How to Use GPT-4: The Most Advanced Version of ChatGPT

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Get started with OpenAI's new ChatGPT upgrade, GPT-4

Co-authored by Tyrone Showers and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: October 18, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using ChatGPT Plus

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Using GPT-4 for Free

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Using GPT-4 API

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Expert Interview

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Expert Q&A

GPT-4 is a newer, advanced version of the AI chatbot, ChatGPT. In addition to crafting thoughtful and helpful responses, GPT-4 can be used to complete creative and technical writing requests, such as writing lyrics, creating scripts, and more. It has been trained to be safer, more accurate, and more factual than its predecessor. If you want to use the new GPT-4 AI model, you'll just need to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus. For developers, you can access the GPT-4 API. This wikiHow guide will teach you how to use the GPT-4 language model by upgrading to ChatGPT Plus, using the API, and accessing Bing Chat.

Things You Should Know

To use GPT-4 through ChatGPT, you'll need a subscription to ChatGPT Plus.
To use the GPT-4 API, upgrade your account for API access, and set the model in your API call to "gpt-4".
To try GPT-4 for free, use Bing Chat through the Microsoft Edge web browser.

Section 1 of 3:

Using ChatGPT Plus

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Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus. The free version of ChatGPT is based on GPT-3.5, an earlier language model. To use GPT-4 through ChatGPT, you'll need to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus. Here's how:
- First, if you don't have a ChatGPT account already, you'll need to create one.
- Sign into https://chat.openai.com in a web browser. If you're having trouble logging in, be sure to verify your account or try again later.
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Click Upgrade to Plus at the bottom-left.
- Click Upgrade to Plus. OpenAI will send a confirmation code to your registered phone number.
- Enter the confirmation code, followed by your payment details. ChatGPT Plus uses Stripe to process payments, so you can pay with any Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover card, and others.^{[1]
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- Click Subscribe.
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Go to https://chat.openai.com in a web browser. If you aren't logged in, enter your email address and password now. Now that you're subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, you can switch to GPT-4.
You can quickly switch between GPT-3.5 (current ChatGPT model) and GPT-4 on the ChatGPT home page. This will be at the top of the chat window.
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Enter a prompt or question. Like ChatGPT 3.5, the GPT-4 relies on well-written prompts to answer appropriately and correctly. Be as clear and informative as possible; better prompts will lead to better answers. GPT-4 specializes in creative and technical tasks, as well as reasoning. Here are some examples from the official developers:
- Explain the plot of Cinderella in a sentence where each word has to begin with the next letter in the alphabet from A to Z, without repeating any letters.^{[2]
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- Andrew is free from 11 am to 3 pm, Joanne is free from noon to 2 pm and then 3:30 pm to 5 pm. Hannah is available at noon for half an hour, and then 4 pm to 6 pm. What are some options for start times for a 30 minute meeting for Andrew, Hannah, and Joanne?
EXPERT TIP

Tyrone Showers
Technologist
Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Tyrone Showers
Technologist

Be specific when using ChatGPT. Clear and concise prompts outlining your exact needs help ChatGPT tailor its response. Specify the desired outcome (e.g., creative writing, informative summary, functional resume), any length constraints (word or character count), and the preferred emotional tone (formal, humorous, etc.)
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Click the arrow icon to send your prompt. You can also press Enter on your keyboard. The AI will begin generating your response immediately. Since you have ChatGPT Plus, response times will be much quicker than the free version.
- If the prompt is too complex, you may need to break it into parts to avoid hitting the word limit. This can cause the AI to stop mid-sentence.
- In the future, you'll be able to use GPT-4 to analyze images, screenshots, graphs, and more. Be sure to check the OpenAI community for updates.
As a more advanced model of ChatGPT, it shouldn't need too much information to provide a proper answer. However, if GPT-4 needs more information, you'll be asked to provide it. This may happen on prompts with extensive requests, such as essays or cover letters. Input any other details for your prompt to help GPT-4 generate a proper response.

Section 2 of 3:

Using GPT-4 for Free with Bing Chat

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Launch Microsoft Edge. If you want to use GPT-4 for free, try Bing Chat. For now, Bing Chat is only available through the Microsoft Edge browser. If you don't have Edge, download it.
- You can also download Bing Chat for iOS and for Android.
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Navigate to https://chat.bing.com. This will take you to Bing Chat's official website. Alternatively, you can click the Bing Chat icon in the top-right corner to use the AI in your browser window.^{[3]
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- If you want a more personalized experience, log into your Microsoft account.
Most users have had more success with the Creative conversation style as this generates more original responses, but you can try Balanced and/or Precise with your prompts.
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Enter a prompt or question. Bing Chat will take a few seconds to generate your response with the assistance of GPT-4. When it does, you may receive follow-up questions below the reply to prompt the AI to elaborate further. This is optional. The AI will remember previous prompts, so you can continue the conversation with more.
- If you want to start a new conversation, click New topic on the left of the chat bar.

Section 3 of 3:

Using GPT-4 API

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Get access to the GPT-4 API. ChatGPT API allows developers to integrate the AI chatbot into their own services and applications. In the past, you had to join a waitlist to get access to the GPT-4 API, but it's now available to all API customers with a proven track record of successful payments.^{[4]
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Research source} If you haven't upgraded your OpenAI account for API access yet, you'll need to do. The API is pay-as-you-go, which means you'll need to set up a payment account to get started.
- Sign in to https://platform.openai.com/docs/overview and click Upgrade at the top-right corner.
- Click Set up paid account and follow the on-screen instructions to add your payment method.
- Review the current rates for GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 Turbo API access at https://openai.com/api/pricing/.
- The API is different from the perks included with ChatGPT. API access will be billed separately if you want access to both.
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Create your API key. Once you have API access, you'll need to generate a key to add to your application.
- Go to https://platform.openai.com/account/api-keys.
- Click + Create new secret key.
- Name your key and click Create secret key.
- Copy the key and insert it into the necessary location in your code or application.
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Configure the chat model. In your API call, set the model value to "gpt-4" to make sure you're using the GPT-4 language model. If you've been using the GPT-3.5 model through the OpenAI API, you'll need to change the "model" in your API call from "gpt-3.5-turbo" to "gpt-4."
- In Python, this will look like: model="gpt-4".

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I customize the responses of ChatGPT?

Tyrone Showers
Technologist
Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Tyrone Showers

Technologist

Expert Answer

It's essential to move beyond relying solely on asking questions and instead focus on training the model through explicit and detailed instructions. The user provides an example of training ChatGPT for tasks such as crafting SEO-specific title tags and descriptions, emphasizing the importance of character limitations, emotion, and contextual guidance for achieving desired outcomes. To enhance the generated content, users are advised to refine it by simplifying language, eliminating excessive superlatives, and adopting a conversational tone. Furthermore, users can upload their own words and specify their preferred writing style, effectively guiding ChatGPT to produce content that aligns with their unique needs and preferences. Being aware of ChatGPT's writing habits, such as common introductory phrases like "In today's digital world," when requesting an article enables users to recognize and address these patterns. This understanding empowers users to refine and customize the generated content to better suit their individual preferences and writing style.

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Question

Why does ChatGPT stop chatting?

Tyrone Showers
Technologist
Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Tyrone Showers

Technologist

Expert Answer

Occasionally, ChatGPT may pause in the middle of a sentence due to contextual ambiguity, posing a challenge in understanding. Another potential reason for interruptions is server overload, occurring when high demand hinders ChatGPT's access to the server. This overload is often the more common cause of mid-sentence stops. While the model is generally intelligent, there are infrequent pauses as it reflects, analyzes, and formulates a precise response based on user input.

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