Like it or loathe it, ChatGPT is irreversibly changing the way we work. Since the app was released last November, surveys suggest it's been picked up by almost half of US companies. 93% of these firms are looking to expand their use of ChatGPT further in the upcoming months, and its popularity has even encouraged popular business apps to launch AI tools. For example, you can sign up for a free ClickUp account and join a waitlist to use its new AI assistant.
But its rise to prominence is hardly surprising. Ethical and philosophical debates aside, the artificial intelligence-backed tool offers boundless possibilities to businesses looking to get ahead. And due to the chatbot's ability to respond to any human prompt, the limit really is your imagination.
To find out how exactly the insurgent app is being used in the workplace, we asked businesses across a vast range of industries how they're currently deploying ChatGPT. We also asked workers to share their experiences with the app, as well as any anxieties they may be feeling about its meteoric rise, to get a clearer picture of how this tool might shape the future of work.
In this guide:
- How are Businesses Using ChatGPT?
- The Future of AI in the Workplace
- Companies that have banned ChatGPT
How Are Businesses Using ChatGPT?
From data analysis to assistant duties, ChatGPTs applications stretch far and wide. Here are 10 ways businesses are currently using OpenAI's disruptive app.
- For customer service inquiries
- To streamline external communications
- As a coding tool
- As a personal assistant
- To write emails
- To write copy
- For time management
- To create presentations
- For keyword research
- To manage meetings
1. For customer service inquiries
Chatbots have been helping customer service teams to automate activity for decades. However, now the use of AI has been democratized further with the use of ChatGPT, businesses are using the tech to carry out even more advanced customer service functions.
Bennett Heyn, the CEO of the digital marketing firm Parker Marker, uses the tool to manage customer service inquiries and track customer data simultaneously. By allowing him to process consumer data more quickly and accurately than when using manual methods, Heyn claimed it allowed him to “save time and maximize efficiency”, changing the way his firm does business as a result.
Farhan Advani from Ncctting Tools uses chatbots for this purpose too. Doing so, Advani explains, helps his business to accurately locate information, reducing the time it takes for them to respond to customer queries.
2. To streamline external communications
ChatGPT can be a useful tool for streamlining communications operations too. Alice Wu from the PR company Mind Meld PR uses ChatGPT to alter content for various mediums including social media posts, blog posts, and emails. Specifically, she uses the app to generate a clear and unique piece of content, before adding some “flavor, additional details, and personal touches” of her own.
“I would recommend the tool for any small business looking to create more content for its website, social accounts, or marketing. It’s definitely been a quick turnaround for our marketing material.” – Alice Wi, PR Associate from Mind Meld PR
While Wu endorses ChatGPT to small businesses, she does offer some words of advice. “Always double-check what it produces to make sure it’s factual and accurate” she warns, “you don’t want to inadvertently post anything controversial, or make promises you can’t deliver”.
3. As a coding tool
ChatGPT is making major waves in the software industry. One data engineer from Detroit told Tech.co that he uses the chatbot when he's stuck on a project. “If you know how to give correct prompts, it can help you with code logic, syntax errors, and even change code from one coding language to another” he explained.
Another software engineer revealed that ChatGPT helps him to create more complex liquid code snippets that help his clients can use on their websites to filter products, create membership programs, and track consumer interactions.
4. As a personal assistant
In addition to streamlining major processes, the app is being used by workers to carry out a variety of administrative tasks like data entry and email management.
“I feel very positive about the recent explosion of ChatGPT in the workplace. It is an exciting development that definitely has the potential to revolutionize the way people work.” – Abdullah Prem, CEO of Bloggersneed
Founder of Bloggersneed Abdullah Prem — who uses the chatbot for these purposes — tells Tech.co that these tools maximize his efficiency and save him a lot of time. Prem even foresees that ChatGPT will change core processes in his workplace and revolutionize the way people work across sectors in upcoming years.
5. To write emails
ChatGPT has also been helping employees to carry out one of the most universally disliked tasks —writing emails.
Luke Lovelady, an ad developer at BlueOptima, Arizona uses the AI tool to send personalized cold emails. Depending on who Lovelady is emailing, he'll feed ChatGPT a prompt containing information about a prospect. Then, he'll tell it to write a personalized email using the AIDA framework and include a CTA at the end.
The Arizonan rep also uses the tool to create original cold calling scripts by feeding the app simple value propositions, engaging hooks, and issues that potential customers may face. Aside from taking care of the tedious work, the app is proving to be a major time saver too. By cutting down time normally spent thinking, structuring, and writing outreach materials, he estimates the tool is saving him anywhere from one to two hours a day.
6. To write copy
ChatGPT is helping workers to create copy too, with content specialist Lauren Van Woerden using the tool at her marketing firm Ollo Metrics whenever she's working on SEO copywriting tasks. Worden explains that by using very specific, clear prompts, she's able to generate the best results — with the successful application of these tools cutting down her copywriting time by 30-40%.
“I treat this as a foundation to work from–no more writers block–and then I add in the tone and personality I want the copy to have.” – Lauren Van Woerden
Toni, a freelance copywriter, uses the app to create copy and claims it's particularly useful when it comes to writing introductions and conclusions. ChatGPT has had a profound effect on her pace of work too, with the app reducing the number of days she spends writing her blog from seven to two. When it comes to using the device transparently, however, Toni isn't so sure.
“To be honest, I don’t think it's necessary to tell my employer that I use ChatGPT” she tells Tech.co. “It's not that much of big of a deal. All he cares about is content, it doesn't matter where I get it from”.
7. For time management
Lovelady uses ChatGPT to create daily schedules. He feeds the app a prompt about his daily situation and what a normal day looks like before asking for advice on how he should best utilize his time. ChatGPT uses this information to create a daily schedule, which helps Lovelady to organize his task load based on his top priorities.
“It would be foolish for workers and employers to not use this technology in some capacity to eliminate manual and time-consuming tasks and increase our output.” – Luke Lovelady, Ad Development Rep at BlueOptima
Speaking to Tech.co about the tool's potential, he says “I think the ChatGPT explosion has created a new work paradigm that can be greatly taken advantage of if used correctly”. He also expressed that due to the app's boundless potential, failing to utilize this tech could be an error for businesses.
8. To create presentations
Fed up with the repetitive nature of making presentations? Well, it seems like ChatGPT might be able to assist with this too.
Harman Signh, Director of the cybersecurity services company Cyphere uses the AI app to create reports and presentations. He explains that ChatGPT allows him to create high-quality presentations quickly and easily, which has a substantial impact on the efficiency of his work. Signh also uses the chatbot to produce reports, responses to customer inquiries, and marketing materials like blogs, which is a true testament to the tool's versatility.
Unsurprisingly, Signh has a very optimistic view about ChatGPT's future potential, telling Tech.co that he's looking forward to seeing how this technology continues to evolve and how it can be used to help companies become more successful.
9. For keyword research
Looking to power up your SEO game? You're in luck. ChatGPT is also being used as a multi-pronged search engine optimization tool for businesses across the globe.
One worker told us that they use ChatGPT for keyword research, link-building efforts, and even to help build their monthly content calendar. Radhika Gupta, founder of the digital agency One Digital Land also uses ChatGPT to assist with various SEO activities including keyword research, SEO analytics, and content optimization for organic search, PPC, and emails.
Gupta tells us that since using the app, it's been easier to nurture and convert leads by maximizing the company's efficiency — a massive win for any sales business. However, her overall attitude is one of cautious optimism, with the business founder pointing out that since it's a relatively new technology, its overall impact on digital marketing remains to be seen.
10. To manage meetings
ChatGPT also holds the potential to streamline meeting management, with businesses like Moo Soft using the AI-backed software to summarize meeting transcripts to make information more accessible to remote workers who aren't able to tune into calls.
Moo Soft's owner, Calvin Wallis tells Tech.co that thanks to ChatGPT's ability to accurately sum up virtual discussions, he's able to give his full attention to those participating in meetings in the knowledge that the rest of the team will be caught up to speed.
If you're keen on using ChatGPT's smart technology to manage your meetings, you're in luck. Web conferencing giant Microsoft Teams recently launched a Premium tier that contains a slew of features backed by OpenAI technology — including intelligent recap tools and watermarking capabilities — making it easier than ever for businesses to benefit from the technology.
In fact, since ChatGPT first disrupted the business landscape, a number of major tech companies like Google and Meta have been scrambling to get up to speed. And while these efforts have been met with haven't always been met success, there's no doubt that ChatGPT and similar tools are going to massively influence the way we live and work going forward.
To get a general consensus on how workers feel about this, we asked them about their experience with the tool and its potential impact on the future of work. Here's what they thought.
Anxieties and Optimism: The Future of AI in the Workplace
Almost every business we heard from had very positive experiences with ChatGPT, including Luka Lamaj from Docere Health, who told Tech.co that advances in chatbot technology have made it possible for his medical practice to streamline a number of operations, freeing up human resources and allowing him to focus on driving innovation instead.
Lots of workers are in agreement, including software engineer Cameron Perrin, who told us that tools like ChatGPT have enabled him to speed up his workflow by roughly 20-25%, and a copywriter, who revealed the app reduced his writing time by a staggering 30-40%.
However, while Lamaj from Docere Health believes that ChatGPT can open up a lot of opportunities for businesses, he acknowledges that it shouldn't be seen as a silver bullet for all problems. “There are certain tasks and interactions that require human interaction” he explains “and chatbots cannot replace that.”
“I have mixed feelings about it. I like it, but I my fear is that the unemployment rate will go way up.” – Cameron Garrison, CEO of Guardian Lemon Law
Additionally, with recent reports revealing that almost half of US companies using ChatGPT have already replaced workers, lots of respondents expressed understandable concerns over future job security. For example, Cameron Garrison, CEO of Guardian Lemon Law speculates that since the bot is capable of performing many tasks carried out by humans, unemployment rates could surge as a result.
Ultimately, as this technology becomes more commonplace, it's undeniable that many roles risk becoming obsolete in the process. Yet, as Mattia Santin from the behavior analytic company HotJar points out, since tools like ChatGPT are currently incapable of carrying out tasks that require a human touch, they will still depend on workers to verify their results.
And in the meantime, for innovative businesses like Santin's, by taking care of the busy work, they leave workers to do what they're good at, being creative.
Companies That Have Banned ChatGPT
Most companies are welcoming the mechanical arm of ChatGPT. However, since generative AI chatbots are still in their infancy, and many are prone to errors, biases, and misinformation, a number of employers have barred their use outright due to worries about plagiarism and security.
Apple restricted the tool in May, over concerns about employees unknowingly sharing confidential information. Samsung also banned ChatGPT, alongside other generative AI platforms, after an employee of the company was responsible for classified code being leaked via the app. But it's not just tech companies that are restricting access. A number of Wall Street Banks have cracked down on the tool, including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Corp., and Wells Fargo & Co.
Learn more about companies banning generative AI here.
