Seeing All the Talk About Using ChatGPT Lately…

byCMacLellan

735 followers

22 hrs ago

If you’ve been active on Wealthy Affiliate lately, you’ve probably noticed there’s been a lot of discussion about using ChatGPT.

How to prompt it.
How to get better results.
How to speed things up.
How to use it for content, emails, lead generation, and just about everything else.

I’ve been following those conversations closely, and I’ve also been experimenting with ChatGPT myself. Not to replace thinking or creativity — but to see where it genuinely helps and where it needs a human hand on the wheel.

What I’ve learned so far is this:

ChatGPT can be incredibly useful…
as long as you stay in control of it.

The Difference Between Using AI and Letting AI Use You

One thing I’ve noticed in a lot of AI conversations is how easy it is to slide into “automation optimism.”

You’ll see phrases like:

• “Let ChatGPT do the heavy lifting”
• “Just copy this prompt”
• “Generate leads on autopilot”

And while I understand the appeal, I think it’s worth slowing down for a moment.

ChatGPT is very good at sounding confident.
That doesn’t always mean it’s correct.

If you’re already familiar with your niche, you’ll spot issues quickly. If you’re brand new, it’s much easier to accept an answer simply because it sounds polished.

That’s where judgment still matters.

How I’m Actually Using ChatGPT Right Now

Instead of asking ChatGPT to do things for me end-to-end, I’ve been using it more like a thinking partner.

Here are a few examples:

• Asking it to outline ideas, not write finished pieces
• Using it to rephrase or clarify my own thoughts
• Getting multiple ways to explain a concept to beginners
• Exploring angles I might not have considered
• Stress-testing ideas before I commit to them

What I don’t do is publish anything without reading it carefully, editing it, and asking myself whether it sounds like me.

If it doesn’t, it doesn’t go out.

Why Slowing Down Helps More Than Speeding Up

One of the most helpful shifts I’ve made is asking better follow-up questions instead of accepting the first response.

Things like:

• “What assumptions are being made here?”
• “Where might this be oversimplified?”
• “What would a beginner misunderstand about this?”
• “Where could this advice go wrong?”

Those kinds of questions don’t make things faster — but they make them better.

And in the long run, better beats faster.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Shortcut

I think the healthiest way to look at ChatGPT is this:

It doesn’t replace experience.
It doesn’t replace ethics.
It doesn’t replace judgment.

What it does replace is staring at a blank screen, getting stuck in your own head, or overthinking how to explain something clearly.

Used that way, it’s incredibly helpful.

Used without thinking, it can quietly lead you in the wrong direction.

A Simple Thought to Leave You With

If you’re using ChatGPT (or thinking about it), my suggestion is simple:

Use it to support your thinking, not outsource it.

Let it help you explore ideas.
Let it help you clarify points.
Let it help you see alternatives.

But stay curious.
Stay skeptical.
And always take responsibility for what you publish.

I’m still learning, still experimenting, and still adjusting how I use it — and I suspect that will always be the case as these tools evolve.

If you’ve found ways ChatGPT has helped you (or tripped you up), I’d genuinely be interested to hear about it.