ChatGPT was released in November 2022, so by now you may wonder how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer.
If you write for a living, hope to take your freelance side hustle to the next level, or are interested in simply learning a bit more about AI, then keep reading.
You may have questions such as:
Like all forms of artificial intelligence, with ChatGPT comes benefits and uses, and also a number of things to avoid.
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a large language model with chat functionality. A form of artificial intelligence, it uses its name to explain its function: The first part, chat, references that it is a chatbot. GPT represents its functionality—Generative Pre-trained Transformer.
“ChatGPT is a sibling model to InstructGPT, which is trained to follow an instruction in a prompt and provide a detailed response.”
Due to its chatbot capabilities, OpenAI states that you can expect ChatGPT to:
- Answer follow-up questions
- Admit its mistakes
- Challenge incorrect premises
- Reject inappropriate requests
Now that you have a brief overview of what it is, it’s time to dive into its benefits. If you can’t articulate the positives of using ChatGPT, it will be difficult to discover how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer.
The Benefits of ChatGPT
If you’ve ever used chat boxes for simple tasks like making a return or trying to find an answer to a question, you may have grown frustrated with the lack of capabilities in some chat systems. This is where the benefits of ChatGPT come in.
During its design process, it was tested with humans and created to provide conversational answers to normal, every day communication styles. The more touchpoints it has, the more efficient it becomes.
Think of it like trying out speech-to-text software. At first, you may have to go through and edit copious amounts of words. But, as the software learns how you speak, it picks up on your words that much better. ChatGPT is similar in that the more it is used, the better it becomes. If you’re wondering how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer, you may want to simply give it some time.
Additionally, rather than ask a chatbot a question and have to choose from a few predetermined answers, ChatGPT was designed to respond to natural, written conversation. This makes using ChatGPT that much simpler, streamlined, and natural.
Various Uses
Depending on your goals, ChatGPT has a variety of capabilities. While not limited to the following, below is a brief list to get you started.
Use ChatGPT as a Search Engine
The phrase “Google it” is basically a verb, and now ChatGPT provides its own search engine functions. While Google will present you with a variety of websites to find your answer on, ChatGPT gives you the answer itself.
Let ChatGPT Draft Your Articles
In addition to providing you with answers to your search engine queries, this large language model also has the capacity to draft content for you. Notice the keyword draft content. While it may feel like using ChatGPT is an efficient way to write your long-form articles, it’s unlikely to be as effective as your own writing.
Update Your Resume or CV
Choosing how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer may start with letting it create your next resume or even cover letter. This feature is argued as one of its most useful functions. Rather than stare at the blinking cursor and wonder how to start, ChatGPT can create your first draft.
How To Use ChatGPT As A Freelancer | Things To Avoid
While there are many helpful functions of ChatGPT, particularly when it comes to how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer, there are specific aspects you should be wary of, and perhaps avoid altogether. In a technical feature article, Ben Lutkevich describes language modeling as the following:
“The use of various statistical and probabilistic techniques to determine the probability of a given sequence of words occurring in a sentence. Language models analyze bodies of text data to provide a basis for their word predictions.”
Ben Lutkevich
Let’s break this thought down into a few key takeaways.
“Determine the probability of a given sequence of words…”
ChatGPT relies on determining the probability of verbiage from the previously established rules based on the contexts it knows. For instance, the word you often follows the word thank. This sequence, thank you, is an established rule.
But what if you want to create unique verbiage or provide information that is dissimilar to what is already established? When deciding how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer, it’s crucial to note that it determines “the probability of a given sequence of words” (emphasis added).
Avoid relying solely on ChatGPT for facts, grammar, and always remember it has a limited context.
“Analyze bodies of text data to provide a basis for their word predictions…”
In addition, if you want to know how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer in a way that helps, rather than hinders, your credibility, understanding where it draws its information from is a must.
Unlike heading down to your local library, the bodies of text that ChatGPT indexes are restricted to copy previously published on the Internet. It’s common knowledge that not everything you read online is fact, and this applies to ChatGPT just as it does other platforms, softwares, and general Internet usage.
When deciding how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer, one of your first choices should be to always double check your facts. But more than just fact checking, creating original content can be difficult using ChatGPT.
Yes, depending on how you phrase your requests or prompts, your answers will likely look somewhat different than the responses others receive. However, all users draw from the same body of text data. Every answer comes from the same pool.
If you’re looking for original work with a unique foundation, you may want to draft your own copy.
Next Steps: How To Use ChatGPT As A Freelancer, Positively
Never underestimate the power of being forthright when it comes to your freelance work. If you want to use ChatGPT to create a long-form article for a client, or they hired you to write their cover letter and resume, you will likely want to mention your intentions.
ChatGPT is a great place to brainstorm content, create outlines, and sometimes, use it as a base for your rough drafts. That said, if a client hires you to create original content for their company, if you decide to use AI, it’s crucial to proceed with caution.
- Recognize that ChatGPT pulls data from previously published sources
- Understand that ChatGPT needs fact-checked
- Always, always, always edit
As you move forward with how to use ChatGPT as a freelancer, don’t be afraid of using this resource to help create content more efficiently. At the same time, do be wary of its effectiveness.
If you’re a freelancer, you write for human readers who desire quality content that is fact-checked, original, and thoughtfully created. If ChatGPT can be a stepping stone in helping you get there, you’ve just added another tool to your freelancer toolkit!
