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CNET
8 hours ago
- Health
- CNET
Never Use ChatGPT for These 11 Things
ChatGPT is the most popular AI chatbot on the internet for good reason. Over the last three years, AI has changed the way we interact with the world around us, making it easier to do all kinds of things. Whether you're planning a trip, trying to save money on groceries or you're searching for specific information, AI has you covered. While I'm a fan, I also know the limitations of ChatGPT, and you should too, whether you're a newbie or an expert. It's fun for trying new recipes, learning a foreign language or planning a vacation, but you don't want to give ChatGPT carte blanche in your life. It's not great at everything -- in fact, it can be downright sketchy at a lot of things. ChatGPT sometimes hallucinates information and passes it off as fact, and it may not always have up-to-date information. It's incredibly confident, even when it's straight up wrong. (The same can be said about other generative AI tools, too, of course.) That matters the higher the stakes get, like when taxes, medical bills, court dates or bank balances enter the chat. If you're unsure about when turning to ChatGPT might be risky, here are 11 scenarios when you should put down the AI and choose another option. Don't use ChatGPT for any of the following. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of CNET, in April filed a lawsuit against ChatGPT maker OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) 1. Diagnosing physical health issues I've definitely fed ChatGPT my symptoms out of curiosity, but the answers that come back can read like your worst nightmare. As you pore over potential diagnoses, you could swing from dehydration and the flu to some type of cancer. I have a lump on my chest and entered that information into ChatGPT. Lo and behold, it told me I may have cancer. In fact, I have a lipoma, which is not cancerous and occurs in 1 in every 1,000 people. My licensed doctor told me that. I'm not saying there are no good uses of ChatGPT for health: It can help you draft questions for your next appointment, translate medical jargon and organize a symptom timeline so you can walk in better prepared. And that could help make doctor visits less overwhelming. However, AI can't order labs or examine you, and it definitely doesn't carry malpractice insurance. Know its limits. 2. Taking care of your mental health ChatGPT can offer grounding techniques, sure, but it can't pick up the phone when you're in real trouble with your mental health. I know some people use ChatGPT as a substitute therapist. CNET's Corin Cesaric found it mildly helpful for working through grief, as long as she kept its limits front of mind. But as someone who has a very real, very human therapist, I can tell you that ChatGPT is still really only a pale imitation at best, and incredibly risky at worst. ChatpGPT doesn't have lived experience, can't read your body language or tone, and has zero capacity for genuine empathy. It can only simulate it. A licensed therapist operates under legal mandates and professional codes that protect you from harm. ChatGPT doesn't. Its advice can misfire, overlook red flags or unintentionally reinforce biases baked into its training data. Leave the deeper work — the hard, messy, human work — to an actual human who is trained to properly handle it. If you or someone you love is in crisis, please dial 988 in the US, or your local hotline. 3. Making immediate safety decisions If your carbon-monoxide alarm starts chirping, please don't open ChatGPT and ask it if you're in real danger. I'd go outside first and ask questions later. Large language models can't smell gas, detect smoke or dispatch an emergency crew. In a crisis, every second you spend typing is a second you're not evacuating or dialing 911. ChatGPT can only work with the scraps of info you feed it, and in an emergency, it may be too little and too late. So treat your chatbot as a postincident explainer, never a first responder. 4. Getting personalized financial or tax planning ChatGPT can explain what an ETF is, but it doesn't know your debt-to-income ratio, state tax bracket, filing status, deductions, retirement goals or risk appetite. Because its training data may stop short of the current tax year, and of the latest rate hikes, its guidance may well be stale when you hit enter. I have friends who dump their 1099 totals into ChatGPT for a DIY return. The chatbot simply can't replace a CPA who can catch a hidden deduction worth a few hundred dollars or flag a mistake that could cost you thousands. When real money, filing deadlines, and IRS penalties are on the line, call a professional, not AI. Also, be aware that anything you share with an AI chatbot will probably become part of its training data, and that includes your income, your Social Security number and your bank routing information. 5. Dealing with confidential or regulated data As a tech journalist, I see embargoes land in my inbox every day, but I've never thought about tossing any of these press releases into ChatGPT to get a summary or further explanation. That's because if I did, that text would leave my control and land on a third-party server outside the guardrails of my nondiscloure agreement. The same risk applies to client contracts, medical charts or anything covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act, HIPAA, the GDPR or plain old trade-secret law. It applies to your income taxes, birth certificate, driver's license and passport. Once sensitive information is in the prompt window, you can't guarantee where it's stored, who can review it internally or whether it may be used to train future models. ChatGPT also isn't immune to hackers and security threats. If you wouldn't paste it into a public Slack channel, don't paste it into ChatGPT. 6. Doing anything illegal This one is self-explanatory. 7. Cheating on schoolwork I'd be lying if I said I never cheated on my exams. In high school, I used my first-generation iPod Touch to sneak a peek at a few cumbersome equations I had difficulty memorizing in AP calculus, a stunt I'm not particularly proud of. But with AI, the scale of modern cheating makes that look remarkably tame. Turnitin and similar detectors are getting better at spotting AI-generated prose every semester, and professors can already hear "ChatGPT voice" a mile away (thanks for ruining my beloved em dash). Suspension, expulsion and getting your license revoked are real risks. It's best to use ChatGPT as a study buddy, not a ghostwriter. You're also just cheating yourself out of an education if you have ChatGPT do the work for you. 8. Monitoring information and breaking news Since OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT Search in late 2024 (and opened it to everyone in February 2025), the chatbot can fetch fresh web pages, stock quotes, gas prices, sports scores and other real-time numbers the moment you ask, complete with clickable citations so you can verify the source. However, it won't stream continual updates on its own. Every refresh needs a new prompt, so when speed is critical, live data feeds, official press releases, news sites, push alerts and streaming coverage are still your best bet. 9. Gambling I've actually had luck with ChatGPT and hitting a three-way parlay during the NCAA men's basketball championship, but I would never recommend it to anyone. I've seen ChatGPT hallucinate and provide incorrect information on player statistics, misreported injuries and win-loss records. I only cashed out because I double-checked every claim against real-time odds, and even then I got lucky. ChatGPT can't see tomorrow's box score, so don't rely on it solely to get you that win. 10. Drafting a will or other legally binding contract ChatGPT is great for breaking down basic concepts. If you want to know more about a revocable living trust, ask away. However, the moment you ask it to draft actual legal text, you're rolling the dice. Estate and family-law rules vary by state, and sometimes even by county, so skipping a witness signature or omitting the notarization clause can get your whole document tossed. Let ChatGPT help you build a checklist of questions for your lawyer, then pay that lawyer to turn that checklist into a document that stands up in court. 11. Making art This isn't an objective truth, just my own opinion, but I don't believe AI should be used to create art. I'm not anti-artifical intelligence by any means. I use ChatGPT for brainstorming new ideas and help with my headlines, but that's supplementation, not substitution. By all means, use ChatGPT, but please don't use it to make art that you then pass off as your own. It's kind of gross.
The Verge
a day ago
- Business
- The Verge
Layoffs hit CNET as its parent company goes on a buying spree
Ziff Davis, the media conglomerate that owns outlets like CNET, ZDNET, PCMag, and Mashable is laying off 15 percent of the unionized workforce, or 23 total people. The majority of layoffs are coming from CNET, where 19 people will lose their jobs — even as Ziff Davis goes on a shopping spree. The layoffs will hit CNET coverage areas like the finance, broadband, and sleep beats, as well as the outlet's copy desk. A handful of staffers across Lifehacker, Mashable, and ZDNet will also be laid off. 'It's very clear to us that these cuts aren't about journalism,' Anna Iovine, unit chair of the Ziff Davis Creators Guild, says. 'They're based on money and greed.' Iovine noted particular concerns around cutting copy editors and fact checkers. 'Eliminating any coverage is really devastating. These journalists, some of them have decades of experience, and we're losing [that],' Iovine says. Ziff Davis has acquired five other companies this year alone, most notably the popular newsletter TheSkimm and the health outlet Well+Good. CNET was acquired by Ziff Davis in 2024 for $100 million. Ziff Davis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CNET has had a tumultuous last few years under its previous owner, Red Ventures. In 2023, the outlet was engulfed in controversy when readers discovered it had been quietly publishing stories written by AI that were full of errors. In the ensuing weeks and months, CNET staff were laid off, editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo stepped down to take a job overseeing AI content, and staff at the outlet unionized. After Red Ventures sold the outlet, the union was rolled into the Ziff Davis Creators Guild, represented by the NewsGuild of New York. 'At a time when CNET is still building back its reputation after a damaging AI scandal under Red Ventures, Ziff's decision to further undermine CNET's human authority is disturbing,' a statement from the bargaining unit reads. 'Our members are so much more than dollars and cents, even as the capricious management at Ziff Davis tries to treat us as such,' the statement continues. 'We won a strong collective bargaining agreement just over a year ago, and we will fight to enforce it so we can preserve our ability to continue producing high-quality work for our readers.' Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Mia Sato Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Business Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Creators Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
CNET
2 days ago
- CNET
ChatGPT Study Mode Aims to Circumvent the Brain Atrophy Problem With AI in Education
ChatGPT Study Mode is a new function within the artificial intelligence chatbot that aims to give students a more natural learning experience rather than simply answering questions for them, the company announced Tuesday. Whereas typing in a question or topic into ChatGPT returns a textbook-style summary, Study Mode works with students, step by step, to help them come to the correct answer on their own. Students can chat with ChatGPT to gain better clarification on things they don't understand, as though they were working with a tutor. Study Mode will be available for free for Plus, Pro and Team users and will launch for ChatGPT Edu in the next few weeks. Study Mode won't simply respond like an answer engine. Even if a student gets frustrated and wants ChatGPT to just spit out the correct answer, it'll refuse. Instead, it'll try to continue working with students to help them get to the correct conclusion. For faculty and parents, there aren't admin controls at the moment, meaning students can switch back to standard ChatGPT if they really want that straight answer. OpenAI, however, is looking to increase admin controls in the future. With the release of ChatGPT in late 2023, the academic world was hit almost immediately. Suddenly, students had a word calculator trained on massive amounts of data, with the ability to spit out essays in seconds. The temptation to get immediate answers from ChatGPT has proven to be tempting for students and has made AI plagiarism a problem in classrooms and on college campuses. Teachers are complaining that students are deferring the hard work of thinking and problem-solving to AI. Teachers are also complaining that AI is hindering students' abilities to think critically. Experts say that critical thinking is highly important for childhood development. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on the Theo Von Podcast last week that with the advancement of AI models, education will need to change entirely. Because AI models will one day become smarter than humans in processing information, teaching needs to evolve with this new tool being widely used in society. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
CNET
3 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Get Started With ChatGPT: A Beginner's Guide to Using the Super Popular AI Chatbot
AI chatbots and functionality have exploded since 2022 when Open AI launched ChatGPT. Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days from AI overviews of Google search results, to programs like Canva. The AI revolution has changed the internet, delivering new ways to sort through the chaos of busy lives, simplify workflow and even search the internet. AI chatbots like ChatGPT will continue to transform how we consume, create and communicate online. While AI innovation is progressing quickly, it's important to understand the fundamentals of how ChatGPT works to navigate the ecosystem of tools. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) With that in mind, here's your ChatGPT 101 class. What does ChatGPT actually do? ChatGPT can answer your questions, summarize text, write new content, code and translate languages. Depending on what version you're using, it can either browse the internet, or generate information up until its last training model date. It's not magic, it's math: The results are based on the large language model's predictions and past information, making it prone to hallucinations, errors and biases. Keep a balanced approach when using tools like ChatGPT. AI, like most cutting-edge tech, is neither all good nor all bad. Avoid being too dogmatic on either side. I've tried using ChatGPT for everything from work-related tasks like creating a resume and a cover letter, looking for a dream job and negotiating a raise, to personal things like saving time and being more productive, finding the best deals and coupons while shopping online and even creating recipes from my leftovers. Getting set up with ChatGPT You can use ChatGPT as a search engine, much like Google's home page. Go to or download the ChatGPT app on Apple's App Store or on the Google Play Store. Open the app or website, and type in your question or prompt. You can use the voice function, attach files and even browse trending topics under Search. ChatGPT/Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET For more advanced and personalized features, it's best to create an account and log in. ChatGPT knows more about you through your search history, and you can customize ChatGPT's responses. To create an account, click on the Sign Up button in the top right-hand corner. Choose between a free or premium membership ($20 a month). In most instances, the free version is fine. For quick personal searches, you might want to use the app. For work, the desktop version is probably easier. And if you're using the voice button instead of typing your prompt, the mobile app is best. ChatGPT 101: Getting comfortable with the AI tool There's no one "right" way to use ChatGPT. The only wrong way to use it is to only use ChatGPT and to outsource your critical thinking to it. Use ChatGPT and Google, and always fact check everything they both tell you. Click on the sources of information that Google and ChatGPT are drawing from. You can't simply trust the info AI gives you -- it may be hallucinating, or drawing the wrong conclusions from doubtful source information. It's also helpful to come to AI tools with your intention in mind. For example, you could use ChatGPT as a thinking partner or a research aid. Give it a "job" and build it into your process, rather than it replacing all your research. Read more: ChatGPT Glossary: 49 AI Terms Everyone Should Know What you can ask ChatGPT You can ask ChatGPT almost anything -- just avoid ever giving it any personal or sensitive information, such as your credit card number, SSN or any personally identifying information in case of data breaches. For whatever you're asking ChatGPT, the more context you give, the better. You only get out what you put in, so focus on providing as much information as possible in your first prompt. Your prompt will depend on whether you're asking a question, summarizing text, brainstorming, getting "advice", analyzing images, sourcing code or generating content. If you're not sure where to start, here are a couple of things I've asked for ChatGPT to help me with. Let's compare my two search intentions: Advice-related request I'm trying to get pregnant and want to know the ideal diet for my situation. Example prompt: "I'm a 36-year-old woman getting ready to start IVF. I have no fertility issues, but my AMH is on the lower end. Provide a suggested diet to follow in the lead-up to my egg retrieval and transfer." It will give you a lot of information. Most of it won't be personalized to you, so think of it as a conversation where each follow-up prompt gets you closer to customized advice. You can see an example of this exact advice-related prompt here, and all the follow-up questions I had to ask to drill down to get helpful information. Just remember: If you're asking for health and wellness information, always double-check with a doctor. Data-related request Say you're a small business owner and want to reduce your overhead, so you input your expenses spreadsheet into ChatGPT for advice. ChatGPT/Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET You could click on the Analyze data button and it will generate prompts. Pick the most appropriate, or type in after "help me…" Example prompt: "Help me save money on my expenses. Attached is my expenses list for last year." Again, double-check every number the AI tool comes back with. Browsing ChatGPT If you just want to play around with the tool before using it to ask specific questions, you can use the automatically generated prompts that come up in ChatGPT. For example, if you click on Surprise me, you can explore prompts like this: ChatGPT/Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET I clicked on one of the suggested prompts and here's the answer I got: ChatGPT/Screenshot by Amanda Smith/CNET If you click on Make a plan, you can explore prompts like "make a plan to get a promotion," "make a plan to buy a new car," "make a plan of meals for the week" and "make a plan for a weekend in New York." For the meal plan suggestion, for instance, give ChatGPT a quick input of ingredients in the fridge and your current diet focus, and it will generate a meal plan for the week. You can be as custom as uploading a photo of what's in your fridge and asking for a dinner suggestion, or as straightforward as asking ChatGPT for some good restaurant options in New York. This meal planning example really shows how ChatGPT and other AI tools are a "choose your own adventure" and handy search partner for anything you want to do with them. Just remember to maintain a balanced view of these tools. And always double-check its advice.
CNET
4 days ago
- CNET
I Love an Old Pair of Shoes I Purchased Years Ago. I Asked AI to Find Me a Similar Style
Every woman can sympathize with this: You finally find jeans that make you feel good or a pair of heels that are both comfortable and stylish. And then, suddenly, it's out of season or style, and there's no way of finding that item again. But some styles are timeless, and you'll want to replace them when they've seen too many red wine spills or look a little weathered. The world of fashion moves faster than a Tinder swipe. Maybe artificial intelligence can help locate links to the original item sold elsewhere, or find a similar look. If AI can help find the best deals online, be used as a shopping assistant and even as a personal assistant, maybe it can help replace my gorgeous pair of heels that I can't find anywhere. With ChatGPT Search, I can upload a photo of my shoes, and it can search the internet for shopping links -- like a Google reverse image search on steroids. There's even specific AI shoe finder GPTs I could test out. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Can ChatGPT magically find my favorite heels from a photo? The first step was to take a few photos of my beloved shoes from different angles, making sure to capture the brand name. I bought these shoes close to a decade ago, when I was still living in Australia. I made sure to snap any defining features and codes, like a sticker that miraculously stayed on the sole through just about every terrain -- grass, gravel, pavement and floorboards. Next, I opened up ChatGPT, logged in and uploaded four photos with this prompt: "This is an old pair of shoes I love. I want to replace them with either the same item or something similar. I'm a US size 8. The code on the sole is 8M/38½. Here are four photos of the heels." I made sure to select the Web Search button. ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET It gave me some identifying information in order to help me direct my own Google search, but I wanted it to do it for me. The point was to save time using AI. ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET I responded with this prompt: "Can you search the internet for links to the exact item?" ChatGPT sourced a bunch of links with resale items and suggested I set up an alert using specific terms like "Lucky Brand Bertel black suede 8M." While it didn't provide the specific product link, I liked being able to sort through the resale pages to see similar styles too. ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET Before I get deep into online thrifting mode on eBay, I asked ChatGPT to find five new styles that are similar, either from Lucky Brand or the others mentioned. This was fun! I learned that this product is a block-heel suede look, which is helpful to know for whenever I need to do my own searches: ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET My only critique so far is I'm not familiar with some of the stores ChatGPT provided links to. I wasn't sure if it was just pulling from eBay and unknown websites because it was trying to find resale items. ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET So, I asked it to search sites that I'd usually buy shoes from, like DSW and Nordstrom. It came back with direct links to these websites with the search pre-populated as "Lucky Brand" or "women's block heel sandals." This saved me some searching time, taking me straight to things like this Nordstrom page: ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET It suggested Marshalls/TJ Maxx, which I had forgotten in my previous prompt. I liked the recommendations it gave, such as a specific style for comfort or for a higher heel. It also provided tips on when these brands typically run sales. ChatGPT found me two heels I loved, but one was sold out: ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET I found another two pairs of Lucky Brand finds from the links ChatGPT provided, only to discover they weren't even my size, even though I included that in my prompt: ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET It was also interesting how the model didn't add any links from the Lucky Brand site itself, only third-party sellers. Always back up your ChatGPT activity with your own manual research. AI chatbots can be a handy tool to get fashion advice, outfit recommendations, product comparisons and insights about your personal style. However, for online shopping, you're better off going directly to the brands and sites you love. That's the fun part anyway.
