What exactly is the AI ChatGPT?

And it was very thorough in breaking down what its “last name” initials mean:

I was tempted to dive deeper into the rabbit hole of AI, but I had a blog post to finish—so here we are. In short, ChatGPT is a language model that works like a really advanced conversational assistant.

Its popularity over the last couple of years has been staggering. The early demo launched on November 30, 2022. By January 2023, ChatGPT had become the fastest-growing consumer software application in history, gaining over 100 million users in just two months, according to this Forbes article.

So how are people using this digital assistant?

Personally, I’ve used it as a name generator, trip planner, encyclopedia, business coach, and more. Other popular uses of ChatGPT include playing games, self-reflection, debugging code, offering personal insights—you name it. The list of things it can do seems almost endless.

As a Family Tech Advisor, I help busy adults manage the digital lives of their parents. At some point in those conversations, AI—and specifically ChatGPT—usually comes up.

One of the most common questions I get is: “Is it safe to use?”

My personal opinion: Yes, ChatGPT is safe to use. But, like any digital tool, it’s important to use it wisely. Here are a few tips I often share:

1. Don’t include private or confidential information. (ChatGPT retains chat history for at least 30 days and may use your input to improve its services.)

2. Be cautious of fake apps or phishing attempts.

3. Always verify important information from a reputable source before acting on it.

ChatGPT offers a ton of benefits—but it’s not completely risk-free. Stay informed, and take the same precautions you would offline to keep yourself safe online.

And yes, in case you’re wondering—I did use ChatGPT to help edit this blog post. 😉 •

x Jasmine

P.S. I asked Chat how it felt reviewing a post about itself. If you want to see what it shared, check out my post on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.