6 things entrepreneurs can do with internet-enabled ChatGPT
Connecting your favourite large language model (LLM) to the internet gives it superpowers. Before, ChatGPT was stuck in 2021, now it can access the world wide web’s abundance of knowledge. But what to do with this newfound ability? Only your imagination can stop you.
First thing’s first, configure your settings. Log into your ChatGPT Plus, head to settings and enable web browsing. Select the GPT-4 web browsing template and you will see ChatGPT cite its sources with small numbers and links. Now you’re good to go, ready to see what’s possible.
Describing himself as a technology and AI educator, Paul Couvert of Paul.ai is personally building tools “better and faster using AI and no-code” and teaching others to do the same. Alongside building his company, he’s publishing free ChatGPT power courses, to help you go from beginner to expert, and guides to using no code and AI in your work. Paul has amassed 130,000 Twitter followers and his weekly newsletter has 5,000 subscribers, with each edition containing tips to master AI and no-code to level up your business.
I asked Couvert to share how entrepreneurs can maximize the internet-enabled version of ChatGPT and he gave his top six.
Ways to use the internet-enabled version of ChatGPT
1. Summarize news
Watching news programs or scrolling news sites is a waste of everyone’s day, especially when you have a business to run. Utilize ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting for you, as it summarizes any news story in a few seconds.
Ask it what you want to know in a concise summary. For example, suggested Couvert, “What were the main points from [the last United Nations climate change report released in 2023]? Summarize with a short paragraph and a list.” Replace the square brackets with the event of your choosing and gather the facts without spending the time.
2. Detect a trend
If you can stay abreast of trends, you can create the products and services that are about to be in high demand. While everyone else is waiting until it’s reported, by which time the moment has passed, with one simple prompt you can see the future and use it to your advantage. Don’t waste this power.
“Connected to the internet, ChatGPT can become your best business partner,” explained Couvert. Ask it to, “Provide a short analysis of the latest [e-commerce] trends and consumer behavior patterns in [the first quarter of 2023].” Edit the prompt to apply to your industry and keep it nearby. You might find out something you didn’t know.
3. Apply academic research
You’re unlikely to trawl through lengthy academic papers during your normal business day, but their findings could make a difference to your work. Rather than wait for the insights to be reported, collaborate with ChatGPT to get the main points. It might spark new ideas for products and press.
Couvert suggested this prompt to understand the research ahead of the curve. “Summarize the key findings of the latest research [published in ‘Nature’ last week] on the topic of [exoplanet destruction]. Give an answer in markdown.” What comes out should tell you everything you need to know to plan accordingly.
4. Improve your keystone habits
Habits are being studied all the time. Researchers are testing new ways of doing things, and with internet-enabled ChatGPT you can learn what they are to become fitter, healthier and more productive.
Whether that’s being more productive working from home, optimizing your breakfast for sustained energy, or structuring your week around a sport, get the latest insights with one simple prompt. Couvert recommends you use, “From recent online studies, what are the [top 5 tips] to [work better from home?] Make a summary table.” Insert your area of improvement and implement the changes as applicable.
5. Predict the future
If investing is your thing, use internet-enabled ChatGPT as your research partner, to find things out and make predictions on the future. Are humans or robots more likely to beat the market? Nobody knows. But it makes sense to consider all the information before placing your bets.
Do this with ChatGPT’s internet version using this prompt, according to Couvert. “Based on the latest financial results of [the 50 biggest tech companies], how might their shares perform in the coming weeks?” See what it says, take it with a pinch of salt and proceed with your investments as cautiously as normal.
6. Understand a complex event
Sometimes you don’t need all the details, just the crux of the story. You require just enough to join in a conversation, not to write a report. One simple prompt, applied to any event in the news, might be enough to build a rapport with someone who really cares.
Couvert suggests this prompt for finding the story without wasting time trawling. “Tell me the current [price of gasoline in France] and explain to a 12 year old why [this price isn’t going down now while the price of oil is going down.]” Explaining something to a 12-year-old is key. You want simplicity and memorability, not unnecessary nuance.
Use the internet-enabled version of ChatGPT to google things faster and get results with more relevance. Summarize the news, detect a trend, and apply insights from academic research. Improve your habits, get stock market predictions and understand a complex event. See how much more you can learn and understand and appear to have superpowers to everyone in your presence.
