ChatGPT is a conversational AI assistant that understands natural language and generates human‑like responses in real time. It helps with thinking, writing and solving problems, and is built on large language models. (For more background see the "What is AI" materials.)
Getting started
Open ChatGPT — a new chat is ready for you. To begin, enter a prompt. A prompt is the question or instruction you type or share with ChatGPT to start the conversation. Prompts are usually text, but they can also be an image, audio, or a file; the prompt guides the model so it can generate a helpful reply.
If you don’t know where to begin, try this sample prompt (replace the brackets with more information about yourself):
"Tell me how I can use ChatGPT to make my life easier. I’m a [description of you or your job]. Give me 5 things I can do right now, and a prompt for each one."
Read the response and refine it by asking follow‑up questions or adding more detail. If you want to experiment with different prompt styles, consult the prompting guide.
Good early use cases
Useful, low‑risk tasks to try first include:
- drafting a first version of a text,
- brainstorming ideas,
- summarizing long material,
- turning rough notes into a clearer message,
- thinking through a problem.
These tasks are easy to try and often provide immediate value: if ChatGPT helps you reach a better first draft faster, organize your thinking, or reduce time spent staring at a blank page, that’s a sign the task is a good fit.
More advanced use cases tend to be those that repeat frequently, involve multiple steps, or require context over time. Tools like Projects, custom GPTs, or Skills become more useful in these situations because they help organize source materials, keep instructions consistent, and convert one‑off prompts into repeatable workflows. A practical approach is to start with simple chat tasks, notice what you do more than once, and then build more structured setups for work you want to do faster, more consistently, or at higher quality.
Voice and dictation
Speaking can be faster than typing, and listening can make interactions more natural and hands‑free. Voice features save time during busy days, support accessibility, and enable new workflows such as brainstorming on the go, drafting documents while multitasking, or practicing presentations aloud.
ChatGPT offers two main audio options:
- Voice Mode: a two‑way conversation where you speak and hear responses in real time,
- Dictation: speak and see your words converted into text for further editing.
For example, you might ask a question aloud and receive a conversational reply, or dictate meeting notes that are quickly turned into a written summary.
Storage of audio and video from voice chats
Audio and video clips from your voice chats are stored alongside their transcriptions in your chat history, and they are retained as long as the chat remains in your history. For more details, see the OpenAI Help Center: Voice Mode FAQ.
Conclusion
A clear prompt is the foundation of using ChatGPT: start simple, read and refine responses, and iterate. For repeated or multi‑step work, leverage Projects, custom GPTs or Skills to create consistent, repeatable workflows. Consider Voice Mode or Dictation to speed up interactions and add convenience, noting that audio and video from voice chats are stored with transcriptions in the chat history.
