ChatGPT has been around for three years, but many still use it like a basic search engine. While you can’t always trust its responses without independent verification, it’s still useful for a variety of tasks. It can often help you finish complex projects, create images and run numbers.
And, like with most forms of generative AI, the quality of what you get often depends on your prompt.
It helps to know the basics of how ChatGPT works so you can navigate the growing ecosystem with confidence. Think of this as your crash course in the chatbot. We’ll walk through what it is, how to use it and the essentials you need to know if you’re just getting started.
With that in mind, here’s your ChatGPT 101 class.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
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