When I meet friends who aren’t in tech, they always ask me about ChatGPT. Every single time.

So I figured I’d share how I explain it here.

ChatGPT is an assistant that reads tons of writing to learn how people talk. When you ask something, it guesses what words come next based on what it’s seen before. It sounds human because it’s seen a lot, but it doesn’t truly understand the way you or I do.

It’s like that friend who knows a little about everything. Good at answering questions, amazing at brainstorming, helpful when you’re stuck. But remember, it’s still just making educated guesses, even when they’re impressively good.

Give this explanation a try next time you’re asked.

It works.