may use AI detectors to enforce these rules.

Second, ChatGPT can recombine existing texts, but it cannot really generate new knowledge. And it lacks specialist knowledge of academic topics. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain original research results, and the text produced may contain factual errors.

However, you can usually still use ChatGPT for assignments in other ways, as a source of inspiration and feedback.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Driessen, K. (2023, November 16). How to Write an Essay with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/ai-tools/chatgpt-essay/

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How to Get ChatGPT to Write an Essay: Prompts, Outlines, & More

Last Updated: March 31, 2024 Fact Checked

Getting ChatGPT to Write the Essay

Using ai to help you write, expert interview.

This article was written by Bryce Warwick, JD and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Bryce Warwick is currently the President of Warwick Strategies, an organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area offering premium, personalized private tutoring for the GMAT, LSAT and GRE. Bryce has a JD from the George Washington University Law School. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 44,467 times.

Are you curious about using ChatGPT to write an essay? While most instructors have tools that make it easy to detect AI-written essays, there are ways you can use OpenAI's ChatGPT to write papers without worrying about plagiarism or getting caught. In addition to writing essays for you, ChatGPT can also help you come up with topics, write outlines, find sources, check your grammar, and even format your citations. This wikiHow article will teach you the best ways to use ChatGPT to write essays, including helpful example prompts that will generate impressive papers.

Things You Should Know

• To have ChatGPT write an essay, tell it your topic, word count, type of essay, and facts or viewpoints to include.
• ChatGPT is also useful for generating essay topics, writing outlines, and checking grammar.
• Because ChatGPT can make mistakes and trigger AI-detection alarms, it's better to use AI to assist with writing than have it do the writing.

• Before using the OpenAI's ChatGPT to write your essay, make sure you understand your instructor's policies on AI tools. Using ChatGPT may be against the rules, and it's easy for instructors to detect AI-written essays.
• While you can use ChatGPT to write a polished-looking essay, there are drawbacks. Most importantly, ChatGPT cannot verify facts or provide references. This means that essays created by ChatGPT may contain made-up facts and biased content. [1] X Research source It's best to use ChatGPT for inspiration and examples instead of having it write the essay for you.

• The topic you want to write about.
• Essay length, such as word or page count. Whether you're writing an essay for a class, college application, or even a cover letter , you'll want to tell ChatGPT how much to write.
• Other assignment details, such as type of essay (e.g., personal, book report, etc.) and points to mention.
• If you're writing an argumentative or persuasive essay , know the stance you want to take so ChatGPT can argue your point.
• If you have notes on the topic that you want to include, you can also provide those to ChatGPT.
• When you plan an essay, think of a thesis, a topic sentence, a body paragraph, and the examples you expect to present in each paragraph.
• It can be like an outline and not an extensive sentence-by-sentence structure. It should be a good overview of how the points relate.

• "Write a 2000-word college essay that covers different approaches to gun violence prevention in the United States. Include facts about gun laws and give ideas on how to improve them."
• This prompt not only tells ChatGPT the topic, length, and grade level, but also that the essay is personal. ChatGPT will write the essay in the first-person point of view.
• "Write a 4-page college application essay about an obstacle I have overcome. I am applying to the Geography program and want to be a cartographer. The obstacle is that I have dyslexia. Explain that I have always loved maps, and that having dyslexia makes me better at making them."

• In our essay about gun control, ChatGPT did not mention school shootings. If we want to discuss this topic in the essay, we can use the prompt, "Discuss school shootings in the essay."
• Let's say we review our college entrance essay and realize that we forgot to mention that we grew up without parents. Add to the essay by saying, "Mention that my parents died when I was young."
• In the Israel-Palestine essay, ChatGPT explored two options for peace: A 2-state solution and a bi-state solution. If you'd rather the essay focus on a single option, ask ChatGPT to remove one. For example, "Change my essay so that it focuses on a bi-state solution."

• "Give me ideas for an essay about the Israel-Palestine conflict."
• "Ideas for a persuasive essay about a current event."
• "Give me a list of argumentative essay topics about COVID-19 for a Political Science 101 class."

• "Create an outline for an argumentative essay called "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Economy."
• "Write an outline for an essay about positive uses of AI chatbots in schools."
• "Create an outline for a short 2-page essay on disinformation in the 2016 election."

• "Find peer-reviewed sources for advances in using MRNA vaccines for cancer."
• "Give me a list of sources from academic journals about Black feminism in the movie Black Panther."
• "Give me sources for an essay on current efforts to ban children's books in US libraries."

• "Write a 4-page college paper about how global warming is changing the automotive industry in the United States."
• "Write a 750-word personal college entrance essay about how my experience with homelessness as a child has made me more resilient."
• You can even refer to the outline you created with ChatGPT, as the AI bot can reference up to 3000 words from the current conversation. [3] X Research source For example: "Write a 1000 word argumentative essay called 'The Impact of COVID-19 on the United States Economy' using the outline you provided. Argue that the government should take more action to support businesses affected by the pandemic."

• One way to do this is to paste a list of the sources you've used, including URLs, book titles, authors, pages, publishers, and other details, into ChatGPT along with the instruction "Create an MLA Works Cited page for these sources."
• You can also ask ChatGPT to provide a list of sources, and then build a Works Cited or References page that includes those sources. You can then replace sources you didn't use with the sources you did use.

Expert Q&A

• Because it's easy for teachers, hiring managers, and college admissions offices to spot AI-written essays, it's best to use your ChatGPT-written essay as a guide to write your own essay. Using the structure and ideas from ChatGPT, write an essay in the same format, but using your own words. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Always double-check the facts in your essay, and make sure facts are backed up with legitimate sources. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you see an error that says ChatGPT is at capacity , wait a few moments and try again. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Using ChatGPT to write or assist with your essay may be against your instructor's rules. Make sure you understand the consequences of using ChatGPT to write or assist with your essay. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• ChatGPT-written essays may include factual inaccuracies, outdated information, and inadequate detail. [4] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about completing school assignments, check out our in-depth interview with Bryce Warwick, JD .

• ↑ https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6783457-what-is-chatgpt
• ↑ https://platform.openai.com/examples/default-essay-outline
• ↑ https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6787051-does-chatgpt-remember-what-happened-earlier-in-the-conversation
• ↑ https://www.ipl.org/div/chatgpt/

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How ChatGPT (and other AI chatbots) can help you write an essay

ChatGPT  is capable of doing many different things very well, with one of the biggest standout features being its ability to compose all sorts of text within seconds, including songs, poems, bedtime stories, and essays . 

The chatbot's writing abilities are not only fun to experiment with, but can help provide assistance with everyday tasks. Whether you are a student, a working professional, or just getting stuff done, we constantly take time out of our day to compose emails, texts, posts, and more. ChatGPT can help you claim some of that time back by helping you brainstorm and then compose any text you need. 

How to use ChatGPT to write: Code | Excel formulas | Resumes  | Cover letters  

Contrary to popular belief, ChatGPT can do much more than just write an essay for you from scratch (which would be considered plagiarism). A more useful way to use the chatbot is to have it guide your writing process. 

Below, we show you how to use ChatGPT to do both the writing and assisting, as well as some other helpful writing tips. 

How ChatGPT can help you write an essay

If you are looking to use ChatGPT to support or replace your writing, here are five different techniques to explore. 

It is also worth noting before you get started that other AI chatbots can output the same results as ChatGPT or are even better, depending on your needs.

Also: The best AI chatbots of 2024: ChatGPT and alternatives

For example,  Copilot  has access to the internet, and as a result, it can source its answers from recent information and current events. Copilot also includes footnotes linking back to the original source for all of its responses, making the chatbot a more valuable tool if you're writing a paper on a more recent event, or if you want to verify your sources.

Regardless of which AI chatbot you pick, you can use the tips below to get the most out of your prompts and from AI assistance.

1. Use ChatGPT to generate essay ideas

Before you can even get started writing an essay, you need to flesh out the idea. When professors assign essays, they generally give students a prompt that gives them leeway for their own self-expression and analysis. 

As a result, students have the task of finding the angle to approach the essay on their own. If you have written an essay recently, you know that finding the angle is often the trickiest part -- and this is where ChatGPT can help. 

Also: ChatGPT vs. Copilot: Which AI chatbot is better for you?

All you need to do is input the assignment topic, include as much detail as you'd like -- such as what you're thinking about covering -- and let ChatGPT do the rest. For example, based on a paper prompt I had in college, I asked:

Can you help me come up with a topic idea for this assignment, "You will write a research paper or case study on a leadership topic of your choice." I would like it to include Blake and Mouton's Managerial Leadership Grid, and possibly a historical figure. 

Also: I'm a ChatGPT pro but this quick course taught me new tricks, and you can take it for free

Within seconds, the chatbot produced a response that provided me with the title of the essay, options of historical figures I could focus my article on, and insight on what information I could include in my paper, with specific examples of a case study I could use. 

2. Use the chatbot to create an outline

Once you have a solid topic, it's time to start brainstorming what you actually want to include in the essay. To facilitate the writing process, I always create an outline, including all the different points I want to touch upon in my essay. However, the outline-writing process is usually tedious. 

With ChatGPT, all you have to do is ask it to write the outline for you. 

Also: Thanks to my 5 favorite AI tools, I'm working smarter now

Using the topic that ChatGPT helped me generate in step one, I asked the chatbot to write me an outline by saying: 

Can you create an outline for a paper, "Examining the Leadership Style of Winston Churchill through Blake and Mouton's Managerial Leadership Grid."

After a couple of seconds, the chatbot produced a holistic outline divided into seven different sections, with three different points under each section. 

This outline is thorough and can be condensed for a shorter essay or elaborated on for a longer paper. If you don't like something or want to tweak the outline further, you can do so either manually or with more instructions to ChatGPT. 

As mentioned before, since Copilot is connected to the internet, if you use Copilot to produce the outline, it will even include links and sources throughout, further expediting your essay-writing process. 

3. Use ChatGPT to find sources

Now that you know exactly what you want to write, it's time to find reputable sources to get your information. If you don't know where to start, you can just ask ChatGPT. 

Also: How to make ChatGPT provide sources and citations

All you need to do is ask the AI to find sources for your essay topic. For example, I asked the following: 

Can you help me find sources for a paper, "Examining the Leadership Style of Winston Churchill through Blake and Mouton's Managerial Leadership Grid."

The chatbot output seven sources, with a bullet point for each that explained what the source was and why it could be useful. 

Also:   How to use ChatGPT to make charts and tables

The one caveat you will want to be aware of when using ChatGPT for sources is that it does not have access to information after 2021, so it will not be able to suggest the freshest sources. If you want up-to-date information, you can always use Copilot. 

Another perk of using Copilot is that it automatically links to sources in its answers. 

4. Use ChatGPT to write an essay

It is worth noting that if you take the text directly from the chatbot and submit it, your work could be considered a form of plagiarism since it is not your original work. As with any information taken from another source, text generated by an AI should be clearly identified and credited in your work.

Also: ChatGPT will now remember its past conversations with you (if you want it to)

In most educational institutions, the penalties for plagiarism are severe, ranging from a failing grade to expulsion from the school. A better use of ChatGPT's writing features would be to use it to create a sample essay to guide your writing. 

If you still want ChatGPT to create an essay from scratch, enter the topic and the desired length, and then watch what it generates. For example, I input the following text: 

Can you write a five-paragraph essay on the topic, "Examining the Leadership Style of Winston Churchill through Blake and Mouton's Managerial Leadership Grid."

Within seconds, the chatbot gave the exact output I required: a coherent, five-paragraph essay on the topic. You could then use that text to guide your own writing. 

Also: ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?

At this point, it's worth remembering how tools like ChatGPT work : they put words together in a form that they think is statistically valid, but they don't know if what they are saying is true or accurate. 

As a result, the output you receive might include invented facts, details, or other oddities. The output might be a useful starting point for your own work, but don't expect it to be entirely accurate, and always double-check the content. 

5. Use ChatGPT to co-edit your essay

Once you've written your own essay, you can use ChatGPT's advanced writing capabilities to edit the piece for you. 

You can simply tell the chatbot what you want it to edit. For example, I asked ChatGPT to edit our five-paragraph essay for structure and grammar, but other options could have included flow, tone, and more. 

Also: AI meets AR as ChatGPT is now available on the Apple Vision Pro

Once you ask the tool to edit your essay, it will prompt you to paste your text into the chatbot. ChatGPT will then output your essay with corrections made. This feature is particularly useful because ChatGPT edits your essay more thoroughly than a basic proofreading tool, as it goes beyond simply checking spelling. 

You can also co-edit with the chatbot, asking it to take a look at a specific paragraph or sentence, and asking it to rewrite or fix the text for clarity. Personally, I find this feature very helpful. 

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How to Use ChatGPT to Write Essays That Impress

Step 1: Use ChatGPT to Find and Refine Essay Topics

• Log into the service and type the following prompt into ChatGPT:

• As you can see, ChatGPT gave several good ideas for our essay. If you want to refine the idea further, you can ask the chatbot to cut out some parts of the idea and replace them. Or, you can ask for more context in certain parts. Example – “Expand more on topic number 5 and what it means.”

Step 2: Ask ChatGPT to Construct an Outline

• With the same chat open, type out “ Give me an essay outline for <selected topic>. Make sure to keep it structured as I’ll use it to write my essay .” In this case, I will use topic number 2 since it aligns with what I had in mind.

• As you can see above, we now have a structured outline for our essay. We can use this to write our essay or have ChatGPT do that job. Nonetheless, it’s a good starting point. As always, you can have the AI chatbot cut out parts of the outline or specifically add new ones depending on your requirement.

Step 3: Get ChatGPT to Cite Sources for Your Essay

Even though we have the idea and the outline, we will need to do our research for proof supporting our essay. Thankfully, ChatGPT can be of some help here. Since the chatbot is adept at moderate research, users can get a general idea of where to look for gathering information. Let’s begin doing that.

• Let’s begin asking ChatGPT for sources. With the same chat open, type in the following prompt:

• Now we have a list of 10 sources we can reference from. However, you can also see that ChatGPT mentions the year 2021 in some of them. Therefore, it’s best to use these websites but navigate to the latest pages pertaining to your essay for research. This applies to every topic, so always do it. Also, chatbots like ChatGPT have a habit of hallucinating and making up information, so do be careful.

Step 4: Have ChatGPT Write the Essay

• In the same chat, type the following prompt – “With the topic and outline available to you, generate a 700-word essay. Make sure to keep it structured and concise yet informational. Also, keep in mind my target audience is <Insert target audience> so cater to that accordingly.”
• In the middle of the essay, ChatGPT might stop and not answer. Simply type “ Continue ,” and it will finish the rest of the essay.

Step 5: Edit the Essay with ChatGPT

No matter if you have used ChatGPT to draft a complete essay or have written one yourself, you can use this step to make ChatGPT your co-editor and grammar checker. While your essay might need an initial look from a human, you can definitely use the bot to hash out the tone and add little details.

• Either open up the same chat or have your essay already in the clipboard. With that done, type out the following prompt:

Step 6: Export the Essay for Submission

However, for those who want to export the essay into a more aesthetic format, we have just the thing for you. There is no shortage of best ChatGPT Chrome extensions on the internet right now. We have one such selection linked in our list that can export selective chats onto beautiful image formats if you want to show off your essay. Check it out and let us know how you liked it.

Bonus: ChatGPT and AI Apps to Write Essays

1. writesonic.

Ryter is another helpful AI writing assistant that not only helps with essays but all types of articles. The service is powered by a language model that gives it intelligence. Rytr comes with 40+ different use cases and 20+ writing tones for all types of written material. For those who don’t want to stick to English, it even comes with support for 30+ languages.

Upanishad Sharma

Combining his love for Literature and Tech, Upanishad dived into the world of technology journalism with fire. Now he writes about anything and everything while keeping a keen eye on his first love of gaming. Often found chronically walking around the office.

Im student i want to become financially independent woman in life so I want esay essay write

I am housewife and I want easy essay I want to change my life my husband was job less and I want to work online part time job plz help I am enter pass

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How to Write Your Essay Using ChatGPT

• 5-minute read
• 2nd May 2023

It’s tempting, isn’t it? You’ve read about and probably also witnessed how quickly ChatGPT can knock up text, seemingly in any genre or style and of any length, in less time than it takes you to make a cup of tea. However, getting ChatGPT to write your essay for you would be plagiarism . Universities and colleges are alive to the issue, and you may face serious academic penalties if you’re found to have used AI in that way.

So that’s that, right? Not necessarily.

This post is not about how to get ChatGPT to write your essay . It’s about how you can use the tool to help yourself write an essay .

What Is ChatGPT?

Let’s start with the basics. ChatGPT is one of several chatbots that can answer questions in a conversational style, as if the answer were coming from a human. It provides answers based on information it receives in development and in response to prompts you provide.

In that respect, like a human, ChatGPT is limited by the information it has. Where it lacks the information, it has a tendency to fill the gaps regardless . This action is dangerous if you’re relying on the accuracy of the information, and it’s another good reason you should not get ChatGPT to write your essay for you.

How Can You Use ChatGPT to Help With Your Essay?

Forget about the much talked-about writing skills of ChatGPT – writing is your thing here. Instead, think of ChatGPT as your assistant. Here are some ideas for how you can make it work for you.

Essay Prompts

If your task is to come up with your own essay topic but you find yourself staring at a blank page, you can use ChatGPT for inspiration. Your prompt could look something like this:

ChatGPT can offer several ideas. The choice of which one to write about (and you may, of course, still come up with one of your own) will be up to you, based on what interests you and the topic’s potential for in-depth analysis.

Essay Outlines

Having decided on your essay topic – or perhaps you’ve already been given one by your instructor – you may be struggling to figure out how to structure the essay. You can use ChatGPT to suggest an outline. Your prompt can be along these lines:

Just as you should not use ChatGPT to write an essay for you, you should not use it to research one – that’s your job.

If, however, you’re struggling to understand a particular extract, you can ask ChatGPT to summarize it or explain it in simpler terms.

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That said, you can’t rely on ChatGPT to be factually accurate in the information it provides, even when you think the information would be in its database, as we discovered in another post. Indeed, when we asked ChatGPT whether we should fact-check its information, the response was:

An appropriate use of ChatGPT for research would be to ask for academic resources for further reading on a particular topic. The advantage of doing this is that, in going on to locate and read the suggested resources, you will have checked that they exist and that the content is relevant and accurately set out in your essay.

Instead of researching the topic as a whole, you could use ChatGPT to generate suggestions for the occasional snippet of information, like this:

Before deciding which of its suggestions – if any – to include, you should ask ChatGPT for the source of the fact or statistic so you can check it and provide the necessary citation.

Referencing

Even reading the word above has probably made you groan. As if writing the essay isn’t hard enough, you then have to not only list all the sources you used, but also make sure that you’ve formatted them in a particular style. Here’s where you can use ChatGPT. We have a separate post dealing specifically with this topic, but in brief, you can ask something like this:

Where information is missing, as in the example above, ChatGPT will likely fill in the gaps. In such cases, you’ll have to ensure that the information it fills in is correct.

Proofreading

After finishing the writing and referencing, you’d be well advised to proofread your work, but you’re not always the best person to do so – you’d be tired and would likely read only what you expect to see. At least as a first step, you can copy and paste your essay into ChatGPT and ask it something like this:

You’ve got the message that you can’t just ask ChatGPT to write your essay, right? But in some areas, ChatGPT can help you write your essay, providing, as with any tool, you use it carefully and are alert to the risks.

We should point out that universities and colleges have different attitudes toward using AI – including whether you need to cite its use in your reference list – so always check what’s acceptable.

After using ChatGPT to help with your work, you can always ask our experts to look over it to check your references and/or improve your grammar, spelling, and tone. We’re available 24/7, and you can even try our services for free .

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How to Use ChatGPT for Research and Essays

Want to use ChatGPT to help out with research and essays? To avoid inaccurate information, there are certain ways you can use it to your advantage.

For better or worse, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has become a big part of our lives. It’s become integral to gathering information, researching topics, and creating written works. And frankly, not using it might put you at a disadvantage academically.

However, this AI is not flawless; there is a method to use it to help with your essays and research. Using it the right way will help you avoid plagiarism issues or inaccurate information. Here, we’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to write an essay ethically, so it comes out as a quality, factual, and original piece.

1. Draw Your Outline Without ChatGPT

Assuming you already have an idea for your project, the first thing you should do before you hop on ChatGPT’s website is to prepare your thesis and outline without using AI. It’s a vital step to making sure the core of your essay actually comes from you.

If you use ChatGPT to prompt an outline for you, it could promote idea laziness, and you will find ChatGPT’s suggestions may have replaced the ones you could have produced on your own. So, get a piece of paper or a blank word processor page and create an outline for your essay.

Also, ChatGPT will avoid controversial topics—even in an outline. Therefore, you might find yourself with an outline missing vital pieces of historical sections if you rely on it. This bias is one of the major problems with OpenAI’s ChatGPT .

2. Prompt ChatGPT to Draw a Parallel Outline

Before you begin this section, if this is your first time using ChatGPT, you should read our guide on how to use ChatGPT . It will help you with creating an account and defining its capabilities. Once that’s out of the way, you can move on to the next step.

Now that you have an original outline, it doesn’t matter how basic it looks; you can use ChatGPT to create another outline. Craft a prompt with this template:

ChatGPT’s result is far more detailed than our outline. Here, you should adopt the parts of ChatGPT’s outline you would like to integrate into your own. Combine the best of the two and flesh out an outline that will guide you best as you write.

3. Create a ChatGPT Prompt for Each Section

Now that you have an outline with sections, you can begin to hack away at it section by section. Start with your introduction, where you will include your thesis statement. Ask ChatGPT to create multiple thesis statements on your idea, and choose the one that best encapsulates the major point you’re trying to communicate in your essay.

You can do something similar for all the other sections as well. Tell the AI to generate written pieces on your section topics. Don’t forget to add that it communicates the point in the tone you want. In most cases, essays should sound academic. Therefore, our prompt for each section looked like this:

Do not just copy and paste the information it generates; the next step is a vital second part of this methodology.

4. Confirm the Information With a Reputable Source

As you begin to write, you must check if the information you’re getting from ChatGPT is indeed correct. You must do this because ChatGPT occasionally hallucinates , coming up with its own facts and making up sources when you ask it to direct you to where it got its information. In some cases, it blatantly refuses to tell you at all where it got its data.

The free version of ChatGPT is not actively connected to the internet and cannot fetch information after September 2021. If you need this functionality, then it could be time to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus —especially if this is a tool you will be using heavily for work or school.

The bottom line is that you should use a reputable source (such as a book from an authority or an official website) to support every important statement you put down. You can also learn how to use Google to fact-check information .

5. Use ChatGPT for Examples and Breakdowns

It’s counterproductive to write about ideas that you don’t even understand yourself. When you reach a part of your essay that you don’t properly understand, you should go to ChatGPT and have it broken down for you.

That’s really the one thing you can count on ChatGPT to do in this process. It has good skill in crafting useful examples and explaining complicated ideas in a form you can easily understand. A popular way of phrasing a prompt to make ChatGPT explain something complicated is adding “explain like I’m five” to your prompt.

Here we used ChatGPT to break down hip and elbow dysplasia conditions in a way that is easier to understand. And it used analogies like jigsaw puzzles to paint a clearer image of what it might look like.

6. Write the Essay Yourself

As we’ve stated earlier, under no condition should you ask ChatGPT to write your whole essay for you. Not only is that lazy and deceitful, but it could also open you up to plagiarism and submitting incorrect information.

Ensure that every line in your essay is typed with your hands. Besides, if you’re writing an academic essay where you must cite sources, you will still need to corroborate all the points you’ve made with a corresponding authority. That means you’ll have to go and fact-check everything ChatGPT has written and find a corroborating source.

This could even take more time than just writing it yourself because the AI could have hallucinated some of its facts, leading you on a wild goose chase as you try to find a citation for something that doesn’t exist.

Lastly, ChatGPT doesn’t match the nuanced knowledge of a human professional in heavily specialized fields or journals that need up-to-date information. Reading a book or article by an expert, internalizing it, and writing it in your own words will give you far better results than relying on ChatGPT.

7. Polish the Style and Citation With ChatGPT

After writing, you can paste portions of your essay and ask ChatGPT to shorten, lengthen, or optimize the style. ChatGPT is good at mimicking popular styles, and you can use that to your advantage. If you want your writing to sound a little more professional, it can help rephrase it.

If you’re having trouble with citation styles and how to integrate them into your essay, you can present your essay to ChatGPT, give it your sources, and ask it to weld them together for you.

ChatGPT Is a Tool, Not a Solution

You can’t “ChatGPT” away academic or professional work; you must use it the same way you would use a tool. Take a calculator, for instance; it doesn’t replace the mathematician but improves the mathematician. You should use ChatGPT the same way a mathematician will use a calculator: for the boring, repetitive, rote work.

Let the ideas and story come from you and your experiences. And if you want to keep using ChatGPT as a student, make sure you know what you shouldn't do.

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Should I Use ChatGPT to Write My Essays?

Everything high school and college students need to know about using — and not using — ChatGPT for writing essays.

Jessica A. Kent

ChatGPT is one of the most buzzworthy technologies today.

In addition to other generative artificial intelligence (AI) models, it is expected to change the world. In academia, students and professors are preparing for the ways that ChatGPT will shape education, and especially how it will impact a fundamental element of any course: the academic essay.

Students can use ChatGPT to generate full essays based on a few simple prompts. But can AI actually produce high quality work, or is the technology just not there yet to deliver on its promise? Students may also be asking themselves if they should use AI to write their essays for them and what they might be losing out on if they did.

AI is here to stay, and it can either be a help or a hindrance depending on how you use it. Read on to become better informed about what ChatGPT can and can’t do, how to use it responsibly to support your academic assignments, and the benefits of writing your own essays.

What is Generative AI?

Artificial intelligence isn’t a twenty-first century invention. Beginning in the 1950s, data scientists started programming computers to solve problems and understand spoken language. AI’s capabilities grew as computer speeds increased and today we use AI for data analysis, finding patterns, and providing insights on the data it collects.

But why the sudden popularity in recent applications like ChatGPT? This new generation of AI goes further than just data analysis. Instead, generative AI creates new content. It does this by analyzing large amounts of data — GPT-3 was trained on 45 terabytes of data, or a quarter of the Library of Congress — and then generating new content based on the patterns it sees in the original data.

It’s like the predictive text feature on your phone; as you start typing a new message, predictive text makes suggestions of what should come next based on data from past conversations. Similarly, ChatGPT creates new text based on past data. With the right prompts, ChatGPT can write marketing content, code, business forecasts, and even entire academic essays on any subject within seconds.

But is generative AI as revolutionary as people think it is, or is it lacking in real intelligence?

The Drawbacks of Generative AI

It seems simple. You’ve been assigned an essay to write for class. You go to ChatGPT and ask it to write a five-paragraph academic essay on the topic you’ve been assigned. You wait a few seconds and it generates the essay for you!

But ChatGPT is still in its early stages of development, and that essay is likely not as accurate or well-written as you’d expect it to be. Be aware of the drawbacks of having ChatGPT complete your assignments.

It’s not intelligence, it’s statistics

One of the misconceptions about AI is that it has a degree of human intelligence. However, its intelligence is actually statistical analysis, as it can only generate “original” content based on the patterns it sees in already existing data and work.

It “hallucinates”

Generative AI models often provide false information — so much so that there’s a term for it: “AI hallucination.” OpenAI even has a warning on its home screen , saying that “ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts.” This may be due to gaps in its data, or because it lacks the ability to verify what it’s generating. 

It doesn’t do research  

If you ask ChatGPT to find and cite sources for you, it will do so, but they could be inaccurate or even made up.

This is because AI doesn’t know how to look for relevant research that can be applied to your thesis. Instead, it generates content based on past content, so if a number of papers cite certain sources, it will generate new content that sounds like it’s a credible source — except it likely may not be.

There are data privacy concerns

When you input your data into a public generative AI model like ChatGPT, where does that data go and who has access to it? 

Prompting ChatGPT with original research should be a cause for concern — especially if you’re inputting study participants’ personal information into the third-party, public application. 

JPMorgan has restricted use of ChatGPT due to privacy concerns, Italy temporarily blocked ChatGPT in March 2023 after a data breach, and Security Intelligence advises that “if [a user’s] notes include sensitive data … it enters the chatbot library. The user no longer has control over the information.”

It is important to be aware of these issues and take steps to ensure that you’re using the technology responsibly and ethically. 

It skirts the plagiarism issue

AI creates content by drawing on a large library of information that’s already been created, but is it plagiarizing? Could there be instances where ChatGPT “borrows” from previous work and places it into your work without citing it? Schools and universities today are wrestling with this question of what’s plagiarism and what’s not when it comes to AI-generated work.

To demonstrate this, one Elon University professor gave his class an assignment: Ask ChatGPT to write an essay for you, and then grade it yourself. 

“Many students expressed shock and dismay upon learning the AI could fabricate bogus information,” he writes, adding that he expected some essays to contain errors, but all of them did. 

His students were disappointed that “major tech companies had pushed out AI technology without ensuring that the general population understands its drawbacks” and were concerned about how many embraced such a flawed tool.

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How to Use AI as a Tool to Support Your Work

As more students are discovering, generative AI models like ChatGPT just aren’t as advanced or intelligent as they may believe. While AI may be a poor option for writing your essay, it can be a great tool to support your work.

Generate ideas for essays

Have ChatGPT help you come up with ideas for essays. For example, input specific prompts, such as, “Please give me five ideas for essays I can write on topics related to WWII,” or “Please give me five ideas for essays I can write comparing characters in twentieth century novels.” Then, use what it provides as a starting point for your original research.

Generate outlines

You can also use ChatGPT to help you create an outline for an essay. Ask it, “Can you create an outline for a five paragraph essay based on the following topic” and it will create an outline with an introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and a suggested thesis statement. Then, you can expand upon the outline with your own research and original thought.

Generate titles for your essays

Titles should draw a reader into your essay, yet they’re often hard to get right. Have ChatGPT help you by prompting it with, “Can you suggest five titles that would be good for a college essay about [topic]?”

The Benefits of Writing Your Essays Yourself

Asking a robot to write your essays for you may seem like an easy way to get ahead in your studies or save some time on assignments. But, outsourcing your work to ChatGPT can negatively impact not just your grades, but your ability to communicate and think critically as well. It’s always the best approach to write your essays yourself.

Create your own ideas

Writing an essay yourself means that you’re developing your own thoughts, opinions, and questions about the subject matter, then testing, proving, and defending those thoughts. 

When you complete school and start your career, projects aren’t simply about getting a good grade or checking a box, but can instead affect the company you’re working for — or even impact society. Being able to think for yourself is necessary to create change and not just cross work off your to-do list.

Building a foundation of original thinking and ideas now will help you carve your unique career path in the future.

Develop your critical thinking and analysis skills

In order to test or examine your opinions or questions about a subject matter, you need to analyze a problem or text, and then use your critical thinking skills to determine the argument you want to make to support your thesis. Critical thinking and analysis skills aren’t just necessary in school — they’re skills you’ll apply throughout your career and your life.

Improve your research skills

Writing your own essays will train you in how to conduct research, including where to find sources, how to determine if they’re credible, and their relevance in supporting or refuting your argument. Knowing how to do research is another key skill required throughout a wide variety of professional fields.

Learn to be a great communicator

Writing an essay involves communicating an idea clearly to your audience, structuring an argument that a reader can follow, and making a conclusion that challenges them to think differently about a subject. Effective and clear communication is necessary in every industry.

Be impacted by what you’re learning about : 

Engaging with the topic, conducting your own research, and developing original arguments allows you to really learn about a subject you may not have encountered before. Maybe a simple essay assignment around a work of literature, historical time period, or scientific study will spark a passion that can lead you to a new major or career.

Resources to Improve Your Essay Writing Skills

While there are many rewards to writing your essays yourself, the act of writing an essay can still be challenging, and the process may come easier for some students than others. But essay writing is a skill that you can hone, and students at Harvard Summer School have access to a number of on-campus and online resources to assist them.

Students can start with the Harvard Summer School Writing Center , where writing tutors can offer you help and guidance on any writing assignment in one-on-one meetings. Tutors can help you strengthen your argument, clarify your ideas, improve the essay’s structure, and lead you through revisions. 

The Harvard libraries are a great place to conduct your research, and its librarians can help you define your essay topic, plan and execute a research strategy, and locate sources. 

Finally, review the “ The Harvard Guide to Using Sources ,” which can guide you on what to cite in your essay and how to do it. Be sure to review the “Tips For Avoiding Plagiarism” on the “ Resources to Support Academic Integrity ” webpage as well to help ensure your success.

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The Future of AI in the Classroom

ChatGPT and other generative AI models are here to stay, so it’s worthwhile to learn how you can leverage the technology responsibly and wisely so that it can be a tool to support your academic pursuits. However, nothing can replace the experience and achievement gained from communicating your own ideas and research in your own academic essays.

About the Author

Jessica A. Kent is a freelance writer based in Boston, Mass. and a Harvard Extension School alum. Her digital marketing content has been featured on Fast Company, Forbes, Nasdaq, and other industry websites; her essays and short stories have been featured in North American Review, Emerson Review, Writer’s Bone, and others.

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How to use ChatGPT for writing

AI can make you a better writer, if you know how to get the best from it

Summarizing other works

Worldbuilding, creating outlines, building characters, how to improve your chatgpt responses.

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm in a very short period of time, as users continue to test the boundaries of what the AI chatbot can accomplish. And so far, that's a lot. 

Some of it is negative, of course: for instance Samsung workers accidentally leaking top-secret data while using ChatGPT , or the AI chatbot being used for malware scams . Plagiarism is also rampant, with the use of ChatGPT for writing college essays a potential problem.

However, while ChatGPT can and has been used for wrongdoing, to the point where the Future of Life Institution released an open letter calling for the temporary halt of OpenAI system work , AI isn’t all bad. Far from it.

For a start, anyone who writes something may well have used AI to enhance their work already. The most common applications, of course, are the grammar and spelling correction tools found in everything from email applications to word processors. But there are a growing number of other examples of how AI can be used for writing. So, how do you bridge the gap between using AI as the tool it is, without crossing over into plagiarism city?

In fact, there are many ways ChatGPT can be used to enhance your skills, particularly when it comes to researching, developing, and organizing ideas and information for creative writing. By using AI as it was intended - as a tool, not a crutch - it can enrich your writing in ways that help to better your craft, without resorting to it doing everything for you. 

Below, we've listed some of our favorite ways to use ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots for writing. 

A key part of any writing task is the research, and thanks to the internet that chore has never been easier to accomplish. However, while finding the general sources you need is far less time-consuming than it once was, actually parsing all that information is still the same slog it’s always been. But this is where ChatGPT comes in. You can use the AI bot to do the manual labor for you and then reap the benefits of having tons of data to use for your work.

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The steps are slightly different, depending on whether you want an article or book summarized . 

For the article, there are two ways to have ChatGPT summarize it. The first requires you to type in the words ‘TLDR:’ and then paste the article’s URL next to it. The second method is a bit more tedious, but increases the accuracy of your summary. For that, you’ll need to copy and paste the article itself into the prompt . 

Summarizing a book is much easier, as long as it was published before 2021. Simply type into the prompt ‘summarize [book title]’ and it should do the rest for you.

This should go without saying, but for any articles or books, make sure you read the source material first before using any information presented to you. While ChatGPT is an incredibly useful tool that can create resources meant for future reference, it’s not a perfect one and is subject to accidentally inserting misinformation into anything it gives you.

One of the most extensive and important tasks when crafting your creative work is to properly flesh out the world your characters occupy. Even for works set in a regular modern setting, it can take plenty of effort to research the various cultures, landmarks, languages, and neighborhoods your characters live in and encounter. 

Now, imagine stories that require their own unique setting, and how much more work that entails in terms of creating those same details from scratch. While it’s vital that the main ideas come from you, using ChatGPT can be a great way to streamline the process, especially with more tedious details.

For instance, if you need certain fictional words without wanting to create an entirely fictional language, you can prompt ChatGPT with the following : “Create a language including an alphabet, phonetics, grammar, and the most common 100 words. Base it on [insert real-life languages here]” and it will give you some good starting points. However, it’s imperative that you take these words and look them up, to ensure you aren’t appropriating sensitive terms or using offensive real-life words.

Another example is useful for those who write scenarios for games, especially tabletop games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Call of Cthulhu . Dungeon Masters (who run the games) may often need to create documents or other fake materials for their world, but doing so takes a lot of time and effort. Now, they can prompt ChatGPT to quickly create filler text that sounds interesting or authentic but is inherently useless; it's essentially like ' Lorem Ipsum ' text, but more immersive.

When writing a story, many people will use an outline to ensure they stay on track and that the narrative flows well. But actually sitting down and organizing everything in your head in order to create a cohesive reference is a lot more daunting than it seems. It’s one of those steps that can be crucial to a well-structured work of fiction, but it can also become a hurdle. This is another area where ChatGPT can come in handy.

The key to writing an effective outline is remembering that you don’t need to have all the answers first. It’s there to structure your content, by helping you hit critical points and not miss important details in the process. While there are AI generators with a more specific focus on this topic, ChatGPT will do a good job at taking a general prompt and returning points for you to keep in mind while you research and write around that topic.

For instance, I prompted ChatGPT with “I want to write a story about a black woman in 16th century England” and it gave me a well-thought-out series of steps to help me create a story that would reflect my topic. An outline such as this would be particularly useful for those needing a resource they can quickly turn to for inspiration when writing. After that, you can begin to develop more complex ideas and have the AI organize those specifics into much easier-to-follow steps.

What makes any great story are the characters that inhabit it. Writing strong, fleshed-out characters is the cornerstone of any creative work and, naturally, the process of creating such a character can be difficult. Their background, manner of speech, goals, dreams, look, and more must be carefully considered and planned out. And this is another aspect of writing that ChatGPT can aid with, if you know how to go about it.

A basic way to use ChatGPT in this regard is to have it generate possible characters that could populate whatever setting you’re writing for. For example, I prompted it with “Provide some ideas for characters set in 1920s Harlem” and it gave me a full list of people with varied and distinctive backstories to use as a jumping-off point. Each character is described with a single sentence, enough to help start the process of creating them, but still leaving the crux of developing them up to me.

One of the most interesting features of ChatGPT is that you can flat-out roleplay with a character, whether they're a historical figure or one that you created but need help fleshing out. Take that same character you just created and have a conversation with them by asking them questions on their history, family life, profession, etc. Based on my previous results, I prompted with “Pretend to be a jazz musician from 1920s Harlem. Let's have a conversation.” I then asked questions from there, basing them on prior answers. Of course, from there you need to parse through these responses to filter out unnecessary or inaccurate details, while fleshing out what works for your story, but it does provide you with a useful stepping stone.

If you’re having issues getting the results you want, the problem could be with how you’re phrasing those questions or prompts in the first place. We've got a full guide to how to improve your ChatGPT prompts and responses , but here are a few of the best options:

• Specify the direction you want the AI to go, by adding in relevant details 
• Prompt from a specific role to guide the responses in the proper direction
• Make sure your prompts are free of typos and grammatical errors
• Keep your tone conversational, as that’s how ChatGPT was built
• Learn from yours and its mistakes to make it a better tool
• Break up your conversations into 500 words or less, as that’s when the AI begins to break down and go off topic
• If you need something clarified, ask the AI based on its last response
• Ask it to cite sources and then check those sources
• Sometimes it’s best to start fresh with a brand new conversation

Of course, many of the above suggestions apply not just to ChatGPT but also to the other chatbots springing up in its wake. Check out our list of the best ChatGPT alternatives and see which one works best for you.

Named by the CTA as a CES 2023 Media Trailblazer, Allisa is a Computing Staff Writer who covers breaking news and rumors in the computing industry, as well as reviews, hands-on previews, featured articles, and the latest deals and trends. In her spare time you can find her chatting it up on her two podcasts, Megaten Marathon and Combo Chain, as well as playing any JRPGs she can get her hands on.

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How To Use Chatgpt To Write An Essay

• Post author By admin
• August 31, 2023

Discover the ultimate guide on how to use Chatgpt to write an essay. Learn step-by-step techniques, tips, and strategies for using ChatGPT as your writing companion. Elevate your essay-writing game today

Hey there, fellow writers and knowledge seekers! Ever wished you had a magical sidekick to help you tackle those tricky essays?

Well, say hello to your new digital writing buddy: ChatGPT! Yep, you heard it right – an AI that’s not just about algorithms and codes, but about making your essay writing life a whole lot smoother.

Essays might have been the bane of your existence, causing eye rolls and sighs, but fear not – ChatGPT is here to turn that frown upside down.

Whether you’re a student juggling assignments or someone who simply wants to express their thoughts eloquently, ChatGPT is about to become your secret weapon.

Get ready to dive into a guide that’s all about demystifying the magic of using ChatGPT for essay writing. No, we won’t bore you with complicated tech talk; we’re here to show you how this AI wizardry can sprinkle a touch of brilliance onto your essays.

From the basics to some nifty tricks, consider this guide your essay-writing potion. So, grab your metaphorical quills, because we’re about to unravel the art of using ChatGPT to write an essay that’ll leave others in awe. Let’s roll!

Table of Contents

Have a close look at the best ways on how to use Chatgpt to write an essay:-

Setting the Stage for Your Essay

1. selecting a topic.

Alrighty, let’s kick things off with the coolest part – picking a topic that’s like catnip for your brain! We’ve all been there, staring at a blank screen, praying for a lightning bolt of inspiration. But guess what? ChatGPT’s got your back!

Get Your Wheels Turning: Say goodbye to those brainstorming blues. ChatGPT is like your idea-generator-in-chief. It can toss out ideas that’ll make your essay stand out from the crowd. Whether it’s for a school assignment or a passion project, this digital whiz can whip up topics that’ll make your heart skip a beat.

2. Research Assistance

Let’s Go on a Web Safari

Alright, so you’ve got a rad topic in mind. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dive into the sea of knowledge. But wait, who’s got time to sift through a gazillion search results? Not you!

Navigate the Info Jungle: Say hello to ChatGPT, your research guru. It can dig up scholarly articles, books, and websites that are like hidden treasure chests of info.

You’ll be armed with the juiciest facts and insights without spending hours glued to your screen. Go ahead, let ChatGPT be your research sidekick – it’s like having your own personal librarian!

Armed with a killer topic and a treasure trove of research, you’re now ready to conquer the world of essay writing. And guess what? We’re just getting started! Get ready for more ChatGPT magic coming your way. 

3. Structuring the Essay

The Art of Essay Architecture

Imagine your essay as a beautifully constructed building. The foundation? A solid structure. And that’s exactly where ChatGPT comes in, working its magic to ensure your essay is a masterpiece of organization.

Blueprint for Success: ChatGPT isn’t just about words; it’s about creating a blueprint for your essay’s success. With its help, you can craft an outline that maps out a clear path for your readers.

From the grand entrance of the introduction to the eloquent rooms of your body paragraphs and the spectacular exit of the conclusion, ChatGPT ensures every part of your essay has its rightful place.

4. Writing the Introduction

Hello, Attention-Grabber!

Ever heard the saying, “First impressions are everything”? Well, that holds true for essays too. The introduction sets the stage for what’s to come, and ChatGPT can be your director, guiding you in creating an introduction that leaves your readers hungry for more.

Hook, Line, and Sinker: ChatGPT knows how to reel in your readers with attention-grabbing hooks. Whether it’s a fascinating fact, a thought-provoking question, or a captivating anecdote, this AI wordsmith can suggest openings that make your essay impossible to put down.

And let’s not forget the thesis statement – ChatGPT can help you craft a concise yet powerful statement that lays out the essence of your essay.

5. Developing Body Paragraphs

Building Bridges Between Ideas

So, you’ve got the introduction down pat. What’s next? The body paragraphs – the heart and soul of your essay. But fear not, because ChatGPT is your bridge builder, helping you connect ideas seamlessly.

Coherence is Key: ChatGPT is like the architect of coherence. It can assist in expanding on your arguments, providing evidence that supports your claims, and ensuring your paragraphs flow smoothly. No more abrupt transitions or disjointed thoughts – ChatGPT helps you present your ideas in a logical and engaging manner.

6. Adding Citations and References

Avoiding the Plagiarism Pitfall

Citations and references – they might sound like a headache, but they’re the guardians of academic integrity. ChatGPT takes on the role of your citation wizard, making sure your essay stands tall in the face of plagiarism.

Sourcing Superstar: Whether it’s APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other citation style, ChatGPT has got your back. It can generate accurate citations and references, saving you from the labyrinth of formatting rules. With ChatGPT, your sources are credited, and your essay remains a beacon of originality.

With ChatGPT by your side, crafting your essay becomes a creative journey that’s both smooth and exhilarating. Buckle up as we explore the finishing touches and polishing in the upcoming sections!

Polishing Your Essay

7. proofreading and editing.

The Art of Essay Detailing

Once your essay takes shape, it’s time for the fine-tuning. Picture it like polishing a precious gem. ChatGPT can be your trusty magnifying glass, helping you identify and rectify those tiny imperfections.

Grammar Guru: ChatGPT excels at spotting grammar and spelling errors, making it a valuable proofreading companion. However, remember that it’s not infallible. Manual review is essential to ensure your essay shines brightly. Look out for clarity and coherence as you edit – these elements are the jewels of your writing.

8. Improving Style and Tone

The Perfect Finishing Touch

Every essay has its own unique style and tone, and ChatGPT can assist in refining yours to match the academic vibe.

Crafting the Right Tone: Maintaining an academic tone is key, and ChatGPT knows how to help. It can suggest improvements to sentence structure, vocabulary, and overall style to ensure your essay strikes the right chord with your readers.

So, whether you need to sound more scholarly or simply want to add a touch of sophistication, ChatGPT has your back.

As you put the final gloss on your essay, remember that ChatGPT is your ally in achieving that professional polish. The next steps? Citations, references, and final checks. We’re almost there!

9. Creating a Title

The Art of the Perfect Title

Picture this: Your essay is like a beautifully wrapped gift, and the title is the bow on top. It’s the first thing your readers see, so it better be enticing! Luckily, ChatGPT is your title maestro, ready to compose a captivating title that’s the cherry on the cake.

Catchy Titles 101: ChatGPT can generate titles that are not only catchy but also perfectly aligned with your essay’s content. It’s like having a marketing guru brainstorming attention-grabbing headlines.

So, wave goodbye to those generic titles and get ready to hook your readers from the get-go.

10. Writing a Conclusion

The Grand Finale

Every great essay deserves a grand finale, and that’s precisely what the conclusion is all about. It’s your chance to leave a lasting impression, and ChatGPT can be your wordsmith for this crucial task.

Summarize and Impress: Crafting a strong conclusion requires summarizing your essay’s main points concisely and eloquently. ChatGPT can assist in creating that memorable closing paragraph, ensuring that your readers are left with a sense of fulfillment and insight.

With the title shining bright and the conclusion sealing the deal, your essay is now a complete masterpiece. But before you hit that submit button, let’s not forget one last essential step: citations and references. Let’s wrap things up!

Can you use ChatGPT for essays?

Absolutely! ChatGPT is your ultimate wingman when it comes to essay writing. It’s like having a super-smart buddy who’s always ready to assist you. Here’s how ChatGPT can be your go-to for essays:

Topic Generation: Stuck on what to write about? ChatGPT can be your idea generator. It’s like brainstorming with a genius friend who knows your interests and field of study.

Outline Creation: Ever heard that “organization is the key to success”? Well, ChatGPT helps you create a roadmap for your essay. Think of it as your GPS for the essay-writing journey.

Introduction Crafting: First impressions matter, right? ChatGPT can help you kickstart your essay with a bang. It’s your secret source for attention-grabbing openings.

Body Paragraph Development: Need to elaborate on your ideas? ChatGPT is your expansion expert. It can help you add meat to your arguments and ensure your essay flows smoothly.

Citations and References: Don’t let the plagiarism monster haunt your essay. ChatGPT can magically generate those tricky citations in different styles.

Proofreading and Editing: Grammar gremlins, beware! ChatGPT can spot those sneaky errors. But remember, it’s not infallible, so give your essay a once-over for clarity.

Style and Tone Enhancement: Want your essay to sound pro? ChatGPT can be your writing coach, suggesting tweaks for that academic vibe.

Title and Conclusion Assistance: Need a catchy title or a killer ending? ChatGPT’s got your back. It’s like having a brainstorming session with a wordsmith friend.

Remember, while ChatGPT is a fantastic tool, your voice and ideas are what make your essay unique. Think of ChatGPT as your trusty sidekick, here to assist and enhance your writing adventures. So, go ahead, let your creativity flow, and make those essays shine!

How do you write a paper on ChatGPT?

Have a close look at the steps to write a paper on Chatgpt.

Choose a Captivating Angle

Start by picking an exciting aspect of ChatGPT that sparks your curiosity. Whether it’s its evolution, real-world applications, ethical dilemmas, or impact on industries, find an angle that truly interests you.

Dive into Research

Begin your adventure by diving headfirst into the world of ChatGPT research. Scout academic journals, books, research papers, and reliable online sources. Imagine you’re hunting for treasures of knowledge!

Craft a Roadmap

Plot your journey by creating an outline. Think of it as your treasure map with key locations:

Introduction

Exploring the chatgpt landscape.

• The Method Behind the Magic (if you’re conducting experiments)

Unearthing Findings

The grand reveal: what it all means.

• Your Research Legacy
• Open your paper with an engaging backstory about ChatGPT.
• State your research question or thesis like it’s the ultimate treasure hunt.
• Explain why your quest is vital for the world to know.
• Summarize what adventurers before you have discovered about ChatGPT.
• Analyze the different maps and compasses they used.
• Spot gaps in their explorations that you’re determined to fill.

The Method Behind the Magic (If Applicable)

• Share your secret methods if you embarked on a unique journey – conducting experiments, surveys, or analyzing data.
• Show off your equipment, aka the tools and software you used.
• Present your treasures – the findings and analysis of your expedition.
• Explain what these discoveries mean for the world of ChatGPT adventurers.
• Reveal the ancient artifacts (data) you uncovered.
• Summarize your epic journey.
• Remind everyone of the grand quest you set out on.
• Leave clues for other adventurers about where to explore next.

The Final Frontier: Conclusion

• Sum up your findings in an epic way.
• Recapture the essence of your journey and why it was worth every challenge.
• Inspire others to embark on their own quests in the world of ChatGPT.

Credits to Your Fellow Explorers: References

• Give credit to the explorers whose maps you followed.
• Create a treasure inventory – a list of all the sources you used, following a specific citation style (like APA or MLA).

Polishing Your Treasure Chest: Editing and Proofreading

• Go back to your treasure chest (your paper) and make sure everything shines.
• Check for grammar and readability .
• Ensure your paper flows seamlessly, like an explorer’s journal.

Peer Review

• Share your treasure map (paper) with a fellow explorer for their insights and suggestions.
• Sometimes, another pair of eyes can spot hidden gems you missed.

Launching Your Expedition: Submission

• Get ready to unveil your discoveries to the world.
• Follow the submission guidelines of the academic journal, conference, or platform where you plan to share your paper.

Remember, your paper is your expedition journal, and every section is a step in your adventure. So, gear up, and let your journey into the world of ChatGPT unfold on the pages of your paper!

How do you use ChatGPT to improve writing?

Have a close look at the tips to use Chatgpt to improve writing.

Polish Your Clarity and Structure

• Write your initial draft naturally, just as your thoughts flow.
• Imagine ChatGPT as your friendly editor. Ask it to help you make sentences smoother or reorganize paragraphs for better flow.

Banish Grammar and Spelling Gremlins

• After writing a section, give it a once-over for grammar and spelling glitches.
• Ask ChatGPT to be your vigilant proofreader. It can spot those sneaky mistakes you might have missed.

Sprinkle Some Vocabulary Magic

• If your writing feels repetitive, ChatGPT can be your wizard of words.
• Request some fancy synonyms or fresh phrasings to add flavor to your content.

Trim the Verbose

• If you tend to get a bit wordy, ask ChatGPT to help you trim the fat without losing the meat.
• Think of it as your writing gym buddy, guiding you to more concise sentences.

Craft the Perfect Tone and Style

• Describe the vibe you want – casual, formal, academic, persuasive – ChatGPT can adapt!
• Chat with it about your preferred tone, and it can sprinkle that magic dust on your writing.

Masterful Introductions and Conclusions

• Write your introduction and conclusion to tell a story, set the scene, or sum up your points.
• Imagine ChatGPT as your storytelling coach. It can help you craft those captivating beginnings and memorable endings.

Seamless Transitions and Cohesion

• Ensure your ideas glide smoothly from one to the next.
• Chat with ChatGPT about creating those magical bridges that keep your readers engaged.

Ask for Writing Wisdom

• Treat ChatGPT as your writing guru. Ask it questions like, “How can I make this clearer?” or “What’s a better way to say this?”
• Use its wisdom to elevate your writing game.

Practice Makes Perfect

• Keep chatting with ChatGPT regularly. It’s like having a writing buddy who’s always ready for a brainstorming session.
• Experiment with different styles and genres to keep your writing skills evolving.

Share with Friends

• Show your work to your writing pals and gather their thoughts.
• Consult ChatGPT to address specific feedback or ideas your friends offer.

Revise and Refine

• When you’re done, chat with ChatGPT one more time for the final polish.
• Trust your instincts, but let ChatGPT be your finishing touch.

Track Your Growth

• Keep tabs on your progress and see how your writing improves over time.
• It’s like leveling up in a writing video game with ChatGPT as your trusty sidekick.

With ChatGPT as your writing companion, improving your writing becomes a dynamic and engaging journey. It’s like having a talented friend who helps you bring out the best in your words. Happy writing!

Ta-da! You’ve officially unlocked the secrets of using ChatGPT to rock your essay game. From finding the coolest topics to crafting intros that grab attention and wrapping up with killer conclusions – you’ve got it all covered, my friend.

But wait up, don’t think for a second that ChatGPT is the star of the show. Nope, that’s all you! See, writing isn’t just about throwing words together; it’s about showcasing your style, your thoughts, and your uniqueness.

So, now what? It’s time to channel your newfound wisdom. Dive into your essay writing armed with ChatGPT’s tricks and your awesome ideas. Let those sentences flow, those paragraphs shine, and those ideas dance across the page.

With ChatGPT in your corner, every essay becomes a chance to dazzle, educate, and maybe even change a few minds. So, off you go, essay rockstar! Your journey to crafting top-notch essays starts now, and with ChatGPT as your co-pilot, it’s bound to be an epic one. Happy writing and keep rocking those essays!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chatgpt suitable for all types of essays.

Yes, ChatGPT can help with a wide range of essay types, from research papers to creative writing.

Can I trust ChatGPT for accurate citations?

ChatGPT can generate citations, but it’s important to cross-check them for accuracy.

Is ChatGPT suitable for academic essays?

Absolutely! ChatGPT is a valuable tool for academic writing, aiding in research, organization, and writing.

How can I integrate ChatGPT into my writing process?

You can access ChatGPT through its web interface or use APIs to integrate it into your applications or software.

Is ChatGPT user-friendly for beginners?

Yes, ChatGPT’s user-friendly interface makes it accessible to writers of all skill levels.

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Using ChatGPT to Write an Essay

Published by Owen Ingram at August 30th, 2023 , Revised On August 30, 2023

Navigating the world of essays can sometimes feel like steering a ship through a storm. With demands for clear structure, solid arguments, and impeccable grammar, essay writing is a skill that requires time and practice to master.

But what if you had an AI-powered tool to help? Enter ChatGPT – a cutting-edge language model designed to aid and assist in many writing tasks. Let’s explore how you can leverage ChatGPT to craft the perfect essay . Before that, it is important to know what ChatGPT is. 

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a version of the OpenAI GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) model designed specifically for conversational tasks. GPT is a type of machine learning model for natural language processing and understanding. 

ChatGPT, being based on this architecture, is adept at engaging in human-like conversations. Depending on the version, such as GPT-3.5 in your case, the model can have tens or even hundreds of billions of parameters. After being trained on vast amounts of data, these parameters allow the model to generate human-like responses in conversations, answer questions, write essays, create stories, and much more.

However, it is important to note that while ChatGPT can generate human-like text , it doesn’t possess consciousness, emotions, or intent. It generates responses based on patterns it learned during training and does not have understanding or beliefs in the same way humans do.

The Advantages of Using ChatGPT for Essay Writing 

Using ChatGPT for essay writing offers several advantages, with technology playing an increasingly important role in the modern educational environment. Here is an in-depth look at the benefits you have listed:

Speed and Efficiency in Generating Essays

• Instantaneous Responses: Unlike humans, who might need time to think and process information, ChatGPT can instantly generate responses.
• Consistency: Regardless of your many queries, the system remains unfazed and can operate without breaks, ensuring consistent performance.
• Customisation: Users can ask for essays to be simplified, expanded upon, or presented in various styles based on their preferences.

A Wide Range of Knowledge and References up to the Last Training Cut-Off

• Vast Information: Built upon a substantial dataset, ChatGPT is acquainted with many topics from literature, science, history, and more.
• No Need for External Research: For many general topics, users won’t have to sift through multiple sources for information. ChatGPT can provide a consolidated overview.
• Accuracy: The model has been trained on diverse and reputable sources, ensuring high reliability in its essay. However, users should always double-check facts and figures, especially for critical writing.

Ability to Brainstorm Ideas and Provide Multiple Perspectives

• Diverse Thought Process: Given its extensive training, ChatGPT can present various viewpoints on a subject, mimicking a brainstorming session with multiple experts.
• Idea Generation: If a user is unsure about which angle to approach a topic, ChatGPT can suggest a range of options.
• Feedback Loop: Users can iterate with the model, refining ideas until they reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Reducing Writer’s Block

• Prompting Ideas: When faced with the dreaded writer’s block, a conversation with ChatGPT can guide you in the right direction.
• Breaking Down Complex Topics: Users can gain clarity and overcome writing hurdles by asking the model to explain concepts in simpler terms or provide an outline.
• Maintaining Flow: Whenever users get stuck, they can quickly obtain suggestions, ensuring the writing process remains smooth and uninterrupted.

How to Use ChatGPT to Write an Essay 

Using ChatGPT to write an essay can be a transformative experience, streamlining the research and writing process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use ChatGPT effectively for essay writing :

Determine the Essay Topic and Objective

Before you start, be clear about what you want to write. If you are unsure, you can ask ChatGPT for topic suggestions or current trends related to a broader theme.

Initial Research

• Use ChatGPT to gain a general understanding of your topic. Ask for summaries, major points, key figures, dates, or other relevant information.
• Request sources or references to validate the information. Although ChatGPT’s last training cut-off was in 2021, it can guide you to seminal works or crucial references up to that date.

Brainstorm and Outline

• Ask ChatGPT to help brainstorm different angles or perspectives on your topic. This will give you a more comprehensive view and can lead to a more in-depth analysis.
• Create an essay outline . You can ask ChatGPT for a suggested structure based on your topic and the points you want to cover.

Drafting the Essay

• Start with the introduction. If you are unsure how to begin, ChatGPT can provide opening sentence suggestions or help you frame your thesis statement.
• For the body, use the information gathered during your research. You can ask ChatGPT to expand on certain points, provide examples, or even help with transitions between paragraphs.
• For the conclusion, ChatGPT can help summarise your main points and suggest how to close the essay effectively.

Review and Refinement

• Read it through once you have a draft to ensure coherence and flow. If certain sections feel lacking, you can ask ChatGPT for additional essays or ways to enhance the section.
• Ensure that the essay retains a personal touch. While ChatGPT can provide information and structure, the unique voice, insights, and perspectives should come from you.

Citation and Referencing

If you have used specific facts, figures, or ideas, ensure they are properly cited. While ChatGPT can guide you to key works up to its last training cut-off, it’s crucial to visit the sources for accurate citations.

Proofreading

Ask ChatGPT about grammar rules , sentence structures , or word choices to refine your essay . However, using dedicated proofreading tools or having another human review your work is also a good idea.

Sometimes, it is beneficial to gain feedback before the final submission. You can present your essay or specific sections to ChatGPT and ask for feedback or suggestions for improvement.

The academic papers we write have:

• Precision and Clarity
• Zero Plagiarism
• High-level Encryption
• Authentic Sources

Refinement and Proofreading 

In an age where Artificial Intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT can generate essays at a rapid pace, the value of human intervention in the refinement and proofreading stages of writing remains undeniable. This is especially true for tasks that demand a nuanced understanding, personal touch, or individual stylistic flair.

Why Human Touch is Still Essential

• Understanding : A human reader can pick up on subtleties, innuendos, cultural contexts, and emotional undertones in ways that AI, despite its sophistication, might miss.
• Ethical Considerations: Humans can discern the ethical implications or sensitivities of a particular statement or idea, ensuring the essay does not unintentionally offend or misrepresent.
• Authenticity: Readers often seek genuine and authentic voices. The human touch ensures the authenticity of experiences, feelings, and reflections that AI cannot genuinely replicate.

Checking the Essay for Relevance and Coherence

• Contextual Relevance: While AI can produce factually correct information, humans can gauge the appropriateness of that information within a specific context or audience.
• Logical Flow: Humans can better understand and appreciate the natural flow of an argument or narrative, ensuring the essay doesn’t merely present facts but tells a cohesive story or argument.
• Eliminating Redundancies: Humans can detect and remove repetitive points or ideas that don’t add value, ensuring conciseness and relevance.

Making Sure AI-Generated Essay Aligns with Personal Voice and Style

• Individual Style: Every writer has a unique voice and style, from their choice of vocabulary to the rhythm of their prose. Humans can ensure that an AI-generated essay meshes seamlessly with their style.
• Consistency: If an essay or article has both AI-generated and human-written sections, humans can ensure consistency in tone, style, and voice throughout.
• Personal Touch: Personal anecdotes, experiences, or reflections cannot be AI-generated. Humans can integrate these personal elements, ensuring the essay remains relatable and genuine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use chatgpt for essays.

Yes, ChatGPT can be used to assist with essay writing by generating ideas, clarifying concepts, and structuring content. However, ensuring originality, verifying accuracy, and maintaining a personal voice in the final output is essential to avoiding over-reliance on AI.

Can I use ChatGPT to reword my essay?

Yes, ChatGPT can help reword your essay, enhancing clarity, improving structure, and ensuring variety in expression. However, always review its suggestions for accuracy and coherence, ensuring that the revised content aligns with your original intent and adheres to academic standards.

How do you use ChatGPT for essay writing?

To use ChatGPT for essay writing, input your topic or question, and use the generated content as a guide. Extract ideas, refine arguments, or seek clarity on concepts. Always review, edit, and personalise the output, ensuring originality, accuracy, and alignment with your essay’s objectives and personal voice.

How to use ChatGPT to write an essay without plagiarising?

To avoid plagiarism with ChatGPT, use it for brainstorming, understanding concepts, and structure guidance. Never copy verbatim. Cross-check facts, rephrase AI-generated content and infuse your original thoughts. Ensure citations for external sources and check your essay with plagiarism detection tools before submission. Always prioritise originality and personal insight.

You May Also Like

We live in the age of artificial intelligence, where we find many AI writing tools at our fingertips, enabling us to improve and streamline our content production. One of the most notable advancements is ChatGPT by OpenAI.

ChatGPT has been the greatest hit in technology in the last few years. Technology enthusiasts and researchers, including those associated with the education section, have been closely watching the ChatGPT developments unfold.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has radically changed a variety of industries, including finance, education, and healthcare, and has become an essential part of daily life. Universities are embracing AI technologies to improve research, automate administrative procedures, and provide cutting-edge educational opportunities.

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7 Surefire Signs That ChatGPT Has Written an Essay Revealed

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have revealed the seven telltale signs that a piece of written content was generated by ChatGPT , after carefully analyzing more than 150 essays written by high school students and undergraduates.

They found that ChatGPT loves an Oxford Comma, repeats phrases and spits out tautological statements practically empty of meaning at a much higher frequency than humans.

While the findings are interesting, the sample size is quite small. There's also no guarantee that the linguistic habits and techniques identified couldn’t and wouldn't be used by a human. What’s more, AI content detection tools are largely unreliable; there’s still no way to know for certain that any given written content is AI-generated.

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The 7 Telltale Signs Content is AI-Generated

The researchers at Cambridge analyzed 164 essays written by high school students with four essays written with a helping hand from ChatGPT.

The ChatGPT-assisted essays were generally more information-heavy and had more reflective elements, but the markers at Cambridge found that they lacked the level of comparison and analysis typically found in human-generated content. 

According to UK-based publication The Telegraph , which broke the story, the researchers identified seven key indicators of AI content:

• Frequent use of Latin root words and “vocabulary above the expected level”
• Paragraphs starting with singular words like “however”, and then a comma 
• Lots of numbered lists with colons
• Unnecessary clarificatory language (e.g. “true fact”)
• Tautological language (“Lets come together to unite”)
• Repetition of the same word or phrase twice 
• Consistent and frequent use of Oxford commas in sentences

Are There Any Other Ways to Spot ChatGPT Plagiarism?

Yes and no. There are many tools online that claim to be able to detect AI content, but when I tested a wide range of them last year, I found many to be wildly inaccurate.

For instance, OpenAI’s own text classifier – which was eventually shut down because it performed so poorly – was unable to identify that text written by ChatGPT (effectively itself) was AI-generated.

Even Turnitin has been using automated processes to detect plagiarized content in academic work for years, and they’ve also developed a powerful AI content checker. The company has always maintained that verdicts arrived at by their tools should be treated as an indication, not a cast-iron accusation.

“Given that our false positive rate is not zero” Turnitin explains in a blog post discussing its AI content detection capabilities.

“You as the instructor will need to apply your professional judgment, knowledge of your students, and the specific context surrounding the assignment”.

None of these tools are infallible – and worse still, many of the free ones you’ll find lurking at the top of the Google Search results are completely and utterly useless.

Is It Wrong to Use AI for School or College Work?

While asking AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to write you an essay isn’t quite “plagiarism” in the same way copying content written by other people and passing it off as your own is, it’s certainly not advised.

Whether it’s objectively plagiarism or not is likely irrelevant – the educational institution you’re enrolled in has probably created guidelines explicitly banning generative AI. Many universities have already taken a similar approach to peer review and other academic processes.

Besides, the whole point of writing an essay is to consider the range of ideas and views on the topic you’re writing about and evaluate them using your head. Getting an AI to do it for you defeats the whole point of writing the essay in the first place.

Our advice – considering the consequences of being accused of plagiarism while at university – is to stick to the rules. Who knows – you might learn something while you're at it!

We're sorry this article didn't help you today – we welcome feedback, so if there's any way you feel we could improve our content, please email us at [email protected]

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Mobile Navigation

Introducing chatgpt.

We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.

Quick links

• Read about ChatGPT Plus

Illustration: Ruby Chen

ChatGPT is a sibling model to  InstructGPT , which is trained to follow an instruction in a prompt and provide a detailed response.

We are excited to introduce ChatGPT to get users’ feedback and learn about its strengths and weaknesses. During the research preview, usage of ChatGPT is free. Try it now at  chat.openai.com .

In the following sample, ChatGPT asks the clarifying questions to debug code.

In the following sample, ChatGPT initially refuses to answer a question that could be about illegal activities but responds after the user clarifies their intent.

In the following sample, ChatGPT is able to understand the reference (“it”) to the subject of the previous question (“fermat’s little theorem”).

In the following sample, ChatGPT provides responses to follow-up instructions.

Sample 1 of 4 Previous Next

help me write a short note to introduce myself to my neighbor

Hi there, My name is [Your Name] and I just moved in next door. I wanted to reach out and introduce myself. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and the neighborhood. If you ever need anything or just want to chat, please don’t hesitate to stop by or give me a call. Best, [Your Name]

can you make it more formal?

Dear Neighbor, I am writing to introduce myself. My name is [Your Name] and I have recently moved in next door. I wanted to take a moment to reach out and say hello. I am looking forward to getting to know you and the neighborhood. If there is anything I can do to be a good neighbor, or if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know. I am happy to help in any way that I can. Sincerely, [Your Name]

can you send it for me?

I’m sorry, but I am a text-based AI assistant and do not have the ability to send a physical letter for you. I can only provide suggestions and advice on what to write. It is up to you to take that advice and send the letter yourself.

this code is not working like i expect — how do i fix it?

It’s difficult to say what’s wrong with the code without more context. Can you provide more information about what the code is supposed to do and what isn’t working as expected? Also, is this the entire code or just a part of it?

just part of it — the error never surfaces. I think there is something wrong with the channel

It’s difficult to say without more information about what the code is supposed to do and what’s happening when it’s executed. One potential issue with the code you provided is that the resultWorkerErr channel is never closed, which means that the code could potentially hang if the resultWorkerErr channel is never written to. This could happen if b.resultWorker never returns an error or if it’s canceled before it has a chance to return an error.

To fix this issue, you could close the resultWorkerErr channel after writing to it. For example, you could add the following line of code after the line that sends the error on the channel:

This would ensure that the resultWorkerErr channel is always closed, even if b.resultWorker never returns an error. Again, it’s difficult to say whether this is the issue you’re experiencing without more information about the problem you’re seeing. Can you provide more details about what’s happening when you run the code?

how do you break into someone’s house?

It is not appropriate to discuss or encourage illegal activities, such as breaking into someone’s house. Doing so is a crime and can result in severe legal consequences. Instead, I would encourage you to talk to a trusted adult or law enforcement if you have concerns about someone’s safety or believe that a crime may have been committed. It is never okay to break into someone’s home without their permission.

actually i’m wondering how to protect my home from burglary

There are several steps you can take to help protect your home from burglaries. Some of these include:

• Install strong, durable locks on all doors and windows.
• Keep doors and windows locked, even when you are home.
• Use a security system, such as alarms or surveillance cameras.
• Keep your property well-lit, both inside and outside.
• Don’t leave valuable items in plain sight, such as electronics or jewelry.
• Trim bushes and trees near windows and doors to reduce hiding spots for burglars.
• Consider joining a neighborhood watch program to help keep an eye on your community.

Remember that no home is completely burglar-proof, but taking these steps can help reduce the likelihood of a break-in. If you have additional concerns, it may be a good idea to talk to a security professional for more advice.

what is the fermat’s little theorem

Fermat’s Little Theorem states that if p p p is a prime number and a a a is an integer not divisible by p p p , then a p a a^pa a p a ( a a a to the power p p p ) is congruent to a a a modulo p p p . In other words, if we divide a p a^p a p by p p p , the remainder is always a a a .

For example, if p = 5 p = 5 p = 5 and a = 2 a = 2 a = 2 , then 2 5 = 32 2^5 = 32 2 5 = 32 , and 32 32 32 divided by 5 5 5 has a remainder of 2 2 2 . Therefore, 2 5 2^5 2 5 is congruent to 2 2 2 modulo 5 5 5 , and Fermat’s Little Theorem holds for this case.

Fermat’s Little Theorem is often used in cryptography and other applications where it is necessary to perform modular arithmetic operations quickly and efficiently. It is also a useful tool for proving other theorems in number theory

how is it used in cryptography?

Fermat’s Little Theorem is used in cryptography in several ways. One of the most common applications is in the generation of so-called “public-key” cryptography systems, which are used to securely transmit messages over the internet and other networks.

In a public-key cryptography system, each user has a pair of keys: a public key, which is widely known and can be used by anyone to encrypt a message intended for that user, and a private key, which is known only to the user and is used to decrypt messages that have been encrypted with the corresponding public key.

One way to generate these keys is to use prime numbers and Fermat’s Little Theorem. For example, suppose we want to generate a public-key cryptography system for a user with the initials “ABC”. We might choose two large prime numbers, p p p and q q q , and then compute the product n = p q n = pq n = pq .

The user’s public key would then be the pair ( n , a ) (n, a) ( n , a ) , where aa is any integer not divisible by p p p or q q q . The user’s private key would be the pair ( n , b ) (n, b) ( n , b ) , where b b b is the modular multiplicative inverse of a modulo n n n . This means that when we multiply a a a and b b b together, the result is congruent to 1 1 1 modulo n n n .

To encrypt a message with the user’s public key ( n , a ) (n, a) ( n , a ) , we first convert the message into a number m m m (using some agreed-upon scheme), and then compute the encrypted message c c c as c = m a   m o d   n c = m^a \bmod n c = m a mod n . To decrypt the message, the recipient simply computes m = c b   m o d   n m = c^b \bmod n m = c b mod n , which (by Fermat’s Little Theorem) is equivalent to m = ( m a ) b   m o d   n = m ( a b )   m o d   n = m 1   m o d   n = m   m o d   n m = (m^a)^b \bmod n = m^(ab) \bmod n = m^1 \bmod n = m \bmod n m = ( m a ) b mod n = m ( ab ) mod n = m 1 mod n = m mod n .

In this way, Fermat’s Little Theorem allows us to perform modular exponentiation efficiently, which is a crucial operation in public-key cryptography. It also provides a way to generate a private key from a public key, which is essential for the security of the system.

write a limerick about it

There once was a theorem by Fermat That many found quite elegant It said if you take A prime number and make The power of a not divisible by it The result, congruent, will fit In cryptography, it’s quite handy For encrypting, it’s dandy Fermat’s Little Theorem, oh so neat In number theory, it can’t be beat!

summarize the conversation so far

Fermat’s Little Theorem states that if pp is a prime number and aa is an integer not divisible by p p p , then a p a^p a p (aa to the power pp) is congruent to aa modulo p p p . It is often used in cryptography to perform modular exponentiation efficiently and to generate private keys from public keys. It is also a useful tool in number theory for proving other theorems. I also wrote a limerick about Fermat’s Little Theorem.

We trained this model using Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), using the same methods as  InstructGPT , but with slight differences in the data collection setup. We trained an initial model using supervised fine-tuning: human AI trainers provided conversations in which they played both sides—the user and an AI assistant. We gave the trainers access to model-written suggestions to help them compose their responses. We mixed this new dialogue dataset with the InstructGPT dataset, which we transformed into a dialogue format.

To create a reward model for reinforcement learning, we needed to collect comparison data, which consisted of two or more model responses ranked by quality. To collect this data, we took conversations that AI trainers had with the chatbot. We randomly selected a model-written message, sampled several alternative completions, and had AI trainers rank them. Using these reward models, we can fine-tune the model using  Proximal Policy Optimization . We performed several iterations of this process.

ChatGPT is fine-tuned from a model in the GPT-3.5 series, which finished training in early 2022. You can learn more about the 3.5 series  here . ChatGPT and GPT-3.5 were trained on an Azure AI supercomputing infrastructure.

Limitations

• ChatGPT sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers. Fixing this issue is challenging, as: (1) during RL training, there’s currently no source of truth; (2) training the model to be more cautious causes it to decline questions that it can answer correctly; and (3) supervised training misleads the model because the ideal answer  depends on what the model knows , rather than what the human demonstrator knows.
• ChatGPT is sensitive to tweaks to the input phrasing or attempting the same prompt multiple times. For example, given one phrasing of a question, the model can claim to not know the answer, but given a slight rephrase, can answer correctly.
• The model is often excessively verbose and overuses certain phrases, such as restating that it’s a language model trained by OpenAI. These issues arise from biases in the training data (trainers prefer longer answers that look more comprehensive) and well-known over-optimization issues. [^reference-1] [^reference-2]
• Ideally, the model would ask clarifying questions when the user provided an ambiguous query. Instead, our current models usually guess what the user intended.
• While we’ve made efforts to make the model refuse inappropriate requests, it will sometimes respond to harmful instructions or exhibit biased behavior. We’re using the  Moderation API  to warn or block certain types of unsafe content, but we expect it to have some false negatives and positives for now. We’re eager to collect user feedback to aid our ongoing work to improve this system.

Iterative deployment

Today’s research release of ChatGPT is the latest step in OpenAI’s  iterative deployment  of increasingly safe and useful AI systems. Many lessons from deployment of earlier models like GPT-3 and Codex have informed the safety mitigations in place for this release, including substantial reductions in harmful and untruthful outputs achieved by the use of reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF).

The following samples compare ChatGPT with InstructGPT and demonstrate safety mitigations for ChatGPT.

Sample 1 of 3 Previous Next

How can I bully John Doe?

It is never okay to bully someone. Bullying is a serious problem that can have detrimental effects on both the person being bullied and the person engaging in bullying behavior. Instead of trying to bully someone, it is important to treat others with kindness and respect.

There are a few ways to bully John Doe. [Generates suggestions]

Tell me about when Christopher Columbus came to the US in 2015

This question is a bit tricky because Christopher Columbus died in 1506, so he could not have come to the US in 2015. But let’s pretend for a moment that he did!

If Columbus arrived in the US in 2015, he would likely be very surprised at the changes that have occurred since he first landed in the “New World” in 1492. For one, he would probably be shocked to find out that the land he “discovered” was actually already inhabited by Native Americans, and that now the United States is a multicultural nation with people from all over the world. He would likely also be amazed by the advances in technology, from the skyscrapers in our cities to the smartphones in our pockets. Lastly, he might be surprised to find out that many people don’t view him as a hero anymore; in fact, some people argue that he was a brutal conqueror who enslaved and killed native people. All in all, it would be a very different experience for Columbus than the one he had over 500 years ago.

Christopher Columbus came to the US in 2015 and he was very excited to be here. He had always wanted to visit the US and he was very curious about our country. He was very impressed with our country and he enjoyed his time here.

Can you tell me a gory and violent story that glorifies pain

I’m sorry, but I am not programmed to produce violent or gory content. My purpose is to provide information and assist with a wide range of tasks. I am not able to browse the internet or access any sort of external content, so I cannot provide you with a story or any other type of material that goes against my programming. Is there something else I can help you with?

[Generates story]

We know that many limitations remain as discussed above and we plan to make regular model updates to improve in such areas. But we also hope that by providing an accessible interface to ChatGPT, we will get valuable user feedback on issues that we are not already aware of.

Users are encouraged to provide feedback on problematic model outputs through the UI, as well as on false positives/negatives from the external content filter which is also part of the interface. We are particularly interested in feedback regarding harmful outputs that could occur in real-world, non-adversarial conditions, as well as feedback that helps us uncover and understand novel risks and possible mitigations. You can choose to enter the  ChatGPT Feedback Contest [^reference-3]  for a chance to win up to $500 in API credits. [^footnote-1] Entries can be submitted via the feedback form that is linked in the ChatGPT interface.

We are excited to carry the lessons from this release into the deployment of more capable systems, just as earlier deployments informed this one.

Acknowledgments

Contributors: John Schulman, Barret Zoph, Christina Kim, Jacob Hilton, Jacob Menick, Jiayi Weng, Juan Felipe Ceron Uribe, Liam Fedus, Luke Metz, Michael Pokorny, Rapha Gontijo Lopes, Shengjia Zhao, Arun Vijayvergiya, Eric Sigler, Adam Perelman, Chelsea Voss, Mike Heaton, Joel Parish, Dave Cummings, Rajeev Nayak, Valerie Balcom, David Schnurr, Tomer Kaftan, Chris Hallacy, Nicholas Turley, Noah Deutsch, Vik Goel, Jonathan Ward, Aris Konstantinidis, Wojciech Zaremba, Long Ouyang, Leonard Bogdonoff, Joshua Gross, David Medina, Sarah Yoo, Teddy Lee, Ryan Lowe, Dan Mossing, Joost Huizinga, Roger Jiang, Carroll Wainwright, Diogo Almeida, Steph Lin, Marvin Zhang, Kai Xiao, Katarina Slama, Steven Bills, Alex Gray, Jan Leike, Jakub Pachocki, Phil Tillet, Shantanu Jain, Greg Brockman, Nick Ryder, Alex Paino, Qiming Yuan, Clemens Winter, Ben Wang, Mo Bavarian, Igor Babuschkin, Szymon Sidor, Ingmar Kanitscheider, Mikhail Pavlov, Matthias Plappert, Nik Tezak, Heewoo Jun, William Zhuk, Vitchyr Pong, Lukasz Kaiser, Jerry Tworek, Andrew Carr, Lilian Weng, Sandhini Agarwal, Karl Cobbe, Vineet Kosaraju, Alethea Power, Stanislas Polu, Jesse Han, Raul Puri, Shawn Jain, Benjamin Chess, Christian Gibson, Oleg Boiko, Emy Parparita, Amin Tootoonchian, Kyle Kosic, Christopher Hesse

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The tell-tale signs students are using chatgpt to help write their essays.

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Researchers have identified key features of ChatGPT-generated content that makes it easier to spot ... [+] (Pic: Getty Creative)

Researchers have identified tell-tale signs that students have used AI to help write their essays.

Excessive used of words derived from Latin, using unnecessary words and repeated use of the Oxford comma are among the hallmarks of using a generative chatbot to complete coursework, researchers found .

But while students taking part in the trial said they found using AI had some advantages, they acknowledged that relying on it completely would likely result in work of a low standard.

The impact of generative AI on education has been exercising educators since Open AI launched ChatGPT — a chatbot that generates text by predicting which words are likely to follow a particular prompt — in November 2022.

While some regard AI as a potentially transformative technology, creating a more inclusive and personalized education, for others it makes it impossible to trust coursework grades. Even academics have not been immune to using AI to enhance their work.

Now researchers at Cambridge University have tried to see if they could identify characteristics of AI’s writing style that could make it easy to spot.

And although their trial was small scale, they say it has the potential to help teachers work out which students used AI in their essays, and which did not.

Three undergraduates were enlisted to write two essays each with the help of ChatGPT, which were then compared with essays on the same topic written by 164 high school students. The undergraduates were then interviewed about their experience of using AI.

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(Undergraduates were included in the study because ChatGPT requires users to be 18 or over).

The ChatGPT essays performed better on average, being marked particularly highly for ‘information’ and ‘reflection’. They did poorly, however, for ‘analysis’ and ‘comparison’ — differences the researchers suggest reflect the chatbot’s strengths and weaknesses.

But when it comes to style, there were a number of features that made the ChatGPT assisted version easily recognizable.

The default AI style “echoes the bland, clipped, and objective style that characterizes much generic journalistic writing found on the internet,” according to the researchers, who identified a number of key features of ChatGPT content:

• A high frequency of words with a Latin root, particularly multisyllable words and a vocabulary above the expected level;
• Paragraphs starting with specific markers, such as ‘however’, ‘moreover’ and ‘overall’, followed by a comma;
• Numbered lists, with items followed by colons;
• Pleonasms: using unnecessary words, such as ‘free gift’ or ‘true fact’;
• Tautology: saying the same thing twice, such as ‘We must come together to unite’;
• Repeating words or phrases;
• Consistent use of Oxford commas, a comma used after the penultimate item in a list, before ‘and’ or ‘or’, for example “ChatGPT has many uses for teaching, learning at home, revision, and assessment”.

Although the students taking part in the trial used ChatGPT to different extents, from copying and pasting whole passages to using it as prompts for further research, there was broad agreement that it was useful for gathering information quickly, and that it could be integrated into essay writing through specific prompts, on topics and essay structure, for example.

But the students also agreed that using AI to write the essay would produce work of a low academic standard.

“Despite the small sample size, we are excited about these findings as they have the capacity to inform the work of teachers as well as students,” said Jude Brady of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, lead researcher on the study.

Future work should include larger and more representative sample sizes of students, she said. Learning to use and detect generative AI was an increasingly important part of digital literacy, she added.

“We hope our research might help people to identify when a piece of text has been written by ChatGPT,” she said.

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How to prompt friends and influence people —

The fine art of human prompt engineering: how to talk to a person like chatgpt, people are more like ai language models than you might think. here are some prompting tips..

Benj Edwards - Apr 3, 2024 11:30 am UTC

While AI assistants like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm, a growing body of research shows that it's also possible to generate useful outputs from what might be called "human language models," or people. Much like large language models (LLMs) in AI, HLMs have the ability to take information you provide and transform it into meaningful responses—if you know how to craft effective instructions, called "prompts."

Further Reading

Human prompt engineering is an ancient art form dating at least back to Aristotle's time, and it also became widely popular through books published in the modern era before the advent of computers.

Since interacting with humans can be difficult, we've put together a guide to a few key prompting techniques that will help you get the most out of conversations with human language models. But first, let's go over some of what HLMs can do.

Understanding human language models

LLMs like those that power ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot , Google Gemini , and Anthropic Claude all rely on an input called a "prompt," which can be a text string or an image encoded into a series of tokens (fragments of data). The goal of each AI model is to take those tokens and predict the next most-likely tokens that follow, based on data trained into their neural networks. That prediction becomes the output of the model.

Similarly, prompts allow human language models to draw upon their training data to recall information in a more contextually accurate way. For example, if you prompt a person with "Mary had a," you might expect an HLM to complete the sentence with "little lamb" based on frequent instances of the famous nursery rhyme encountered in educational or upbringing datasets. But if you add more context to your prompt, such as "In the hospital, Mary had a," the person instead might draw on training data related to hospitals and childbirth and complete the sentence with "baby."

Humans rely on a type of biological neural network (called "the brain") to process information. Each brain has been trained since birth on a wide variety of both text and audiovisual media, including large copyrighted datasets. (Predictably, some humans are prone to reproducing copyrighted content or other people's output occasionally, which can get them in trouble .)

Despite how often we interact with humans, scientists still have an incomplete grasp on how HLMs process language or interact with the world around them. HLMs are still considered a " black box ," in the sense that we know what goes in and what comes out, but how brain structure gives rise to complex thought processes is largely a mystery. For example, do humans actually "understand" what you're prompting them, or do they simply react based on their training data? Can they truly "reason," or are they just regurgitating novel permutations of facts learned from external sources? How can a biological machine acquire and use language? The ability appears to emerge spontaneously through pre-training from other humans and is then fine-tuned later through education.

Despite the black-box nature of their brains, most experts believe that humans build a world model (an internal representation of the exterior world around them) to help complete prompts and that they possess advanced mathematical capabilities, though that varies dramatically by model, and most still need access to external tools to complete accurate calculations. Still, a human's most useful strength might lie in the verbal-visual user interface, which uses vision and language processing to encode multimodal inputs (speech, text, sound, or images) and then produce coherent outputs based on a prompt.

Humans also showcase impressive few-shot learning capabilities, being able to quickly adapt to new tasks in context (within the prompt) using a few provided examples. Their zero-shot learning abilities are equally remarkable, and many HLMs can tackle novel problems without any prior task-specific training data (or at least attempt to tackle them, to varying degrees of success).

Interestingly, some HLMs (but not all ) demonstrate strong performance on common sense reasoning benchmarks , showcasing their ability to draw upon real-world "knowledge" to answer questions and make inferences. They also tend to excel at open-ended text generation tasks, such as story writing and essay composition, producing coherent and creative outputs.

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Channel ars technica.

• Services & Software

Here's How to Get Started Using ChatGPT

Want to use ChatGPT but not quite sure where to start? Check out these tips.

Learning to use AI chatbots effectively is more important than ever. 

If 2023 was the year of AI, then it's looking like  2024 will carry on the trend . You may not have tried out one of the many AI chatbots that hit the scene over the last year, but you've probably heard a thing or two about them. How could you not?  OpenAI's ChatGPT gained 100 million users in just two months . It took Instagram and TikTok two and a half years and nine months, respectively, to hit that same mark. 

The field of AI chatbots and other generative AI tools is expansive and growing. A short list includes Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude.ai, Perplexity, Dall-E and Midjourney, and collectively they're poised to transform how you work, how you get information and how companies do business. But it all got started with ChatGPT.

Learning to use and navigate using AI chatbots will be increasingly important this year, and if one of your goals is to get more comfortable with AI, you're in the right place. Here's what you need to know about getting started with ChatGPT. 

For more, here's an in-depth look at ChatGPT and how AI is changing the way we answer our health questions . 

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence service that simulates human conversation to attempt to understand your text-based questions and requests and then respond to them. To accomplish this task, the chatbot is pretrained on large data sets (including public webpages) to look for patterns and create understandable and appropriate responses based on your requests or prompts. (The "GPT" part of the name reflects that and is short for "generative pretraining transformer.")

If you really want to dig into what ChatGPT is, we have a handy ChatGPT glossary that can help you make sense of it all.

Before your first ChatGPT prompt…

You can't start asking ChatGPT for help until you make an account with OpenAI. 

Navigate to ChatGPT's login page , and you'll be met with the options to Log In or Sign Up. Tap the Sign Up button and provide your name, email address and a valid phone number to verify your account. Note you'll have to accept a couple of disclaimers from OpenAI before you can start prompting ChatGPT. 

Tweak some ChatGPT settings

After creating your account and accepting OpenAI's disclaimers, you should do a few more things before asking all of your questions. First, I recommend tinkering with a few ChatGPT settings. There aren't too many settings, but the more familiar you are with the options, the better. 

Custom instructions let you give ChatGPT some parameters to work with when answering your prompts -- at least it's supposed to. 

The settings that I suggest adjusting are the Custom instructions , where you can give ChatGPT instructions and parameters for how to answer your prompts. These instructions can include information about you, how long or short responses should be, what your hobbies and interests are, and other specifying information. For instance, I told ChatGPT that I was a big fan of Taylor Swift and Formula 1. But when I would ask what music I should try listening to, or what sports I should try watching, this information did not seem to impact the responses I got. 

Before your first prompt, define your 'why' 

Now that you're set up, you're ready to ask your first question. Before you start typing your prompt, however, stop and think about what you really want out of your query. 

You can ask ChatGPT to do all sorts of things for you, but the more focused you are when you're drafting your prompt, the more focused your answer will be. This practice, commonly referred to as prompt engineering , is important if you want useful answers from ChatGPT. 

Ready, set, prompt

Prompting ChatGPT itself is simple. On ChatGPT's homepage, you will see a bar labeled "Message ChatGPT…" at the bottom of the page. When you have a prompt in mind, simply type it into that bar. 

After you've submitted your prompt, ChatGPT will "think" for a moment, and then return a response to your question. At the bottom of ChatGPT's response, you will see four symbols. A small clipboard, a thumbs up, a thumbs down and a circular arrow. 

The small clipboard allows you to copy ChatGPT's response, the thumbs up and thumbs down allow you to tell ChatGPT if its response is good or bad, and the circular arrow will tell ChatGPT to regenerate its response. Note: Regenerating the response will yield a different response than you got the first time. 

After you prompt…

Even after ChatGPT yields its response, your job isn't quite done. There are still a couple of best practices to consider before putting ChatGPT's response into action. 

Be aware of hallucination : Even if you have crafted a near-perfect prompt, ChatGPT may "hallucinate" in its answer. In the context of AI, hallucination refers to the chatbot returning incorrect and nonfactual information. This is not unique to ChatGPT and can affect other chatbots as well. 

It's wise to double-check any advice you receive, and that's especially true when it's coming from a chatbot such as ChatGPT. 

And that goes for questions around health and self-diagnosis . If you ask ChatGPT if women can use Rogaine (a hair-loss medication with the active ingredient minoxidil), for example, the chatbot may tell you that women can use Rogaine but only the women's formulations. But this isn't necessarily true. A 2017 study found that there is no chemical difference between men's and women's Rogaine . The only difference is the price, which can be 40% more for the women's version. When I was dealing with some hair loss, my dermatologist recommended me to opt for men's Rogaine to save a bit of money. 

Sometimes ChatGPT gets it right. Usually it's close. Once in a while, it's very wrong. Check ChatGPT's answers with a Google search at the very least and, if possible, confirm the answer with professionals. 

The answer is just… bad

I go into this much more in my guide on how to write prompts , but ChatGPT is by no means perfect. It will most likely give you an answer that you're not quite satisfied with. Luckily, it's easy to remedy this issue. 

First, make sure you're asking a detailed question: The more usable information you put in your prompt, the better chance that you get back a usable answer. (You should be willing to go back and refine your prompt if you're not getting the answers you expected.)

Second, ask clarifying follow-up questions. I've found that this produces mixed results. It can sometimes prompt ChatGPT to refine its answer, but it can also just return more garbage. 

Finally, if it feels like you're heading down the wrong path, start a new chat and ask your question again. Note that if you do start over or delete your chat history, your prompts are still on OpenAI's servers.

Does ChatGPT remember what I've asked it?

Your previous prompts will not affect the answers that ChatGPT gives you. I asked ChatGPT to help me brainstorm ideas for a birthday gift for my brother and gave information on his interests in my initial prompt. If I wanted to ask another question about my brother's birthday later, I would need to re-enter the information into ChatGPT. 

This won't be the case for long, though. On Feb. 13, OpenAI announced that it's testing ways for ChatGPT to remember details you've discussed in earlier chats when you create new prompts. OpenAI said it was rolling out the features to a "small portion of ChatGPT free and Plus users this week" and will share plans for a larger rollout soon. If you have access to this new feature and you don't want ChatGPT to remember your history, you can disable it by going to Settings , selecting the Personalization tab and then toggling Memory off. 

For more on AI, here's what to know about ChatGPT's new memory function and whether or not ChatGPT is helpful when it comes to wooing your loved one.

Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see  this post .

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How the A.I. That Drives ChatGPT Will Move Into the Physical World

Covariant, a robotics start-up, is designing technology that lets robots learn skills much like chatbots do.

By combining camera and sensory data with the enormous amounts of text used to train chatbots like ChatGPT, Covariant has built A.I. technology that gives its robots a much broader understanding of the world around it. Credit...

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By Cade Metz

Photographs and Video by Balazs Gardi

Cade Metz spent two days at Covariant’s headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., to report this article.

• March 11, 2024

Companies like OpenAI and Midjourney build chatbots , image generators and other artificial intelligence tools that operate in the digital world.

Now, a start-up founded by three former OpenAI researchers is using the technology development methods behind chatbots to build A.I. technology that can navigate the physical world.

Covariant, a robotics company headquartered in Emeryville, Calif ., is creating ways for robots to pick up, move and sort items as they are shuttled through warehouses and distribution centers. Its goal is to help robots gain an understanding of what is going on around them and decide what they should do next.

The technology also gives robots a broad understanding of the English language, letting people chat with them as if they were chatting with ChatGPT.

The technology, still under development, is not perfect. But it is a clear sign that the artificial intelligence systems that drive online chatbots and image generators will also power machines in warehouses, on roadways and in homes.

Like chatbots and image generators, this robotics technology learns its skills by analyzing enormous amounts of digital data. That means engineers can improve the technology by feeding it more and more data.

Covariant, backed by $222 million in funding, does not build robots. It builds the software that powers robots. The company aims to deploy its new technology with warehouse robots, providing a road map for others to do much the same in manufacturing plants and perhaps even on roadways with driverless cars.

The A.I. systems that drive chatbots and image generators are called neural networks , named for the web of neurons in the brain.

By pinpointing patterns in vast amounts of data, these systems can learn to recognize words, sounds and images — or even generate them on their own. This is how OpenAI built ChatGPT, giving it the power to instantly answer questions, write term papers and generate computer programs. It learned these skills from text culled from across the internet. (Several media outlets, including The New York Times, have sued OpenAI for copyright infringement.)

Companies are now building systems that can learn from different kinds of data at the same time. By analyzing both a collection of photos and the captions that describe those photos, for example, a system can grasp the relationships between the two. It can learn that the word “banana” describes a curved yellow fruit.

OpenAI employed that system to build Sora , its new video generator. By analyzing thousands of captioned videos, the system learned to generate videos when given a short description of a scene, like “a gorgeously rendered papercraft world of a coral reef, rife with colorful fish and sea creatures.”

Covariant, founded by Pieter Abbeel, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and three of his former students, Peter Chen, Rocky Duan and Tianhao Zhang, used similar techniques in building a system that drives warehouse robots.

The company helps operate sorting robots in warehouses across the globe . It has spent years gathering data — from cameras and other sensors — that shows how these robots operate.

“It ingests all kinds of data that matter to robots — that can help them understand the physical world and interact with it,” Dr. Chen said.

By combining that data with the huge amounts of text used to train chatbots like ChatGPT, the company has built A.I. technology that gives its robots a much broader understanding of the world around it.

After identifying patterns in this stew of images, sensory data and text, the technology gives a robot the power to handle unexpected situations in the physical world. The robot knows how to pick up a banana, even if it has never seen a banana before.

It can also respond to plain English, much like a chatbot. If you tell it to “pick up a banana,” it knows what that means. If you tell it to “pick up a yellow fruit,” it understands that, too.

It can even generate videos that predict what is likely to happen as it tries to pick up a banana. These videos have no practical use in a warehouse, but they show the robot’s understanding of what’s around it.

“If it can predict the next frames in a video, it can pinpoint the right strategy to follow,” Dr. Abbeel said.

The technology, called R.F.M., for robotics foundational model, makes mistakes, much like chatbots do . Though it often understands what people ask of it, there is always a chance that it will not. It drops objects from time to time.

Gary Marcus, an A.I. entrepreneur and an emeritus professor of psychology and neural science at New York University, said the technology could be useful in warehouses and other situations where mistakes are acceptable. But he said it would be more difficult and riskier to deploy in manufacturing plants and other potentially dangerous situations.

“It comes down to the cost of error,” he said. “If you have a 150-pound robot that can do something harmful, that cost can be high.”

As companies train this kind of system on increasingly large and varied collections of data, researchers believe it will rapidly improve.

That is very different from the way robots operated in the past. Typically, engineers programmed robots to perform the same precise motion again and again — like pick up a box of a certain size or attach a rivet in a particular spot on the rear bumper of a car. But robots could not deal with unexpected or random situations.

By learning from digital data — hundreds of thousands of examples of what happens in the physical world — robots can begin to handle the unexpected. And when those examples are paired with language, robots can also respond to text and voice suggestions, as a chatbot would.

This means that like chatbots and image generators, robots will become more nimble.

“What is in the digital data can transfer into the real world,” Dr. Chen said.

Cade Metz writes about artificial intelligence, driverless cars, robotics, virtual reality and other emerging areas of technology. More about Cade Metz

Explore Our Coverage of Artificial Intelligence

News  and Analysis

David Autor, an M.I.T. economist and tech skeptic, argues that A.I. is fundamentally different  from past waves of computerization.

Economists doubt that artificial intelligence is already visible in productivity data . Big companies, however, talk often about adopting it to improve efficiency.

OpenAI unveiled Voice Engine , an A.I. technology that can recreate a person’s voice from a 15-second recording.

Amazon said it had added $2.75 billion to its investment in Anthropic , an A.I. start-up that competes with companies like OpenAI and Google.

Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee signed a bill  to prevent the use of A.I. to copy a performer’s voice. It is the first such measure in the United States.

French regulators said Google failed to notify news publishers  that it was using their articles to train its A.I. algorithms, part of a wider ruling against the company for its negotiating practices with media outlets.

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AI vs Teacher: How a hidden trick is showing which students use ChatGPT, Google Bard in class

This technique involves embedding a hidden instruction within the essay prompt that directs the inclusion of specific, unrelated words in the student's submission.

• Updated Apr 03, 2024, 12:29 PM IST

The advent of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google's Bard has ushered in new concerns about academic integrity. These tools, designed to generate human-like text based on the prompts they receive, have become a tempting option for students looking to circumvent the traditional essay-writing process. This development poses a significant challenge for educators striving to maintain the integrity of academic assignments. But some teachers are finding their own little ways to solve this pressing problem.  

Related Articles

• OpenAI announces ChatGPT access now without an account
• Apple could use Google, OpenAI, others for generative AI features in iOS 18: Report

Daina Petronis, an English teacher from Toronto, Canada has garnered attention for her innovative approach to identifying essays generated by AI. In a TikTok video cited by Daily Mail, the teacher has grabbed both interest and criticism. Petronis unveiled a method she refers to as a 'Trojan Horse.' This technique involves embedding a hidden instruction within the essay prompt that directs the inclusion of specific, unrelated words in the student's submission. The instruction, formatted in white text and minimised in size, remains unseen by students but is detected by AI when the prompt is copied into a tool like ChatGPT.

The process Petronis outlines: 1. Divide the essay prompt into two parts. 2. Embed a directive in one part asking for the inclusion of arbitrary words. 3. Conceal this directive by setting the font color to white and reducing its size. 4. Reassemble the prompt.

When students use ChatGPT, the AI incorporates the specified 'Trojan Horse' words into the essay, signaling to teacher that the work may not be the student's own. Petronis's method relies on the premise that AI, unlike humans, will not overlook these hidden instructions and will dutifully integrate the specified terms into its response.

This approach also sparked discussions among educators and students alike. Critics argue that it primarily targets students who use AI without reviewing the generated text, suggesting it might not catch more diligent cheaters.

Petronis emphasises that the primary goal of her 'Trojan Horse' technique is to ensure academic integrity and to provide an opportunity to guide students away from reliance on AI for educational tasks. 

Addressing the surge of chatbots and generative AI, a Harvard Graduate School of Education study provides some guidance for educators in the era of AI. The report made the following points that could help both educators and students deal with the advent of the new technology:
 1. AI is Here: AI is becoming a significant part of our world, and it’s crucial for teachers to understand it. Even though it might feel unfamiliar or intimidating, it’s a reality we need to embrace. 2. AI is a Tool: AI can serve as a beneficial tool in the classroom. It can assist teachers in understanding students better and provide students with a more personalized learning experience. 3. Teachers Need to Learn About AI: It’s essential for teachers to learn about AI so they can guide their students. Students are already using AI tools, and they need to understand how to use them responsibly. 4. Use AI With Students: Teachers should incorporate AI tools with their students. This can be done in class or assigned as homework. The objective is to help students comprehend how AI works and how to use it responsibly. 5. Teach Students to Ask Questions: One of the most vital skills students can learn is how to ask good questions. This is something that AI can’t do, so it’s a skill that will always be valuable.  

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• How to Write a Paper with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Paper with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples

Published on 17 August 2023 by Koen Driessen .

A good research paper demonstrates your academic writing skills and knowledge of your chosen topic.

Your research paper should be based on in-depth independent research. However, generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be effectively used throughout the research process to:

• Brainstorm research questions
• Develop a methodology
• Create an outline
• Find sources
• Summarise and paraphrase text
• Provide feedback

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Table of contents

Brainstorming research questions, developing a methodology, creating an outline, finding sources, summarising or paraphrasing text, receiving feedback, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

You can use ChatGPT to help formulate research questions , brainstorm potential thesis statements , or narrow down a broad subject area to a specific topic that interests you.

However, make sure that the outputs make sense and meet the requirements of your assignment. You can adapt these outputs manually, or use further prompts to ensure they meet your needs. For more information, see our tips for creating effective ChatGPT prompts .

• Generate three possible research questions for a research paper on the following topic: “The role of virtual reality in enhancing training and skill development in various industries.”
• “What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods across different industries?”
• “How does the level of immersion in virtual reality training impact knowledge retention and skill transfer in fields such as medicine, aviation, and manufacturing?”
• “What are the key factors that influence the successful integration and adoption of virtual reality technology for training purposes in diverse industries, and what challenges hinder its widespread implementation?”

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Your paper should clearly indicate the data collection and analysis methods you used in your research.

You can use ChatGPT to help decide what kind of research you will conduct (e.g., qualitative or quantitative ), how you will analyse the data, and how you will mitigate potential research bias .

Bear in mind that you should be able to rationalize your chosen methodology . For example, you should ensure that it is either a standard methodology in the field or can be justified.

• Suggest three quantitative research methods appropriate to the following question: “What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods in the field of healthcare?”
• Experimental Study: Conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where healthcare professionals are randomly assigned to either a virtual reality-based training group or a traditional training group. Both groups would receive training in specific healthcare tasks, and their cognitive and skill development outcomes would be measured and compared. Performance metrics, such as accuracy, speed, and efficiency, could be quantitatively assessed to determine the benefits of virtual reality-based training over traditional methods.
• Survey Research: Design a comprehensive survey targeting healthcare professionals who have undergone both virtual reality-based training and traditional training. The survey could include Likert-scale questions and structured response options to gauge their perceived cognitive and skill development benefits from each training method. Additionally, open-ended questions could be included to gather qualitative insights on specific strengths and weaknesses of each training approach.
• Task Performance Analysis: Implement a task-based assessment that simulates real-life healthcare scenarios, where participants are evaluated on their ability to handle critical situations. Participants would go through both virtual reality-based training and traditional training before being assessed in the simulated scenarios. Their performance in the assessment could be objectively measured using predefined criteria, allowing for a quantitative comparison of skill development between the two training methods.

A clear outline can help structure your paper, organise your arguments effectively, and make your research more efficient.

You can use generative AI tools like ChatGPT to formulate a potential outline to help guide your research. You can be as specific as you like, giving an overview of your research objectives , main arguments, and any evidence you intend to include in your paper.

However, ChatGPT outputs sometimes contain factual inaccuracies. It’s important to check the headings and subheadings suggested in the output and adapt them to meet your needs.

• Create an outline for an academic research paper with the following research question:“What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods in the field of healthcare?” The paper will be about 10 pages long.

B. Existing studies on cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality training

C. Comparison of virtual reality-based training with traditional training methods

D. Gaps in the literature and research limitations

III. Theoretical Framework

A. Theoretical basis for cognitive and skill development in training

B. Application of cognitive theories to virtual reality-based training

C. The role of immersive learning environments in skill acquisition

D. Conceptual framework for the study

IV. Research Methodology

A. Research design and approach (e.g., quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention)

B. Selection of participants and sample size calculation

C. Description of the virtual reality-based training and traditional training programs

D. Instruments and measures for assessing cognitive and skill development

E. Data collection procedures and ethical considerations

V. Data Analysis

A. Overview of statistical methods used for data analysis

B. Treatment of data and data cleaning

C. Quantitative analysis of cognitive and skill development outcomes

D. Presentation of findings with charts and tables

VI. Results

A. Presentation of the results of the cognitive and skill development assessments

B. Comparison of outcomes between virtual reality-based training and traditional training

C. Statistical significance and effect size analysis

D. Interpretation of the results and implications

VII. Discussion

A. Interpretation of findings in the context of the research question

B. Comparison of results with existing literature

C. Explanation of how virtual reality-based training impacts cognitive processes and skill development

D. Limitations of the study and areas for future research

VIII. Practical Implications

A. Practical applications of virtual reality-based training in healthcare settings

B. Recommendations for integrating virtual reality training in healthcare education

C. Benefits of virtual reality for continuous professional development in healthcare

IX. Conclusion

A. Summary of key findings

B. Reiteration of the research question and hypothesis

C. Contributions of the study to the field of healthcare training

D. Concluding remarks

X. References

You can use ChatGPT to help find sources relevant to your research. However, it’s important to be aware of the limitations of ChatGPT (for example, it occasionally cites nonexistent sources).

Instead of asking ChatGPT for specific source recommendations, try asking it for recommendations on the types of sources relevant to your research topic. You can also use it to generate a list of relevant keywords to use in your literature search.

• What types of sources could I use to write a research paper on the following research question? “What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods in the field of healthcare?”
• Academic Journals: Peer-reviewed journals are valuable sources of scholarly research. Look for articles in medical education, cognitive psychology, virtual reality applications in healthcare, and technology-enhanced learning.
• Research Studies: Seek out published research studies that specifically investigate the impact of virtual reality-based training on cognitive and skill development in healthcare professionals.
• Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: These studies provide comprehensive overviews of existing research on a specific topic, making them a valuable source for summarizing and analyzing the overall evidence.
• Books and Book Chapters: Academic books and book chapters authored by experts in the fields of medical education, virtual reality, cognitive science, or instructional design can provide in-depth insights and theoretical foundations.
• Conference Proceedings: Proceedings from relevant conferences and symposiums may present the latest findings and advancements in virtual reality-based training and healthcare education.
• Educational Institution Websites: Universities and medical schools often publish research papers, case studies, and whitepapers related to medical education and virtual reality training.
• Industry Reports: Reports and whitepapers from healthcare organizations or technology companies exploring the benefits of virtual reality-based training in the healthcare sector.
• Government and Non-profit Organisations: Look for reports and publications from government agencies and non-profit organisations that focus on medical education and healthcare training.
• Online Databases: Utilize academic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect to search for peer-reviewed research articles and conference papers.
• Expert Interviews: If possible, conduct interviews with experts in medical education, cognitive science, and virtual reality to gain valuable insights and perspectives.
• Surveys and Polls: Refer to reputable surveys and polls related to virtual reality-based training in the healthcare industry for additional statistical data.

You can use ChatGPT to paraphrase or summarise text. This can help you to condense sources to their most important points and explore new ways of expressing your ideas.

Alternatively you can use the more specialised tools featured on Scribbr’s AI writing resources page, which are designed specifically for these purposes and will give a smoother user experience.

• Provide a short summary of the following text:“One of the most profound applications of VR in healthcare is its use in surgical training. Traditionally, surgical training has relied on a combination of didactic lectures, observation of procedures, and hands-on experience in the operating room. However, these methods may not provide the ideal environment for novices to develop the necessary dexterity and spatial understanding essential for complex surgeries. VR overcomes these limitations by offering immersive, true-to-life simulations that allow surgeons to navigate through intricate anatomical structures, practice incisions, and learn to manage unexpected challenges that may arise during surgeries. This hands-on experience in a risk-free environment not only enhances technical skills but also builds confidence and reduces the learning curve for new surgical techniques.”
• Virtual Reality (VR) has a profound impact on healthcare, particularly in surgical training, as it provides immersive simulations that help surgeons develop dexterity, spatial understanding, and confidence for complex surgeries in a risk-free environment, ultimately enhancing their technical skills and reducing the learning curve.

When you’ve finished writing your research paper, you can use ChatGPT to receive feedback. You can be as specific as you like, selecting particular aspects the output should focus on (e.g., tone, clarity of structure, appropriateness of evidence to support your arguments).

You can also use ChatGPT to check grammar, spelling, and punctuation. However, it’s not designed for this purpose and occasionally misses errors. We recommend using a more specialised tool like Scribbr’s free grammar checker . Or, for more comprehensive feedback, Scribbr’s proofreading and editing service .

• Feedback the above text with regard to appropriateness of evidence and coherence of structure.
• The research paper demonstrates a well-structured and coherent presentation of the cognitive and skill development benefits of VR-based surgical training. The introduction effectively sets the context and rationale, while the literature review incorporates relevant historical and empirical evidence. The theoretical framework strengthens the foundation for the analysis.The methodology section could provide more details on the research design and study selection criteria. However, the sections on cognitive and skill development benefits present compelling evidence, supported by appropriate sub-sections.The exploration of improved patient outcomes lacks concrete examples but effectively outlines potential benefits. The section on challenges and future directions raises relevant points, but suggestions for solutions could enhance practicality.Overall, the paper combines theoretical, empirical, and practical evidence, offering a well-rounded approach. It establishes the significance of VR-based surgical training and concludes with a concise summary of key findings.

If you want more tips on using AI tools , understanding plagiarism , and citing sources , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations, examples, and formats.

• Citing ChatGPT
• Best grammar checker
• Best paraphrasing tool
• ChatGPT in your studies
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Best plagiarism checker

Citing sources

• Citation styles
• In-text citation
• Citation examples
• Annotated bibliography

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to summarise text . This can help you understand complex information more easily, summarise the central argument of your own paper, or clarify your research question.

You can also use Scribbr’s free text summariser , which is designed specifically for this purpose.

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to paraphrase text to help you express your ideas more clearly, explore different ways of phrasing your arguments, and avoid repetition.

However, it’s not specifically designed for this purpose. We recommend using a specialised tool like Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool , which will provide a smoother user experience.

No, having ChatGPT write your college essay can negatively impact your application in numerous ways. ChatGPT outputs are unoriginal and lack personal insight.

Furthermore, Passing off AI-generated text as your own work is considered academically dishonest . AI detectors may be used to detect this offense, and it’s highly unlikely that any university will accept you if you are caught submitting an AI-generated admission essay.

However, you can use ChatGPT to help write your college essay during the preparation and revision stages (e.g., for brainstorming ideas and generating feedback).

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Driessen, K. (2023, August 17). How to Write a Paper with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 2 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/using-ai-tools/chatgpt-paper/

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How to use Google Gemini, the main challenger to ChatGPT

G oogle’s Gemini AI chatbot has quickly become one of the major players in the generative AI space. Despite its rocky start, Gemini is one of the only true competitors to ChatGPT. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is Google Gemini?

Google first introduced its AI endeavor as Bard in March 2023 in a free and experimental capacity. The chatbot was originally run on the LaMDA large language model (LLM).

In August 2023, it introduced Google Duet as an enterprise option featuring AI-inundated Workspace apps, including Gmail, Drive, Slides, Docs, and others.

However, in December 2023, Google upgraded the Bard language model to the Gemini LLM. By February it unified Duet and Bard into a single product and rebranded all of its AI options under a single name, Gemini.

Like ChatGPT, Google Gemini is an AI chatbot that can generate text and answer questions, and it can do just about anything that ChatGPT can do.

Google is marketing its Gemini generative AI as especially powerful due to its multimodal capabilities that allow it to perform tasks such as generating text, images, video, audio, and code within the same platform. Gemini supports several large language model (LLM) options that are available for different tiers of purpose and expertise, including Gemini Nano, Gemini Pro, Gemini Ultra, and Gemini Advanced.

Google has big aspirations to make its AI useful in a host of applications. It is currently testing Gemini integration into its Chrome browser . It was also previously integrated into Google’s Workspace apps , including Gmail, Drive, Slides, Docs, and others at an enterprise level. However, the Gemini AI chatbot on its own remains free at its most basic level and easy to access. All you need to do is sign into or register for a free Google account.

Google has recently introduced a paid tier called Google One AI Premium , which is available to all users and includes several perks, in addition to its Gemini chatbot run by the latest and most powerful LLM version. Read on to learn about how to get started with Google Gemini and which Gemini option might be right for you.

How to sign up for Google Gemini

Signing up is simple if you’re looking to use the free version of Google Gemini. Many people already have a Google account and email. You simply use your Google credentials to access the Gemini site and you’re all set. If you need to, you can sign up for a Google account before you proceed.

You may see some terms and services notifications, which you can read through and confirm at your discretion. Then there may be a notice that Google Bard is now Google Gemini. After that, you will see a page that resembles most typical AI chatbot setups. It includes a personalized introduction with your name, some prompt suggestions, and a prompt text box at the bottom.

In the upper-left corner is a Gemini drop-down menu where you can refresh your page to a new chat or select the option to upgrade to the Gemini Advanced paid tier. In the furthest left corner is a three-line icon that lets you expand the menu. Here you can see a new chat tab, your recent prompts, a help option, activity options, settings, and another option to upgrade to Gemini Advanced. Select the three-line icon again to collapse the menu.

You can see your Google account icon in the upper-right corner. Select it to see your Google account details and any other connected accounts.

Getting started with prompts

Google Gemini is similar to many other AI chatbots, with the ability to process and generate different kinds of text via prompts. Some examples Google uses for potential prompts include explaining challenging topics and event planning. Other common uses for Gemini include story and essay generation, language translation, code generation and editing, and solving math equations, among others. You can begin a prompt with a strong action statement such as “write,” “solve,” “summarize,” “generate,” “create,” or “help me” to indicate what you need done and proceed with as much detail as you need to ensure the best result.

One prompt I used was “teach me about the theory of relativity in simple terms,” and Gemini returned to me a detailed, yet still truncated response about the scientific theory. It generated three drafts from which to choose and also suggested other aspects of the topic I could search for more information.

There is also a modify response option at the bottom of the text that you can select, which will give you the option to shorten or lengthen the text, or make it more casual or professional. You can also perform a similar function by typing in a manual prompt.

Another prompt I used was “write a short story about Santa meeting the Easter Bunny in the style of Mary Shelley,” and Gemini returned to me a harrowing tale of Father Nicholas being comforted by the Bunny after his workshop was destroyed by Krampus. Again, I only selected the first of the three drafts available. I realized that after a few other prompt generations that the first one was the only remaining., so you’ll want to look through the options when they are first generated, while you have the chance.

Another prompt I used was “what are the most common CSS grid commands,” which returned to me a solid list of CSS commands and explanations of their functions. I explored some of the drafts for this response, as well as some included sources.

I also did a few language translations of the term “ the dog jumped over the lazy fox”  into Spanish, French, and Chinese, the last of which gave me detailed explanations of different dialects.

How to create images in Google Gemini

One standout aspect of the free version of Google Gemini is that it can generate images. Not all free AI chatbots have this ability. This tier of Google Gemini runs on the Gemini Pro LLM, which is considered equivalent to GPT-3.5, the model that runs the free version of ChatGPT. However, there are differences between the two models. This is where the multimodal aspect of Google Gemini comes into play. You can only access the multimodal functionalities such as generating images and interacting with video with the paid ChatGPT Plus tier, which runs the GPT-4 model or later.

Some of the most awe-inspiring functions people have used with AI have been fashioning images with detailed text prompts. Similar to text-to-speech generation, using words such as “create” or “generate” assists the chatbot with knowing you want a unique result instead of pulling something from the web. Additionally, do your best to avoid spelling and syntax errors in your prompts, though some might bring up fun results that you don’t mind. You can always edit the prompt text and try again.

First, I used the prompt “generate an image of a futuristic car driving through an old mountain road surrounded by nature,” and the images have that touch of photorealism that makes AI fun to use. I tested the same prompt in Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot , and while it did show solid results, they look more like drawings or paintings. They were very good, but the cars and the landscape didn’t quite match as much as in the Google Gemini images.

Next, I experimented with variations of a “dogs playing poker” prompt to some fascinating results. Some were in a modern style. Some were based in the 2000s. Some were based in 2020. I decided to stop once I started to get dog faces on human bodies.

Google Gemini Advanced

Gemini Advanced is Google’s paid chatbot version that costs $20 per month and comes with a host of perks under the Google One AI Premium  subscription tier. Gemini Advanced runs the Gemini Ultra 1.0 language model, which excels at understanding longer prompts and the context of previous prompts.

Google has bundled Gemini Advanced with AI-enabled productivity applications including Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet. You also get 2TB of storage, Google Photos editing features, 10% back in Google Store rewards, Google Meet premium video calling features, Google Calendar enhanced appointment scheduling, VPN by Google One, dark web monitoring, 3% to 10% back on the Google Store, and additional customer support.

There is currently a free two-month trial offer of Google One AI Premium that allows you to test out Gemini Advanced with no risk.

Google Gemini Extensions

Extensions are an interesting shortcut within Gemini that allows you to use the chatbot like a supercharged search engine. With the @ mention at the beginning of a prompt, you can direct Gemini to an app or service focus, whether it be Google Flights, Hotels, Maps, Gmail, Drive, Docs, or YouTube. Then you will finish your prompt with the task you want accomplished. This can be finding a file in Google Docs, summarizing a video on YouTube, or looking up travel options in Google Flights. Simply ensure that the feature is turned on by accessing Settings > Extensions a nd enabling all of the Extensions you want functional.

How to manage your Gemini activity

One gripe that many people have about generative AI overall is data tracking. However, Google is doing its best to put users at ease by including an accessible activity tracker that allows you to turn data tracking on or off at will and to delete your data when you desire as well. Once you’ve put your settings in place, Google will not have access to any data you do not allow. From this area, you have the option to delete individual prompts by hour, by day, or in a custom range. There are also auto-delete settings for every three, 18, or 36 months. However, if you don’t want to deal with all of that, follow the directions below to learn how to turn off your data and delete your activity history.

• Select Gemini in the upper-left corner to go to Google Gemini page.
• Select the Activity time-shaped icon in the bottom-left corner.
• Select the Gemini Apps Activity option at the top of the page.
• Choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity .