One of the best technological developments of the year has been the boom in generative AI systems. Subsequently, the market has newfound advancements in these programs that have created previously unmatched demand. Moreover, leading the wave is the OpenAI-developed ChatGPT, and one of the coolest abilities of the program is the fact that it can actually write an essay.
Whether it be a college essay or a simple blog post, ChatGPT has proven immensely helpful. Although we don’t recommend simply putting forth anything the program develops, a ChatGPT essay can be a useful tool for reaching the finished product. Indeed, ChatGPT is a valuable copilot in helping you save time, and craft a high-quality essay.
What is ChatGPT?
The relevance of generative AI in tech was seemingly birthed by OpenAI’s generative chatbot, ChatGPT. A large language model, aptly named GPT, underlies this incredible technology that is a writer’s dream. Moreover, the system can work in tandem with writers to help them face time-consuming writing tasks or writer’s block.
The process is rather simple, and the advancement of technology allows generated essays to play a key role in the final product. However, although the system is incredibly intriguing, and advanced, there are still some guardrails that must be discussed first.
Primarily, it is important to mention that ChatGPT is, first and foremost, a tool. This means that ChatGPT wouldn’t be relied upon to solely construct the content of your essay but to play a hand in its development. Plagiarism risks still exist at this stage of technological development, and its generative speech is still not perfectly reminiscent of human expression.
Yet, ChatGPT is still a reliable tool to help you create a host of different essays. So, without further ado, let’s discuss how best to get that done.
How to Make ChatGPT Write an Essay
Create an OpenAI account
The first step toward your ChatGPT essay is to create an OpenAI account. The research firm is responsible for the program’s existence and requires you to be signed up for the platform prior to its use. The process is simple, and straightforward, mirroring what you expect for similar internet protocols.
However, it is important to have a fundamental understanding of the OpenAI policies regarding the system. Moreover, an awareness of the limitations of the system will help you better utilize its incredible functionality.
Understand Your Assignment
Secondly, you have to have a firm understanding of the task at hand before delegating some assistance from ChatGPT. Specifically, it is helpful to gather notes on the topic and have a thorough understanding of expectations and requirements.
For example, some instructors will prohibit the use of generative AI, which is important to adhere to. Additionally, it is important to gather an apprehensive collection of details to include in your ChatGPT prompt. If the assignment is a college essay, a cover letter, or an application letter, the details are important for the system to note
Moreover, you’ll want to provide ChatGPT with directional context. Specifically, state whether the assignment is argumentative or persuasive and which stance you would like the AI to take. Present notes to the program and provide a rough outline of the contents with points you would like it to include.
Understanding the prompt is the best route to take when utilizing ChatGPT, but it will also take some trial and error. Importantly, know that you gave ChatGPT an outline structure and not extensive sentences.
Submit Your Prompt
Once you know your assignment, and what you want your essay to cover, start to construct your prompt. Specifically, include the topic, essay type, and details gathered in the outline phase. Include things like essay length, and some specific requests while making note of the careful balance in prompt content.
For example, you could ask ChatGPT, “Write a 500-word college essay that discusses the Bretton Woods Agreement. Include the countries involved, what was agreed to, and ways it is still relevant today.”
Alternatively, you could ask ChatGPT to conclude a “5-page college essay on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. And the ways that it has impacted global economics. Include United States retaliatory sanctions and my empathy toward the conflict.” Subsequently, the second prompt will urge the system to conduct the essay in the first person and allow it to be from a personal perspective.
Refine the Results
Eventually, you’ll likely have an essay that ChatGPT has developed, and this is where your job continues. Specifically, the essay won’t be perfect, so you’ll need to add to or refine some of the results that the system has generated. Ask CahtGPT to change certain parts, and it will produce an updated version.
For example, if you realize that you forgot to include an aspect in the prompt, simply ask ChatGPT to include it in the essay. For example, if, in the Bretton Woods essay, you remembered that you wanted to include how it specifically affected the United States, you can refine the generated text. Simply input, “Discuss the United States in the essay,” and it will revise its answer.
Gather Sources
One of the biggest hindrances to the program currently is its inability to cite specific sources. Thus, it is important for you to go through the given essay and establish which parts you have to cite. You can ask ChatGPT for a list of sources, but it won’t be able to pinpoint where they were used, or if they were in the final product.
Conversely, it is incredibly important to go through and add citations at your own discretion. This aspect of the essay-writing phase is imperative, and requires diligence on your part, to protect the nature of the information that you are sharing.
Read and Edit
Finally, it is important to read over and edit the essay that you’ve gotten from ChatGPT. Moreover, the essay may look great, but things like fact verification are essential for you to establish when transferring the ChatGPT generation to the finished product.
You have to read through the answers given carefully and determine where the answers make contextual sense. Ultimately, ChatGPT is a wealth of information, but it is up to you to harness that information into the desired response. Subsequently, using ChatGPT as the tool that it was always intended to be.
Other Ways ChatGPT Can Help You Write an Essay
Although the way we have outlined here is a good way to start, it isn’t the only way to approach writing an essay using ChatGPT. Specifically, the system is powerful enough to help you supplant one of the steps previously mentioned.
Specifically, if you’re having difficulty coming up with an idea for an essay, ChatGPT can help. By providing details on the assignment at hand, you can ask the system to generate ideas for an essay and work with its output. Moreover, you could simply submit the base requirements for the essay given to you by your instructor. Then, ask ChatGPt to help you come up with an idea to complete the assignment.
Alternatively, you could have ChatGPT create an outline, and generate a structure that you could follow in regard to completing the given assignment. Moreover, you can instruct the system to find your sources for the paper. Even specifying what sources you’d prefer for the assignment.
Conclusively, trial and error will be important when approaching ChatGPT as a tool. Experiment with the prompts and ideas that you have. Work in collaboration with the technology to provide an optimal result.