Ten genuinely useful things to do with ChatGPT

Ten uses of ChatGPT that genuinely save time because you can check the result, with the exact request for several of them.

Text drafted with artificial intelligence. The topic, the angle and the final review are Ibrahin's. How AI is used here

What has happened

ChatGPT has become an everyday tool for millions of people, and with that have come the “hundred tricks” lists that present it as if it could do anything. The uses that really work are more modest: the ones that turn information you already have into something you can check, like a summary, a list, a comparison or a draft.

Why it matters to you

Because that's where it really saves you time without putting you at risk: you know the material, so you can check the result. When you ask it to decide, guess current data or replace a source, the answer sounds just as confident, but you no longer have anything to compare it with.

What you can do: ten uses that work

1. Summarise a long text

Say what you want the summary for and ask it to point out what to read in the original. That way you get a map of the text, not a substitute.

Summarise this document in five ideas, separate decisions from pending data and point out which parts I should read in the original.

2. Turn an email into actions

Ask for the action, the person responsible and the date if they appear, and the doubts still to resolve. If something isn’t in the email, it should say “not stated” instead of inventing it.

3. Organise scattered ideas

Let it group them, but without changing the meaning or adding anything. Very useful before making a plan, because it brings contradictions into view.

Group these notes without adding new ideas. Put doubtful sentences in a separate section and finish with the three decisions still to be made.

4. Prepare a short work plan

Give the goal, the deadline and what depends on someone else. A useful plan says what’s next and what has to wait; it doesn’t list a hundred tasks.

5. Compare options using the same criteria

Set the criteria yourself first: total cost, ease of use, privacy, compatibility, support. The table organises the discussion, but it doesn’t turn anything into fact: anything important needs a source or gets flagged for checking.

6. Explain something without jargon

“Explain it simply” can get you a childish answer. Say who will read it and what they already know.

Explain it to an adult who uses their phone every day but doesn’t know the technical vocabulary. Use an everyday example and define every essential word.

7. Learn step by step

Instead of a whole lesson, ask what to understand first, a short explanation, a question to check you’ve got it and a small exercise. Then ask for the next step.

8. Review your own text without losing your voice

Ask for the list of changes first and then the revised version, so you decide what to accept.

Fix spelling and clarity, but don’t change my opinion or add data. Give me a list of changes first and then a revised version.

9. Prepare for a meeting or a difficult conversation

Ask for questions and possible objections, not a script. State the goal and ask it to avoid intrusive questions. The real conversation will still need listening.

10. Create a checklist

To review a post, a backup or a purchase. End with “don’t tick anything as done”, so the list doesn’t look like work that hasn’t been done yet.

The recommendation

Start with the use that comes up most in your week. The same sequence works for all ten: say the result you want, give only the context needed, set the format and the limit, ask it to flag what isn't checked and review the answer against your material. OpenAI's official guidance recommends clarity, specificity and improving the request step by step; it's a way of working, not a guarantee of being right.

And don't paste passwords, keys, bank details, medical records or confidential documents to test anything. Before using personal material, check your account's data controls.

Sources

Best practices for prompt engineering in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, checked on 2026-09-02.
ChatGPT data controls, OpenAI Help Center, checked on 2026-09-02.

Review

Responsible for publication: Ibrahin. Date: 2026-09-02. Last checked: 2026-09-02.