ChatGPT

ChatGPT, from OpenAI. A general-purpose assistant for drafting, explaining, analyzing files and thinking out loud.

What it does well

• Explaining a concept three different ways until one clicks
• Turning messy notes into a structured first draft
• Uploading a spreadsheet and asking questions about it
• Role-playing an interview, a debate opponent or a tough reviewer

What it does poorly

• Citations you haven't opened yourself
• Final answers on fast-moving facts without a web search
• Anything you're not allowed to share outside the university

What makes it different

The broadest feature set in one place: chat, file analysis, image generation, voice, web search and custom GPTs you can share with a class.

Quick start

1. Sign in at chatgpt.com with your USC credentials to use the Edu workspace.
2. Paste a paragraph from your current reading and ask: “Explain this to a smart first-year, then give me two questions to check my understanding.”
3. Answer the questions in the chat and ask it to grade your answers.
4. Upload a CSV and ask for three charts that tell different stories about the data.
5. Ask it to list what it's unsure about — then verify those points yourself.

Strengths and limits

• Strength: Fast, fluent writing and explanation
• Strength: Strong file and data analysis
• Strength: Custom GPTs are easy to share
• Limit: Confident when wrong
• Limit: Citations need checking
• Limit: Features differ between free, Plus and Edu

Privacy

Use the USC Edu workspace for university work. Don't paste student records, health data or unpublished research into personal accounts.

Academic integrity

Course policies vary. Check your syllabus, and disclose AI use the way your instructor asks.