ChatGPT brought conversational AI to the mainstream. Ask questions, get explanations, write content, brainstorm ideas, debug code—the interface is simple text, but the capabilities extend far. It changed how people think about AI as a daily tool.
The conversation format makes AI accessible. Type naturally, get responses. Ask follow-up questions, and it remembers context. No special syntax or commands—just communicate like you would with a person.
GPT-4 represents the current capability frontier. It handles complex reasoning, understands nuance, writes coherently at length, and works with code across languages. The jump from GPT-3.5 to GPT-4 was substantial.
Custom GPTs let you create specialized assistants. Define instructions, upload knowledge, and create AI tools for specific tasks. Share them publicly or keep them private. This extensibility makes ChatGPT a platform.
The plugins and code interpreter add capabilities. Browse the web, execute Python code, analyze data files. These integrations extend what ChatGPT can do beyond text generation.
The API provides programmatic access. Build ChatGPT capabilities into your own applications. The same models power both the chat interface and the API, though pricing and rate limits differ.
The free tier uses GPT-3.5 with some limitations. ChatGPT Plus adds GPT-4 access, priority during peak times, and new features first. For heavy users, the subscription is usually worth it.