You may have heard the word “ChatGPT” on the news, from a grandchild, or in a newspaper article, and wondered what all the fuss is about. It launched quietly at the end of November 2022, and within weeks it became one of the fastest-growing websites ever.

This guide explains what ChatGPT actually is, in plain terms. No jargon, no hype. By the end you will know what it can actually help with, what it cannot do, and how to try it safely if you want to.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a free website where you type a question or request in everyday English, and a computer program writes back an answer. It feels a little like sending a text message, except the reply comes from software instead of a person.

It was built by a company called OpenAI and released to the public on November 30, 2022, according to OpenAI’s own announcement. OpenAI called it a “research preview,” meaning the company wanted ordinary people to try it and report problems, rather than launching it as a finished, polished product.

Plain talk: chatbot

A chatbot is any computer program you have a conversation with by typing or talking, instead of clicking menus or buttons. ChatGPT is currently the best known chatbot, but it is not the only one.

Underneath, ChatGPT runs on something called GPT-3.5, a type of software often called an AI language model. In plain terms, the model was shown enormous amounts of text from books, articles and websites, and it learned the patterns of how English sentences fit together. When you type a question, it is not looking up an answer. It is predicting, word by word, what a good answer would sound like, based on everything it learned.

Plain talk: AI language model

An AI language model is a computer program trained on huge amounts of writing so it can predict likely next words. It does not “understand” the way a person does. It is closer to an extremely well-read autocomplete that writes whole paragraphs instead of single words.

The letters “GPT” stand for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, three technical words for how the software was built. You do not need to remember that. What matters is simpler: it was trained once, ahead of time, on a large collection of text, and now it generates new writing based on that training whenever you type something in.

You may also notice the “3.5” in GPT-3.5. OpenAI has released several versions of its language model over the years, each one trained on more data and refined further than the last. ChatGPT is currently built on this GPT-3.5 model, and it is worth knowing that newer versions are always in development, since AI software tends to change quickly.

How is ChatGPT different from a search engine?

It is not a search engine, even though people sometimes use it like one. When you search Google, you get a list of existing web pages written by other people. When you ask ChatGPT something, it writes a brand new answer for you, in its own words, on the spot.

That difference matters for two reasons:

  • ChatGPT does not browse the internet or check today’s news. It answers from what it learned during training, which stopped in September 2021.
  • Because it writes new text rather than quoting a source, it can sometimes write something that sounds correct but is not. More on that below.

According to a widely reported analysis by the bank UBS, ChatGPT reached around 100 million monthly users by January 2023, just two months after launch. For comparison, the report noted that TikTok took about nine months to reach that many users, and Instagram took over two years.

Part of the reason is simply how easy it is to start. There is no software to install and no manual to read. You open a web page, type a sentence the way you would say it out loud, and an answer appears within seconds. For anyone who has felt frustrated by confusing apps or buried settings menus, that simplicity is a large part of the appeal.

People are using it for a wide range of everyday tasks:

What people use it for Example
Writing help Drafting a thank-you note, birthday card message or short letter
Explaining things “Explain how compound interest works in simple terms”
Brainstorming Meal ideas from ingredients you already have
Practice conversations Rehearsing what to say before a difficult phone call

What can ChatGPT actually do well?

It is truly useful for a number of everyday tasks, including:

  • Writing and rewriting. Give it a rough paragraph and ask it to make it clearer, shorter, or more polite.
  • Explaining unfamiliar words or ideas. Ask it to explain something “like I’m not familiar with this topic” and it will avoid jargon.
  • Brainstorming lists. Packing lists, gift ideas, simple recipes from ingredients on hand.
  • Practicing. You can type out what you plan to say to a doctor or a company, and ask ChatGPT to suggest a calmer or clearer version.

Type or say this

“Please explain things in plain, simple language, and ask me questions if you need more information before answering.”

What can’t ChatGPT do?

This matters as much as what it can do.

  • It does not know current events. Its knowledge stops in September 2021, so it cannot tell you today’s weather, current prices, sports scores or recent news.
  • It cannot see or hear you. In this free version, you type, and it types back. There is no camera, microphone or video.
  • It can be confidently wrong. This is the single most important thing to understand. ChatGPT sometimes states made-up facts, wrong dates or invented details in a calm, assured tone, exactly as if it were certain. Researchers commonly call this a “hallucination.”
  • It is not a doctor, lawyer or accountant. It can help you understand a topic or prepare questions, but it should never replace a professional for health, legal or financial decisions.
  • It does not remember you between visits. Each new conversation starts fresh. It will not recall what you talked about last week unless you paste it back in.

Why does it sometimes get things wrong? Remember that ChatGPT is not looking anything up. It is generating text that statistically resembles a good answer, based on patterns in its training. Most of the time this produces a helpful, accurate response, because most everyday questions follow familiar patterns. But when it is asked something obscure, or something outside its training, it can still produce a fluent, well-punctuated paragraph that is simply incorrect. There is no built-in way to tell the difference just by reading the tone, which is exactly why double-checking matters.

Safety tip

Never treat anything ChatGPT tells you as guaranteed fact, especially numbers, dates, medical information or legal advice. Always double-check important details with an official source or a professional before you act on them.

Is ChatGPT free?

Yes, the basic version of ChatGPT is free to use. You only need to create an account with an email address.

In February 2023, OpenAI also introduced an optional paid tier called ChatGPT Plus, priced at $20 a month in the United States. According to OpenAI’s announcement, it offers general access even during busy periods, faster responses, and early access to new features. For most people simply curious about AI, the free version is plenty to start with. There is no obligation to ever pay.

Is it safe to share personal information with ChatGPT?

No. You should never type personal, financial or medical details into ChatGPT. Treat it the way you would treat a conversation with a helpful stranger, not a trusted advisor.

According to OpenAI’s own policies at the time of writing, conversations may be reviewed by staff to help improve the system, and there is currently no setting to turn this off. So it is sensible to leave out anything sensitive.

Specifically, never type or say:

  1. Passwords, PINs or one-time codes sent to your phone
  2. Bank account, credit card or superannuation numbers
  3. Medicare, Social Security, tax file or other government ID numbers
  4. Your full home address together with your date of birth

Safety tip

If you want help with a letter, bill or form, cover up or remove the account numbers and personal details first, then paste in the rest.

How do I try ChatGPT?

If you would like to try it yourself, here is the simple version.

  1. On a computer, tablet or phone, open your web browser (Safari, Chrome or Edge).
  2. Go to chat.openai.com.
  3. Choose Sign up and create a free account using an email address.
  4. Confirm your email if asked, then log in.
  5. Type a simple question into the box at the bottom, such as one from the list below, and press Enter.

Try this

Start with something low-stakes, like “Suggest three simple dinner ideas using chicken and rice” or “Explain what a chatbot is in one short paragraph.” Getting a feel for how it responds is the best way to understand it.

If you are new to the internet in general, our guide on how to explain AI to an older person is a gentler starting point, and our article on how adults are actually using AI day to day has more real examples. Once you are comfortable with the basics, our piece on whether ChatGPT is safe and free goes deeper on the safety side.

Where to go from here

ChatGPT is simply a new kind of tool, a very capable writing and explaining assistant that you talk to in plain English. It is not magic, it is not always right, and it is not a substitute for professional advice. Used carefully, though, it can become a real help with everyday writing and learning, as long as you remember its limits.

If you would like a calm, step-by-step walkthrough with no jargon, our book AI for Seniors, Plainly Explained covers getting started, your first conversation, and how to ask good questions.