5 Ways ChatGPT will change your life

ChatGPT is a new artificial intelligence engine that has taken South Africa by a storm and some claim it is the panacea to all our problems.

It is claimed that it could fix Eskom’s problems, that it doesn’t think President Cyril Ramaphosa should quit as South Africa’s president, and that it can offer solutions to the crime wave that has gripped the country for decades. 

But what can it do for you? Here’s how it could change the lives of those living in residential estates in 2023: 

1. It could help you with your content needs

If you have a website or need some ideas, ChatGPT could provide you with some inspiration and sources of good material. Tamsin Oxford, director at Coffee Content, admits to using the AI engine. ‘As a professional content provider, I use ChatGPT with three plug-ins. Two are connected to a search engine and find me results I can verify and potentially use in seconds – these come with footnotes so I can click, go to the site, verify the contents, and write. One is designed to help me refine the questions I ask of the AI to get more relevant answers, again at intense speed. It’s like my own personal hyperdrive.’

Asked if it will replace journalists, public relations experts, and social media professionals, she responds: ‘It’s not going to replace people but companies may replace the people who don’t use it with those who do.’ 

2. It can be your inspiration or link you to the right professionals

There are extensions that allow you to talk to ChatGPT. Oxford says: ‘You could, for example, shout at the AI to find an alternative to turmeric while you’re cooking, or to find you an electrician when your fridge finally dies of load-shedding exhaustion. The possibilities of ChatGPT don’t lie in its theft of people’s jobs and lives, but in how people use it to make their lives easier and better.’

3. It could help you code

According to The Fountain Institute it can help you with basics like creating a wireframe for an app, generating scalable vector graphics (SVGs) and HTML code.

4. It could be your virtual assistant

If you’ve always wanted a personal assistant to manage your life then ChatGPT could fulfil that function for you. Get it to manage your life by sending you reminders, putting items in your diary, and ordering your groceries. 

5. It could be your personal trainer

Personal trainers cost a lot of money and you may already be feeling the brunt of choosing an exercise programme with one or signing up to the gym as part of your New Year’s resolution. But many are now claiming that ChatGPT can design a workout programme better than a professional coach. According to technologyreview.com some entrepreneurs are even packaging these workouts and selling them.

Counting the cost

Many believe that ChatGPT is a very useful tool that won’t quite replace people but that could help with smaller projects, brainstorming or offer tips on a work query or exercise. It’s important to remember though that it merely crawls websites for information to compile an answer – there’s no guarantee that these sites are accurate! 

Another big question is: what will it cost in the future? Chris Ogden, CEO of RubiBlue, adds: ‘ChatGPT lacks understanding of detailed requirements, for the most part. Whether its legal, marketing, code/systems, excel assistance, it will really be a game changer, until billing sets in and we are charged heavily for its use – this will come, it’s a matter of time.’