Picture this: What if ChatGPT could transform from a basic chatbot into your personal genius, delivering insights that blow your mind? I recently dived into six insider tips from OpenAI's own team—and let me tell you, it worked wonders!
By Lee Chong Ming (https://www.businessinsider.com/author/lee-chong-ming)
You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
2025-12-08T04:30:38.068Z
- The OpenAI team has unveiled six practical strategies to maximize your interactions with ChatGPT.
- I put every single one to the test to verify if they genuinely enhance the user experience.
- Implementing these strategies made my interactions with ChatGPT feel more deliberate and impressively intelligent.
Not long ago, the experts at OpenAI dropped some valuable advice on how to squeeze more value out of ChatGPT. I decided to experiment with their suggestions firsthand, and the outcome was like giving my AI companion a significant upgrade in smarts.
These pearls of wisdom were shared by Christina Kim, who leads research in post-training, and Laurentia Romaniuk, a product manager specializing in model behavior, during a recent installment of "The OpenAI Podcast" that aired this past Wednesday.
Let's break down each tip, complete with my personal trials and a bit of extra context to make things crystal clear—even if you're just starting out with AI tools.
- Challenge the AI with Tougher Queries
Christina Kim recommends posing "harder questions" to ChatGPT, allowing it to "decide how deeply it wants to reason." The more challenging the query, the more profound the analysis becomes.
Reflecting on my previous conversations, I saw that I'd been doing the opposite—sticking to simpler asks—and for a valid reason. As a writer who simplifies complex topics for everyday readers, I often rely on ChatGPT for quick clarifications or preliminary research.
This week, while exploring embodied intelligence (a concept where AI integrates with physical robots), I started with a straightforward query: "What exactly is embodied intelligence?" The response was straightforward and accessible: AI that operates within physical bodies, such as robots.
But to grasp the underlying mechanics, I upped the ante with a more demanding question: "How do robots integrate vision, sound, touch, and real-time feedback effectively?"
That's when ChatGPT elevated its game. It delved into multimodal sensor fusion, specialized encoders, and cross-modal alignment—terminology that felt straight out of a cutting-edge robotics workshop. For beginners, think of it like how a robot's "eyes" (cameras), "ears" (microphones), and "skin" (sensors) work together in harmony to understand and react to the world.
I followed up by asking if this level of detail was akin to graduate-level knowledge (https://www.businessinsider.com/high-school-dropout-openai-chatgpt-learn-ai-gabriel-petersson-2025-11). ChatGPT confirmed it was roughly at a master's to early PhD level—impressive stuff for those of us without advanced degrees.
But here's where it gets controversial... Is pushing AI to its limits just making it better, or are we inadvertently training it on our weaknesses? Some might argue it's unfair to expect human-level depth from a machine.
- Instruct ChatGPT to Adopt a Specific Role
Laurentia Romaniuk recounted how her brother, a biochemistry PhD, was frustrated that ChatGPT Pro responded at an undergraduate level—until he specified his background. By prompting the model to act as a "frontier researcher (https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-talent-wars-recruiting-hiring-white-hot-2025-6)," it generated insights that closely matched a recent discovery in his lab.
I'd never tried assigning a persona before, so I tested it on something trivial: my favorite coffee choice.
As a cappuccino enthusiast who dislikes lattes, I typically explain it simply—it packs a stronger punch with less milkiness.
I prompted ChatGPT to embody a seasoned barista who's as passionate about coffee as sommeliers are about wine, and asked for an explanation of my preference.
The result was a full-blown lesson on the cappuccino versus latte debate. It dissected differences in texture, flavor harmony, and mouthfeel. A cappuccino features a lightweight foam atop a dense layer that amplifies the espresso's boldness. In contrast, a latte offers a smoother, more even blend where milk mellows the espresso. Now, I can articulate my taste with real expertise, not just vague opinions.
And this is the part most people miss... Assigning roles isn't just fun—it's a way to unlock tailored responses. But could this lead to over-reliance on AI personas, blurring the line between machine creativity and human input?
- Review and Manage the AI's Recall Function
Laurentia Romaniuk emphasized that memory is a standout feature of ChatGPT (https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-memory-remember-everything-you-ever-told-it-2025-4), enabling it to anticipate user needs and highlight relevant details.
To maintain control, she advises auditing its memory: erase unwanted data or toggle the feature on/off in settings, limiting what it references.
I've adopted this practice myself. I keep memory enabled since most shared info proves handy down the line, but I routinely delete irrelevant or fleeting conversations to avoid confusion and ensure the model accurately captures my profile.
It's been rewarding—ChatGPT now recognizes me as a journalist who chats with AI innovators during work hours and gears up for fitness events like Hyrox races in my free time. It adapts its replies accordingly, whether I'm inquiring about AI advancements or workout regimens.
For newcomers, imagine it like training a personal assistant who remembers your habits without sifting through junk mail.
- Request Help in Crafting Better Queries
Christina Kim suggests asking ChatGPT to assist in formulating improved prompts.
When I needed to wrap my head around free-electron lasers (devices generating intense light for applications like semiconductor production—useful for my reporting), I skipped the guesswork and directly asked ChatGPT for guidance on what questions to pose.
It provided "high-leverage questions" arranged from basic to advanced, essentially teaching me a structured approach. For non-techies (https://www.businessinsider.com/non-technical-people-vibecoding-lessons-ai-apps-2025-9), this was a game-changer, showing how to evolve from novice questions to expert-level inquiries (https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-how-to-prompt-ai-2025-11). Think of it as having a tutor who designs your study plan.
- Experiment with Different Personality Settings
Laurentia Romaniuk frequently switches ChatGPT's personality modes (https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chatgpt51-new-personalities-answered-the-same-prompts-2025-11) as part of refining model behavior, favoring the "nerd" mode for its in-depth, exploratory style.
I'm drawn to skepticism, so I tried "cynical mode" on explaining embodied intelligence.
It didn't advance my project, but it delivered a hilarious take: "Embodied intelligence is just another buzzword tossed around as if everyone's secretly a robotics expert. AI folks can't get enough of it."
Yet, it added levity. For beginners, these modes are like choosing filters on a camera—each alters the tone while keeping the core info intact.
Here's a controversial twist: Are these modes just gimmicks, or do they risk making AI responses less objective? Some debate if injecting humor or cynicism undermines factual accuracy.
- Keep Retrying and Stress-Testing the System
Laurentia Romaniuk enjoys "pressure-testing" ChatGPT—challenging it to its boundaries to track improvements over time. What fails today might succeed later; persistence is key, she notes.
I've applied this in my Korean language studies, repeatedly tasking ChatGPT with dissecting grammar, pulling vocabulary from exercises, and clarifying sentence nuances.
Earlier iterations struggled, misidentifying words or confusing formats. Now, it accurately analyzes texts, differentiates politeness levels, and breaks down grammar simply for learners.
As an extra example, imagine using it to refine a recipe over multiple tries—each iteration hones the output.
Overall, these strategies made my ChatGPT sessions feel purposeful. While some changes were subtle, others were dramatic, revealing the AI's true potential.
- OpenAI (https://www.businessinsider.com/category/openai)
- ChatGPT (https://www.businessinsider.com/category/chat-gpt)
Read next
What do you think? Do these OpenAI tips genuinely elevate ChatGPT's usefulness, or is it more about us honing our own skills as users? And here's a thought-provoking one: Could over-personifying AI like this raise ethical concerns about dependency or misinformation? I'd love to hear your takes—agree, disagree, or share your own experiments—in the comments below!
