It’s pretty clear by now that ChatGPT is not good at being creative, understanding a subject area, or pretty much anything else we associate with “intelligence,” artificial or otherwise. As I noticed when I tried to use it as a personal trainer:
It is an expert bullshitter. If you’ve ever been cornered by a mansplainer at a party, you’ll recognize the tone: authoritative, blustery, and a bit vague on the details. If you catch it in a lie, it will deliver a perfectly bland non-apology.
But let’s give it credit for a few things: Its grammar is always correct. It writes in full sentences. It refrains from offering opinions or showing much emotion or personality at all. And sometimes, that’s just what you need to help you with life’s little correspondences.
For example, I told ChatGPT I was a 7-year-old child and asked it to help me write a thank-you note to my aunt for a gift I didn’t like. If you’ve ever been forced to sit at a desk until you can come up with enough non-insulting words to fill a thank-you card, you’ll know how this usually goes. But ChatGPT came through:
Dear Auntie,
Thank you sooooo much for the sweater you gave me for my birthday. It was really nice of you to pick out a gift just for me. Even though the sweater wasn’t my most favorite thing ever, I still think it’s cool that you thought of me.
I can’t wait to wear the sweater and show everyone how nice my auntie is. Thank you for making my birthday even better!
Love, [Your name]
That’s...not bad, actually. Let’s try a grown-up situation that can inspire a similar blank-page panic: sending a note to an acquaintance about a death in the family.
Dear [Name],
I was deeply saddened to hear about the loss of your mother. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time. Your mother was a wonderful person and I feel privileged to have known her through you.
I know that no words can ease the pain you must be feeling right now, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if there is anything I can do to help. I am here for you and I care about you.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
You can, of course, go through a few iterations with the bot, regenerating the response to get different options, or nudging it to mention or not mention certain things.
But don’t fiddle forever—once you’ve got a good start, take it on yourself to edit the bot’s output. As writers know, it’s producing that first draft that is the most nerve-wracking step in the writing process. Once you have something to work with—even if it is bad—you can get to work fixing it.
The bot can write more specific things if you give it more specific information, which can be helpful if you have the info at your fingertips but aren’t sure how to begin writing. For example, you can give ChatGPT your resume and then ask it to generate a few cover letters for the job you’re applying to; stitch together the parts you like from each, and you have a draft that you can rewrite to your own tastes.
Or use it to write a blander, more diplomatic version of what’s really on your mind. One of my favorite examples of this is the nurse who got a 5% raise for their whole department with the help of a ChatGPT-generated letter. “I am writing to discuss an important matter regarding our department’s compensation” just has a better ring to it—if you’re a boss—than a more straightforward sentiment like, “fuck you, pay me.”