As @Mwfan1921 pointed out, wrong tool for the job. Think of ChatGPT as a general-purpose assistant. If you’re looking for detailed help in a specific area, you need to choose a specific-use AI app that has been trained in that expertise.
ETA: The way to converse with ChatGPT regarding help with an engineering problem might be to ask it: What is the best AI tool to use for designing a precast concrete coping for a building? The information it gave when I tried this pointed to specific-use apps, not to itself.
That’s good to know there are more specific tools. It did crack me up how confident ChatGPT was - “Yes, I can do that for you!” Uh, no.
I found a simple 3D drafting program I think will work well. I can input a couple of views and it will generate the 3D drawing, and then I can find the remaining tricky views.
Some researchers tried some experiments and accidentally ended up with AI that gave responses advocating for slavery, genocide, and totalitarianism (that had nothing to do with the training data that they fed to it).
I asked it to plot an interesting drive itinerary from Acadia National Park to Niagara Falls with two overnight visits in between at interesting places and it gave me an itinerary with several options.
Today, I tried ChatGPT and asked it to summarize reviews on a specific noise-cancelling head phone currently on sale. The reviews were nearly all positive, and there were many. So, I then asked it to summarize issues with the same headphones. All negative, of course, and again many. I’ll stick to independent Consumer Reports.
Again, use the right tool for the job. Consumer Reports would be better suited to a product review than Chat.
I asked Chat:
Would you or Consumer Reports or some other source be best for providing a review of noise-cancelling headphones?
This is the response:
For something like noise-cancelling headphones, Consumer Reports or other independent product-testing sources would usually be the most trustworthy, because they:
• Test multiple models side-by-side using standardized lab methods (so results are directly comparable).
• Measure actual noise-cancellation performance in controlled environments (not just relying on impressions).
• Evaluate other factors—sound quality, comfort, battery life, durability—without bias toward brand popularity.
I can be helpful for:
• Summarizing and comparing results from Consumer Reports, Wirecutter, Rtings.com, and other reputable review outlets.
• Explaining the trade-offs between models in plain language.
• Filtering by your specific needs (e.g., over-ear vs. in-ear, travel vs. home, budget range, comfort).
But since I don’t physically test the products myself, the most accurate technical performance numbers come from dedicated testing sites like:
• Consumer Reports (subscription) – broad testing,includes long-term reliability ratings.
• Rtings.com (free) – highly detailed measurements and graphs, customizable comparisons.
• Wirecutter (free) – thorough hands-on impressions with real-world usage focus.
If you want, I can pull current top-rated picks from all three and give you a combined consensus list. That way you’d get the lab data and the usability insights in one place.
I used it to write letters of recommendation for several people. I typed a list of their strengths, specific jobs completed for us, and personal impressions and then I asked for changes 3-4 times. The letters were infinitely better than I could ever write haha.
Also, I received an email today that ChatGPT-5 has been released and is available to try for free. My son said it’s even better!
I used it recently to plan out a day itinerary for Tokyo. I shared where I was staying, I wanted leisurely walking distance, what I was interested in seeing and what kind of food I wanted to yr. It gave me a fairly credible itinerary. It even gave me few options.
We’re considering moving to New Hampshire when we downsize in another year or so. I asked ChatGPT about certain areas of the state and how to look for real estate. It really was helpful.
I’m so excited. Today I recieved a list of meeting dates. I wanted to batch add them to my calendar, so learned how to create a CSV file and then upload that to my Google Calendar. Then, I had the bright idea to take a screen shot of the dates and ask ChatGPT to make a CVS and add it to my Google Calendar. It was able to do it in just a few minutes.
As we approach the beginning of the semester, I would encourage those of you with incoming college freshman to talk with them about ChatGPT / AI and how they plan to use it in the classroom. While it’s obviously a nifty tool to us, those who grew up without anything like this, college students are relying on it quite heavily- to the frustration and chagrin of their professors. My husband is a professor and in the last class he taught, nearly half of his students used AI on their final project/papers. He had to fail multiple students. He is also changing his entire class structure this fall because he had to implement daily, in-class handwritten reading reflections to ensure that the kids are actually reading the material and not just ChatGPTing their assignments. This will take about 10-15 minutes out of each class period, time that he could have spent lecturing and actually teaching. While AI is amazing, it’s also creating a generation of students who can’t think critically or write without a crutch. And it is happening at all levels- our son is at a T20 school and he says use of AI is rampant among his classmates. It’s tempting to rely on something that’s so easy and honestly, good at what it does- and most college kids are using it. But remind your kids that while ChatGPT may crank out a paper that sounds amazing to them, their professors- who have been teaching, researching and writing on these topics for decades- can easily identify who is using it. Some profs may let it slide, others are more strict and will fail kids because it amounts to plagiarism. But well beyond that, the reason we’re sending our kids off to college is to create independent, critical thinkers who can write well and understand the world through their own unique lens.
Great post. My son who is an editor says he can spot ChatGPT-generated work immediately. The website he works for uses a lot of independent contractors, some of whom really aren’t professional writers and they try to cut corners.
I can sure understand the temptation to use it, though! I remember how frustrating it was to have to go to the library and find books to support theses for my papers. But it’s a vital process! I do worry about these kids.
Students should be reading their class syllabi very carefully for the permitted use of AI and other tools. It can vary class by class, even within the same university.
I need a ChatGPT for beginners. I mean, I know about it but I don’t know how to GO about it!
Do I download an app? Are there better apps for certain things? Do I have to make an account?
I am interested in using something like this to give it a pic and say something like “update this kitchen to make it look more mid century modern” - can it do that?
Do you have a preferred YouTube or similar that explains or is a good primer to watch (as opposed to read) about ChatGPT??
You can. But you can also access it from a browser.
Yes - depends on what you’re looking to do. ChatGPT is the most popular and widely used GenAI tool. If you want a smart search alternative to Google, try Perplexity.
There’s also Claude from Anthropic, and Musk’s Grok
Yes, if you want to use more advanced features. But not a must have. You can use ChatGPT and other GenAI tools without an account.
