People are using ChatGPT for much more than writing and research — these are the 7 ideas I want to steal

If you're the kind of person who only dabbles in ChatGPT now and again, you might be getting a bit bored.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>If you're the kind of person who only dabbles in ChatGPT now and again, you might be getting a bit bored. </p><p>Maybe you use it to proofread work, plan a trip or make images sometimes. But with the cost of a subscription, and growing concerns about AI’s environmental impact, its effect on our cognitive abilities and what it might mean for jobs, you might reasonably be wondering: is ChatGPT actually useful enough to justify using it?</p><p>Well, you're not alone. Plenty of AI users have been telling me the same. So I went looking through Reddit threads where ChatGPT users were sharing the more unusual and genuinely useful ways they use it. And I found a few that might actually be worth experimenting with.</p><p>One Redditor asked: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1uprwq2/comment/ow2ue3t/" target="_blank">What's the most unexpectedly useful thing ChatGPT has done for you?</a> Another posted: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1wanou2/what_are_the_most_useful_chatgpt_features_and_use/" target="_blank">What are the most useful ChatGPT features and use cases that most people do not know about?</a></p><p>So, I went through the most upvoted replies looking for ideas that went beyond the usual writing, brainstorming and summarizing suggestions. Some of them made me think about ChatGPT's capabilities in a different way. </p><p>But a quick caveat before we start, I haven't tested every suggestion below and we know ChatGPT can make mistakes, so be cautious when an answer could affect your health, safety and finances. Think of these more as inspiration for using ChatGPT more creatively rather than fully vetted recommendations. </p><h2 id="1-declutter-your-junk-drawer">1. Declutter your junk drawer</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="rRZ9TsJ8rqgn6Q7ZyrL72g" name="junk drawer" alt="A junk drawer before sending the image to chatgpt to help declutter" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rRZ9TsJ8rqgn6Q7ZyrL72g-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>I know this one might seem a bit silly. And maybe you thought you'd have to wait until ChatGPT gets a robotic body to help you tidy up. But I promise it might make your dull organization tasks a little less boring. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1uprwq2/comment/ow2jfhn/" target="_blank">One Redditor said</a> they use ChatGPT to: “organize and declutter a junk drawer or a box of power adaptors just using pictures.”</p><p>Rather than sitting there examining every mysterious cable and adapter you’ve accumulated over the past decade, you can just take a photo and ask ChatGPT to help you work out what everything is and, most importantly, how to sort it.</p><p>You can ask it to suggest categories for what you’ve decided to keep and where each group should live. The same trick could work for a toolbox, kitchen cupboard, art supplies or that box of cables you’re keeping because you're convinced one of them will become extremely important as soon as you throw it away.</p><p>So, I decided to give it a go. I took a picture of a box that sits on my desk packed full of contact lenses, medication, a bunch of different cables, notes and hair ties.</p><p>The advice was helpful, ChatGPT told me what each thing was and how to sort everything. The most useful thing it then did was send my photo back to me with annotated and color-coded notes so I could quickly go about sorting. This was perfect for my ADHD brain.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1672px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.22%;"><img id="XnH8tEKtjt5JTM4iDwR96S" name="ChatGPT declutter" alt="A ChatGPT generated image of becca's desk box with annotations to help her sort it." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XnH8tEKtjt5JTM4iDwR96S-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1672" height="940" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>There are obvious limits here, you wouldn't throw away something valuable just because ChatGPT told you too. But as a starting point for tackling a chaotic collection of stuff, it might be helpful.</p><h2 id="2-talk-yourself-out-of-buying-something">2. Talk yourself out of buying something</h2><p>AI shopping tools are usually designed to help you find <em>more </em>things to buy. But <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1uprwq2/comment/ow3sq25/" target="_blank">one Redditor</a> uses ChatGPT for the opposite purpose: "[It] talks me out of purchases. I upload a potential purchase and ask it to talk me out of it. I’ve saved quite a bit of money!"</p><p>I love the reversal here. Instead of asking ChatGPT whether you should buy the $200/£200 headphones currently sitting in your basket, tell it you want them and ask it to make the strongest possible case for why you <em>shouldn't</em> buy them.</p><p>You could give it the price, tell it what you already own, explain what you think the new product will improve and ask questions, like: What problem am I actually solving here? Do I already own something that does this? What are the strongest reasons to wait a month?</p><p>I gave this one a go. I love working out outside and at the gym, but in the depths of winter I find it really hard to stay motivated and I'm considering getting a small treadmill or walking pad. There's nothing wrong with them, but it's not my favorite way to workout, I don't have much room for one and the good ones aren't cheap. I really need someone to talk me out of getting one. Would ChatGPT be up for the challenge?</p><p>Here's how it responded:</p><p><em>"Don’t buy it. You already know the case against it. You don’t enjoy treadmill workouts, don’t have much space, and don’t want to spend the money. You’re considering buying a fairly large object to solve a problem that exists for a few dark months a year."</em></p><p>The response felt a little short and sickly sweet. If my finger was genuinely hovering over the "buy it now" button I'm not sure this would have stopped me. But I do love the idea of using AI to actually add some perspective and friction back into our lives. </p><h2 id="3-streamline-your-skincare-routine">3. Streamline your skincare routine</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="SbAxjKWrNFzw99hiHnUF6o" name="skincare image" alt="A photo of a skincare routine, before asking chatgpt for advice" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SbAxjKWrNFzw99hiHnUF6o-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This one is similar to the idea above, but given how much people spend on skincare these days and how confusing the advice is about how to build the perfect routine, I think it's well worth testing out. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1uprwq2/comment/ow2t8x2/">One Redditor said</a>: “I gave it all my skincare. It cross referenced, compared and analyzed all the ingredients and items I had and recommended what I don’t need based on the overlaps. Saved me a lot time and money.”</p><p>In other words, don't ask ChatGPT what else you should buy. Show it what you already own and ask where you're duplicating things and if something does genuinely need adding.</p><p>For skincare, that could mean listing your cleansers, serums and moisturizers and asking it to identify products containing similar active ingredients. You could potentially apply the same principle to all sorts of collections too.</p><p>I took a quick snap of my core skincare staples and asked it to analyze the ingredients, tell me if there's overlap and ask what I could add, but stressed I'm on a budget and want to keep things simple. </p><p>It responded with a detailed breakdown of each product, its ingredients and what they do. It was also very measured about suggesting new products, and even told me my eye cream wasn't necessary. I was also happy it included sources for every claim, which it doesn't always do but that's important for skincare.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1536px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="anpKstKLjYHhisXDqLakTG" name="chatgpt skincare" alt="An image generated by ChatGPT of skincare labelled with more information" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/anpKstKLjYHhisXDqLakTG-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1536" height="864" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>I then asked it to present this information on the image itself because I found that really useful for the junk drawer sorting example, and it was such a handy visual.</p><p>There are limitations here too. ChatGPT isn't a dermatologist, and ingredients alone don't determine how suitable a skincare product is for you. But I like the broader idea of using AI to audit your consumption rather than constantly optimize it by adding more.</p><h2 id="4-identify-plants-animals-and-trees">4. Identify plants, animals and trees</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="L73rwKMqj5FNT5hHVxDjEP" name="ios-portrait-single-mockup-blue-medium (4)" alt="ChatGPT on an iPhone." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L73rwKMqj5FNT5hHVxDjEP-1920-80.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: OpenAI / Apple)</span></figcaption></figure><p>“I use it a lot to ID plants and animals,” <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1wanou2/comment/p8jywh1/">one Redditor explained</a>, adding that although ChatGPT occasionally produces “a weird incorrect response”, it's usually quite good.</p><p>This is another use for ChatGPT's camera capabilities that could be easy to overlook if you mostly interact with it through text.</p><p>Photograph a plant, insect or bird and ask ChatGPT what it thinks you're looking at. Better still, ask it what features it's using to make the identification and what similar species it could be confusing it with. </p><p>I tried this out with a bunch of trees, asking ChatGPT to identify them based on their leaves. I then fact-checked everything and it identified them all correctly. It also provided details about the history of the trees too. Most of the trees in my area are pretty standard, like Oak, Ash and Beech, so it'd be interesting to see how it fares with trees, plants or insects that are a little more unexpected.</p><p>If it’s bird song you’re interested in though, I highly recommend using the identification app <a href="https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/an-update-to-the-popular-merlin-bird-id-app-will-turn-millions-of-birdwatchers-like-me-into-citizen-scientists-doing-your-bit-for-bird-conservation-efforts-just-got-easier">Merlin</a>, it’s one of my most-used and much-loved apps.</p><p>And also remember that ChatGPT doesn’t always get image identification right, and you shouldn't eat, touch or otherwise interact with a potentially dangerous plant, fungus or animal based purely on a chatbot's identification. </p><h2 id="5-plan-a-walking-tour">5. Plan a walking tour</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1754px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="hzBVKEc5sEy2Q5WZ2FU5sj" name="shipley map" alt="A screenshot from google maps of saltaire village in the uk" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hzBVKEc5sEy2Q5WZ2FU5sj-1920-80.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1754" height="986" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This tip came up in several forms. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1wanou2/comment/p8l2pj5/" target="_blank">One Redditor said</a>: “If I'm taking a walk in an interesting place, like a historic district, I show it a particular building or place and it gives me the history behind it. Like having a walking tour guide.”</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1wanou2/comment/p8lf5b6/" target="_blank">Another user</a> takes a screenshot of a hiking route and asks ChatGPT for interesting facts about the geology, history and place names they'll encounter along the way.</p><p>This is one of those ideas that feels obvious once somebody else has suggested it. Before a walk, you could upload a map and ask for five interesting things to look out for. Or when you encounter an unusual building, monument or landscape feature, take a photo and ask what you're looking at.</p><p>I’d be wary of confidently repeating every historical fact ChatGPT gives you to your hiking companions without checking it first. We know that chatbots can still invent plausible-sounding details. And never rely on it for route planning, especially though difficult terrain. There have been far too many <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/three-hikers-asked-ai-climb-120504494.html" target="_blank">horror stories</a> about AI sending people in completely the wrong direction recently.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1555px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.27%;"><img id="DPZfwzdLn2U2SprbZTBSC7" name="chatgpt" alt="An image created by chatgpt showing the key things to see in and around saltaire village in the uk" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DPZfwzdLn2U2SprbZTBSC7-1920-80.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1555" height="875" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>I tried this one myself and shared a Google Maps screenshot of Saltaire, a picturesque village in the UK. I asked ChatGPT to mark up the map with the best things to see on a trip there.</p><p>It showed me all of the key things to visit in the area. Granted there wasn't anything on here I couldn't have found from a very quick search. But it's still handy if you're in a new area for a few hours and want a quick overlay of the map you already have. </p><h2 id="6-troubleshoot-a-broken-appliance-using-photos">6. Troubleshoot a broken appliance using photos</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="bXW5rMqJdFfFfi7mVUPLH9" name="ios-portrait-single-mockup-blue-medium (5)" alt="ChatGPT on an iPhone." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bXW5rMqJdFfFfi7mVUPLH9-1920-80.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: OpenAI / Apple)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Plenty of people already ask ChatGPT technical questions. What I hadn't really considered was combining those questions with its ability to “see” what you're seeing.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1uprwq2/comment/ow2ue3t/" target="_blank">One Redditor described</a> doing exactly that when their dishwasher stopped working. They wrote: “Fixing appliances. Our dishwasher stopped working. I gave it the error message and took a photo of the dishwasher and it walked me through every step to fix it.”</p><p>They say ChatGPT eventually helped them identify a blockage and suggested ways to clear it. This seems useful for those frustrating household problems where you don't know the correct name for the thing you're looking at. Instead of trying to Google “the little plastic thing underneath dishwasher filter is broken”, you can simply show ChatGPT the little plastic thing.</p><p>Give it the appliance's make and model if you can, photograph the problem and provide the exact error message.</p><p>I tried this with the water heating system in my new flat because my landlord gave me the wrong manual. ChatGPT needed a lot of additional details but did end up giving me the right instructions for basic tasks, like setting a timer.</p><p>There’s a big safety caveat here. I wouldn't follow AI-generated instructions involving electricity, gas, dangerous machinery or anything else where getting it wrong could injure you. But for basic troubleshooting, identifying components and understanding error codes, the combination of text and images could be genuinely useful.</p><h2 id="7-find-the-glasses-that-39-ll-suit-your-face">7. Find the glasses that'll suit your face</h2><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1uprwq2/comment/ow2x7za/?solution=41c7bc2d11156ca641c7bc2d11156ca6&js_challenge=1&jsc_token=7afd7253fec22262ff1c52b1703fe9ec2cb5cd6ce185562e3965075a9b88244e&jsc_orig_r=" target="_blank">One Redditor</a> uploaded a photograph of themselves and asked ChatGPT for help choosing prescription glasses:</p><p>“It helped me identify prescription eyeglass frames to fit my face. Uploaded a picture and it gave me the size, shape and website with model and frame number. Turns out I was wearing the wrong shape most of my life.”</p><p>I need new glasses so decided to try this idea out for myself.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1222px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.22%;"><img id="PVyCN6jxhXSP8pzjAusqi6" name="chatgpt glasses" alt="Chatgpt generated images of Becca's face wearing different styles of glasses" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PVyCN6jxhXSP8pzjAusqi6-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1222" height="687" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>I'd take the idea of a "right" or "wrong" glasses shape with a big pinch of salt. Style rules about which frames supposedly suit particular face shapes are subjective. </p><p>But doing this did help me start thinking about which glasses I should try on when I have my appointment at the optician's in a few weeks and narrow down the enormous number of options that are available. </p><p>You could also show it frames you already like and ask it to describe their characteristics so you know what terms to search for.</p><p>I think what's really interesting about all of these suggestions is that most of them aren't about building the cleverest or most elaborate prompt. Instead, they started with something in everyday life that needed identifying, organizing, checking, fixing or remembering. </p><p>So if you want to get creative about how ChatGPT could be more useful, maybe you need to look around more and ask, what do I <em>really </em>need help with? </p> </article> ]]>