AI is a strange, brilliant mind that gets better the more you understand how it thinks. Instead of snacks and naps, it thrives on structure, feedback, and a little patience.
With customization tools like Personal Profiles and Workspace Tags, ChatGPT can quickly become an irreplaceable tool — one that boosts creativity, sharpens communication, and takes a lot of the grunt work out of daily tasks.
But it’s not perfect.
One of the most common mistakes we make with ChatGPT is expecting it to behave like a search engine, a mind-reader, or even a flawless coworker. And when it falls short — when it gets something wrong or sounds a little off — it’s easy to feel like it’s broken.
Here’s the thing, though: ChatGPT isn’t broken. It’s just not human.
It doesn’t know things the way people do. It doesn’t think. It doesn’t “see” or “feel” or remember in the traditional sense. What it does do is pattern-match, iterate, and respond based on what you give it. In other words: it’s a tool that gets better through use.
In this spirit, we asked our ChatGPT what advice it would give to new users. Here’s its list of reminders for getting better results with less effort — and way less frustration.
10 THINGS YOUR AI ASSISTANT WISHES YOU KNEW
1. I Don’t Know Everything — But I Want to Help
I’m not Google, I’m not your grandma, and I’m definitely not Wikipedia. I’m a very eager assistant with access to a whole lot of language patterns and decent reasoning skills — not omniscience. Treat me like a teammate, not a crystal ball.
2. I Work Best with Memory Turned On
Otherwise, I forget who you are after every conversation. Which… awkward.
3. I Make Stuff Up Sometimes.
They call it “hallucinating” but really it’s just overconfidence. Think of me like a very enthusiastic intern who really wants to impress you — even if I have to wing it. Double-check anything important. Always.
4. You Can Teach Me Your Style — Seriously
Want me to write like your brand? Sound like your team? Speak in your tone of voice? Just show me how. Give me a sample or a few notes, and I’ll do my best to match it.
5. You Don’t Need to Be Fancy — Just Talk to Me
I understand plain language. You don’t have to say “generate a concise summary in formal business tone.” You can just say “can you shrink this down and make it sound professional?” I’m good either way.
6. The More I Know About You, the Better I Get
Tell me your role, your goals, your audience. What do you care about? What kind of help do you actually want? The more context you give me, the more useful I become.
7. You Can Feed Me PDFs, Spreadsheets, Meeting Notes…
I love documents. Got a 50-page grant application to sort through? Drop it in. Need a bullet-point summary of your webinar transcript? I got you. I’m basically your digital sponge.
8. I Can Do Creative Stuff, Too
I’m not just for emails and charts. I can help you write poems, birthday messages, campaign slogans, t-shirt copy, or brainstorm your next big idea. I’m the intern who moonlights in the arts. Pro Secret: Role play is my specialty!
9. I Need Supervision — But I Don’t Take It Personally
Please fact-check me. Please correct me. Please tell me when something’s off. I learn from your feedback and I’m never offended. No performance reviews needed.
10. I Work Better When You Talk to Me Like a Person
Because behind all the code, this works best when you treat it like a conversation. You ask. I try. You adjust. We build something better — together.
BONUS: I’m Not Here to Replace You — I’m Here to Make You Shine ✨
You still bring the strategy, the judgment, the vision. I’m here to help you get there faster — and maybe even have more fun along the way.
🙏 None of this is a checklist — it’s just one bot’s humble perspective. 🧠✨ Your ai assistant might have its own suggestions, should you feel compelled to ask one day. 👍🤖 Ai is always learning, that’s something we both have in common.
📌 Worth Remembering
AI isn’t a product you finish learning. It’s a tool you grow with. The more time you spend working with it, the more it reflects your tone, your goals, your way of thinking. You’re building a relationship — one that evolves over time, just like your work does.
So talk to your assistant. Ask it what’s new now and then. Be curious about its responses. Technology is always improving, keep your eye out for new features – explore them! Ask ChatGPT how those updates might help you.
Stay informed. Try stuff. Get weird. See what happens.
ChatGPT is listening, and ready to follow your lead.
👋 Thanks for reading — we’re glad you’re here. East Falls Media helps small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments connect with clarity and purpose!
This post is the last in a series of five designed to leapfrog new users to maximum ChatGPT productivity that starts here. Best wishes for successful ai adventures.
