ChatGPT is making waves in the compliance sector right now as it offers us a way to accelerate our workflow and automate some of our more menial tasks.
It works on a set of prompts. Ask it a question, and you’ll get an answer. The best way to learn how it works is to start using it!
There is one small catch: at present, ChatGPT’s data only goes up to Sept 2021. That means that if you prompt it for information that is only relevant after that date, it won’t be able to provide you with that data. That said, it’s still a powerful tool and I believe it’s only a matter of time before we all get access to real-time data.
So, let’s start!
Access ChatGPT
For this tutorial, I’m using version 3.5 of OpenAI’s ChatGPT since it’s the most commonly used version today, but these prompts also work for version 4.
To begin, go to ChatGPT by clicking this link. You’ll need to create an account.
Your first prompt
Then, start with a prompt – any prompt!
For example, if you ask it: “What’s the average weight of a blue whale?”, it’ll quickly answer:
The average weight of a blue whale is around 100,000 to 200,000 pounds (45,000 to 90,000 kilograms). The weight of a blue whale can vary based on factors such as age, gender, and location. Adult females tend to be slightly larger than males on average. The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, and its weight can be more than twice that of the largest dinosaur known to have existed.
While that’s helpful, it might be too much data. You see, the better the prompt, the better it’ll give you what you’re looking for right away.
Narrow it down
Let’s say you just wanted to know the average weight, and that’s it, the better question to ask would be, “Give me just the facts: what’s the average weight of a blue whale?”
ChatGPT will reply with:
The average weight of a blue whale is around 100,000 to 200,000 pounds (45,000 to 90,000 kilograms).
Much better!
And you can apply this approach with every prompt you enter. The good thing is, it has a memory, so you don’t always have to re-type your original query to get more data.
Keep going!
Let’s say you wanted to know the average weight of a female blue whale. Instead of asking it for just the facts again, simply ask it: “And what’s the average weight a female blue whale?”
It’ll remember that you just wanted the facts, so its answer will be:
“The average weight of a female blue whale is around 140,000 to 170,000 pounds (63,500 to 77,000 kilograms).”
ChatGPT’s “memory” isn’t infinite. So, at one point, it will start to forget your previous instructions. This is improving in every version so it won’t be long until you can train your own AI chatbot to give you data in the form and style that works best for you.
For now, keep practicing with prompts.
Compliance and ChatGPT
Try it with work-related topics, like the one below where I asked it for which ITSG-33 controls could be affected by multifactor authentication.
CAUTION:
- Never enter any proprietary data, personal data or corporate data. When in doubt, ask yourself: “Is this information already publicly accessible?”.
- ChatGPT’s programming follows a strict set of ethical rules. It won’t answer queries that could provide illegal data, that are insensitive or discriminatory in nature, and more. Sometimes, this set of rules isn’t perfect so it may judge your query as questionable when it isn’t.
- Don’t trust any citations or references provided by ChatGPT. The AI sometimes “hallucinates” – as in, it provides false data and untrustworthy references. Always double-check any sources or references it gives you.
PRO TIP:
Because ChatGPT doesn’t always know truth from fiction or fact from falsehood, it’s always best to prompt it in a field that you’re already familiar with. For now, use it as a tool to save time for things you’d have to do manually.
DIVE DEEPER!
Learn more about ‘prompt engineering’ with this online guide!
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Verity GRC uses AI to to automate the propagation of shared assessment values across all systems that leverage them. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you save time.