Here’s how to interact with ChatGPT so that it knows more about you. Just keep that sensitive info away from it.Here’s how to interact with ChatGPT so that it knows more about you. Just keep that sensitive info away from it. Here’s how to interact with ChatGPT so that it knows more about you. Just keep that sensitive info away from it.
We all have different experiences using AI chatbots. Much like how no Google Search garners the same results for everyone, artificial intelligence outputs vary wildly, from generic to great. It all comes down to how good your prompt is, what the chatbot “knows” about you and how you’re interacting with it.
If you’re using ChatGPT as a Google search replacement and prefer to stay logged out, it has fewer personal conversations to pull from. ChatGPT’s memory gets better the more you use it. If you’re not logged in, it can’t link conversations to your account and isn’t getting to know the type of information and answers you regularly seek.
While some people are building custom GPTs, “training” ChatGPT is sufficient for everyday users.
Just whatever you do, don’t upload personal information, financial accounts, health-care records, confidential information or logins to AI. Once it’s in an AI tool, you can’t get it back, so always maintain an air of caution when using AI.
What is Memory in ChatGPT?
If ChatGPT Memory is toggled on — which it will be by default — it will pick up on details and preferences to tailor responses to you. Click on Settings, then Personalization to check it’s on and to delete specific conversations.
It’s worth scanning through what “memories” ChatGPT has stored because there are likely errors that you’ll need to manually delete. For example, it said that I have two children, which I don’t.
And this was a little creepy — it knows what bank I use, thanks to a piece I wrote experimenting with using ChatGPT to help me figure out how to pay down an $18,000 debt (which didn’t go well).
If you don’t feel comfortable with a data point that ChatGPT has saved — like your banking info — delete it. This is a good practice to do every few weeks to help ChatGPT respond correctly. Think of it like clearing your cache.
What does it actually mean to “train” AI?
“Training” ChatGPT involves uploading unique data such as PDFs, policies and customer support transcripts to create a more personalized experience.
If you’re only using it for daily personal use, you likely won’t need to create your own GPT. For daily personal use, “training” an AI simply means giving it extra context with your prompts or document uploads. For example, attaching your resume and the job description link to create a custom cover letter. (This type of training is not to be confused with AI model training, which is performed by OpenAI.)
Training ChatGPT simply means teaching it what to remember about you. For example, you could spend a few minutes feeding it information such as “I just moved to New York City” or “remember that I’m a vegetarian.”
You could also ask it:
- What do you remember about me?
- What information do you need to get to know me better?
- Where did we leave off on my last project?
Another handy training feature is to populate the Customize ChatGPT section in Settings.
Use the “anything else ChatGPT should know about you” box liberally. Share your habits, likes and dislikes, current obsessions, life goals and anything you want it to know about you that could become relevant when you’re asking it for info later down the road; for example: “I love running. I’m vegan. I’m training for a marathon.”
If you’re uploading documents, you can test it out by asking specific questions it would only know from your data. See what it stores and ask why it made that “decision.”
Let’s say I want ChatGPT to help me come up with story ideas to respond to a story call-out. I could upload the editor note and my resume, then ask ChatGPT to come up with three strong story ideas to pitch, based on my experience.
While I would never pitch an idea from AI, it’s a handy thought partner that could provide a kernel of an idea. For example, ChatGPT shared a trend called the TikTok Tarot Boom, which is coming out of the LGBTQ+ community. So ChatGPT picked up on me being in a same-sex relationship from past conversations, as LGBTQ+ isn’t mentioned anywhere in my resume.
Remember, training ChatGPT is an ongoing process. It takes fine tuning over multiple conversations and months. The more you use it, the better it gets.
Just don’t get too carried away with what you tell ChatGPT. It can give you a false sense of connection to the chatbot. And in case of any kind of data breach, it could hand over your personal information to anyone.
For more info on how to use it, check out our beginner’s guide to ChatGPT.
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