Ways ChatGPT Can Help Small Business – Interview with ChatGPT

ChatGPT has exploded onto our world.

We’ve all seen it in the news over the past few months. Some of it came from Microsoft’s multi-year multi-billion dollar deal with ChatGPT’s owner OpenAI, an investment that could cost up to $10 billion. Bing has long suffered in its competition with Google, so there’s no question that ChatGPT is meant to enhance the appeal of Microsoft’s search engine.

But what really got the conversation going was when average people started signing up for ChatGPT. By January 2023, it already had more than 100 million users. Today you might find you can’t even sign up because it’s at capacity. Because of its popularity, they’re already discussing rolling out “ChatGPT Plus” at $20/month.

ChatGPT already had more than 100 million users by January 2023

SOURCE: Forbes

There seems to be a panic right alongside the popularity. The media is covering stories of college professors and high school teachers catching their students submitting papers written by ChatGPT. School districts are currently debating whether it should be banned. And everyone from CBS to Fortune have been listing  jobs that could be easily taken over by ChatGPT. That may or may not happen, but it’s clear this form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can do a great number of things.

Because of its vast capabilities, we wanted to explore how ChatGPT can actually help small businesses. We decided to “interview” ChatGPT and ask it to share more about AI, how it can be an added resource for your business, and what you need to know before you use this technological tool.

Meraki Go: Thank you for joining us. How are you today?

ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I don’t have feelings or emotions, but I’m functioning properly and ready to assist you with any questions or tasks you may have. How can I help you today?

MG: First, for anyone who might not know, what is ChatGPT?

C: ChatGPT is an Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot that can converse with humans through written text. It uses a large database of words and patterns to understand what people are saying, and generate responses that are appropriate to the conversation. This means that you can type in questions or statements, and ChatGPT will try to understand what you’re saying and respond in a helpful way.

Think of it like a very smart computer program that you can talk to using written text. You can ask it for information, advice, or just have a conversation like you would with a friend. ChatGPT isn’t perfect and may not always understand what you’re saying, but it’s constantly learning and improving its ability to communicate with humans.

Artificial intelligence

MG: The idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to make people nervous. Why do you think that is?

C: Overall, the concerns about AI are often related to its potential impact on society and individuals, and the need to ensure that AI is developed and used in a responsible and ethical manner.

MG: ChatGPT has made a big splash in the news recently, but AI is far from new. I think people would be surprised to learn how common AI is today. Can you share more about that?

C: There are several types of AI that are common today and used by just about everyone. Here are some examples:

• Personal assistants Personal assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant use natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to user queries.
• Recommendation systems Recommendation systems are used by e-commerce platforms, streaming services, and social media platforms to suggest products, movies, shows, and content to users based on their previous behavior.
• Image recognition Image recognition technology is used in facial recognition, object recognition, and even medical imaging. It is used in applications such as security systems, self-driving cars, and medical diagnosis.
• Natural language processing (NLP) NLP is used in chatbots, virtual assistants, and voice recognition systems to understand and respond to human language.
• Predictive analytics Predictive analytics is used in financial analysis, marketing, and sales to make predictions about customer behavior and market trends.
• Fraud detection AI-powered fraud detection systems are used in banking and finance to detect fraudulent transactions and prevent financial losses.
• Autonomous systems Autonomous systems such as drones and self-driving cars use AI to navigate and make decisions.

These are just a few examples of common AI applications in use today.

Areas where ChatGPT can help

MG: Interestingly, most of these examples are AI being used in business. What are some other ways that AI is being used by businesses?

C: AI is being used in many different ways in business today. Here are some examples:

• Customer service Many companies are using chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI to provide customers with 24/7 support and assistance.
• Personalization AI is being used to analyze customer data and provide personalized product recommendations, marketing messages, and pricing.
• Fraud detection AI algorithms can detect and prevent fraud in real-time by analyzing large volumes of data and identifying unusual patterns or transactions.
• Supply chain optimization AI can be used to optimize supply chain operations by analyzing data on inventory levels, demand forecasts, and shipping routes.
• Predictive maintenance AI can help companies predict when equipment or machinery is likely to fail, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing downtime.
• Marketing automation AI can be used to automate and optimize marketing campaigns, including ad targeting, content creation, and email marketing.
• Financial analysis AI can analyze financial data and predict market trends, enabling investors and traders to make more informed decisions.
• Hiring and recruitment AI can be used to screen job applications, analyze candidate data, and even conduct initial interviews, helping companies to identify the best candidates more efficiently.

These are just a few examples of the many ways that AI is being used in business today. As AI technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative applications in the future.

ChatGPT and customer service

MG: Customer service is one area I think businesses of all sizes struggle with, so it’s interesting that ChatGPT could help. How can you integrate ChatGPT with customer service?

C: Integrating ChatGPT with customer service can be done in several ways, depending on the specific needs of your business. Here are some common methods of integration:

• Chatbot on website The most common way to integrate ChatGPT with customer service is to add a chatbot to your website. This allows customers to ask questions and get support without having to call or email. The chatbot can be designed to handle common queries and provide answers quickly.
• Social media integration ChatGPT can also be integrated with social media platforms such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Twitter. This allows customers to reach out to your business on their preferred platform, and the chatbot can provide support and assistance.
• Email integration ChatGPT can be integrated with your email system to provide automated responses to common queries. This can save time for your customer service team and provide customers with quick and accurate answers.
• CRM integration ChatGPT can be integrated with customer relationship management (CRM) systems to provide customer support and track customer interactions. This can help to improve customer experience and provide insights into customer behavior and preferences.

Integrating ChatGPT with customer service can be complex, but it can provide significant benefits, such as improving customer experience, reducing response times, and freeing up staff time. The best approach will depend on your business needs and the channels your customers prefer to use.

MG: What types of chatbots allow ChatGPT integration?

C: ChatGPT can be integrated into various chatbot platforms and frameworks, depending on the specific requirements of the user. Some popular chatbot platforms that allow ChatGPT integration include:

• Dialogflow Google’s Dialogflow is a popular platform for building conversational AI agents, and it allows developers to integrate ChatGPT for natural language processing and response generation.
• Botpress Botpress is an open-source chatbot platform that supports the integration of ChatGPT for language understanding and response generation.
• Rasa Rasa is an open-source framework for building chatbots and conversational AI assistants, and it supports the integration of ChatGPT for natural language processing.
• Microsoft Bot Framework Microsoft Bot Framework is a platform for building intelligent chatbots, and it supports the integration of ChatGPT for natural language understanding and response generation.

ChatGPT and marketing

MG: You mentioned that ChatGPT can help small businesses with marketing. A lot has been discussed about how well ChatGPT writes, and there’s a lot of concern that people will just start using it rather than writing articles or essays themselves. Do you think ChatGPT is a good writer?

C: As an AI language model, ChatGPT is very good at generating written text that is grammatically correct and coherent. It can write articles, stories, and even poetry that can be difficult to distinguish from something written by a human.

However, whether or not ChatGPT is a “good” writer depends on what you are looking for. ChatGPT is very good at generating text based on patterns it has learned from a large database of text, but it does not have its own thoughts, emotions, or experiences to draw from like a human writer would.

In some cases, ChatGPT’s writing can be informative and well-written, but it may lack the creativity, originality, and depth that comes from a human writer’s unique perspective and voice. So, while ChatGPT is impressive in its ability to generate text, it cannot truly replace the artistry of a human writer.

MG: So how would you suggest that businesses use ChatGPT when writing blogs, for example?

C: Small businesses can use ChatGPT to write blogs in a few different ways::

• Generate blog post ideas Small business owners can use ChatGPT to generate ideas for their blog posts. By giving the AI a general topic or keyword related to their business, ChatGPT can suggest specific angles or subtopics that the owner can explore in their blog post.
• Write the first draft ChatGPT can also be used to write the first draft of a blog post. Business owners can provide the AI with a general outline of what they want to say in their post, and then let ChatGPT generate a first draft. While the AI’s writing may not be perfect, it can provide a starting point that the owner can then refine and edit as needed.
• Generate supporting content ChatGPT can also be used to generate supporting content for a blog post. For example, if the owner wants to include statistics or data in their post, they can ask ChatGPT to find relevant information and incorporate it into the post.
• Edit and proofread Finally, ChatGPT can be used to edit and proofread blog posts. By using the AI to identify grammatical errors and suggest improvements to the writing, business owners can ensure that their posts are polished and professional before publishing them.

It’s important to note that while ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for small businesses looking to write blogs, it’s not a replacement for human creativity and expertise. Business owners should still strive to bring their own unique perspective and voice to their writing, and use ChatGPT as a tool to support and enhance their efforts.

ChatGPT on Meraki Go

MG: Why is Meraki Go such a great tool for small businesses?

C: Meraki Go is a cloud-managed networking solution designed specifically for small businesses. It provides a simple, reliable, and affordable way to manage Wi-Fi and internet connectivity, as well as network security and access control.

One of the reasons why Meraki Go is good for small businesses is that it is easy to set up and manage, even for non-technical users. Its user-friendly dashboard allows users to quickly configure and customize their network settings, monitor usage and performance, and troubleshoot issues.

Another advantage of Meraki Go is that it provides enterprise-grade features at a fraction of the cost. Small businesses can enjoy advanced security features, such as network segmentation, content filtering, and intrusion detection, without breaking the bank.

Overall, Meraki Go is a great option for small businesses that want a simple and cost-effective way to manage their network infrastructure, improve their internet connectivity, and enhance their network security.

MG: Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us today. I think people will have a much better understanding of how you sound and what you can offer.

Final thoughts

Here are Meraki Go’s recommendations for businesses using ChatGPT, particularly to create content:

• Do not take answers “as is.” 
  ChatGPT may sound authoritative, but it isn’t always right. It might also be pulling info that’s out of date. Always verify the facts.
• Consider content for copyright infringement.
  If you are using any facts from content produced by ChatGPT, find them in other sources and cite them.
• Be sure to rate the content you receive.
  You should give any answer from ChatGPT a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” If you vote “thumbs down,” you can write why and how it was wrong. You can even suggest a better response. It’s AI, so it’s always learning.
• Review what ChatGPT produces for anything controversial or offering promises that you can’t deliver.
  If you start using ChatGPT for customer service, for example, test it thoroughly in advance of making it live. Then continue to check its responses regularly.
• ChatGPT’s help is not always easy nor immediate.
  Even though we’re sharing a lot that ChatGPT can do, some services often take a few more steps and someone with IT knowledge to fully integrate it into your business.

The bottom line is to treat ChatGPT as an ever-evolving tool that can do a remarkable number of tasks. Use it to your small business’ benefit.

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