ChatGPT tips and limitations

ChatGPT tips and limitations

by Sarah MacPherson, a product manager, ai enthusiast trying to find the best and most interesting ways to work with this new frontier

Write clear, specific prompts

The quality of ChatGPT's responses depends heavily on how you ask. Vague prompts get vague answers. Instead of "tell me about dogs," try "explain the differences between three popular dog breeds for families with young children."

The more context and detail you provide, the better. Include things like:

  • The purpose of your request (e.g., "for a school presentation," "to send to my boss")
  • The desired length or format (e.g., "in bullet points," "around 300 words")
  • The audience or tone (e.g., "explain it to a beginner," "write it in a friendly tone")

AI prompt: "Write a 150-word product description for a reusable water bottle aimed at college students, emphasizing sustainability and convenience"

Iterate and refine

You rarely get the perfect response on the first try, and that's okay. ChatGPT is designed for back-and-forth conversation. If the first answer isn't quite right, ask it to adjust:

  • "Make this shorter"
  • "Use simpler language"
  • "Add more examples"
  • "Focus more on the benefits rather than features"

Think of it like working with a human assistant. You wouldn't expect someone to nail your request perfectly without any clarification.

AI prompt: "That's good, but can you make it sound more professional and remove the casual phrases?"

Use ChatGPT as a starting point, not the final word

ChatGPT is excellent for drafting, brainstorming, and exploring ideas, but you should always review and edit its output. It can make mistakes, miss nuances, or produce generic content that needs your personal touch.

We recommend using ChatGPT to:

  • Get past writer's block by generating a rough draft
  • Quickly generate multiple options or ideas to choose from
  • Outline complex topics before diving into research
  • Speed up repetitive writing tasks like emails or summaries

But don't copy and paste without thinking. Add your own insights, verify facts, and adjust the tone to match your voice.

Know ChatGPT's knowledge cutoff

ChatGPT doesn't know about events or information after its training cutoff date (typically early 2024 for most versions). If you ask about recent news, current prices, or today's weather, it will either guess (often incorrectly) or tell you it doesn't have that information.

For current information, consider:

  • Using ChatGPT Plus with web browsing enabled
  • Manually providing recent context in your prompt ("As of November 2024, the population of Tokyo is...")
  • Using ChatGPT for timeless topics and other tools for current events

AI prompt: "Based on trends up to 2024, what might be the future challenges in renewable energy?"

Be skeptical of factual claims

ChatGPT can confidently state incorrect information (this is called "hallucinating"). It doesn't have access to a database of verified facts. It generates responses based on patterns in text, which means it can produce plausible-sounding nonsense.

For anything important (research papers, medical advice, legal questions, financial decisions), always verify ChatGPT's responses with reliable sources. Use it as a helpful starting point, not the ultimate authority.

Understand the limitations with math and logic

ChatGPT can handle basic arithmetic and simple logic problems, but it struggles with complex calculations, multi-step math, or rigorous logical reasoning. If you need precise numerical answers or detailed analysis, consider:

  • Using a calculator or spreadsheet for math
  • Breaking complex problems into smaller steps
  • Double-checking any mathematical output
  • Using specialized tools for coding, data analysis, or scientific calculations

AI prompt: "Explain the steps to solve this algebra problem, but don't solve it for me: 3x + 7 = 22"

Respect privacy and security

Don't share sensitive personal information like passwords, social security numbers, credit card details, or private medical information in your ChatGPT conversations. OpenAI stores conversations to improve the model (unless you opt out), and no online service is 100% secure.

If you need to discuss sensitive topics, remove identifying details. Instead of "my coworker Jane at ABC Corp," say "a coworker at my company."

Use follow-up questions

One of ChatGPT's strengths is its ability to remember the context of your conversation. You don't need to repeat everything in each message. Ask follow-up questions like:

  • "Can you elaborate on the second point?"
  • "What's an example of that?"
  • "How would this apply to small businesses?"

This makes your interactions more efficient and natural.

Experiment with different phrasings

If you're not getting the response you want, try rephrasing your prompt. Sometimes a small change in wording leads to a much better answer. You can also explicitly tell ChatGPT what didn't work: "That's too technical. Can you explain it in simpler terms?"

Related resources

Curious about how ChatGPT compares to other tools? See Which conversational AI should I use?. Want to know if you should upgrade to the paid version? Check out ChatGPT free vs paid: What do you get?. Interested in using multiple AI tools? Visit Can I use multiple AI tools together?.