In the realm of modern research, where data-driven decision-making is so important, innovative AI tools are emerging as game-changers. One such tool that has taken center stage is ChatGPT. Imagine having a virtual assistant at your fingertips, tirelessly gathering, sorting, and analyzing data in seconds, all while seamlessly engaging with participants in natural conversations. The potential of ChatGPT and AI chatbots in research is nothing short of revolutionary, promising to transform the way we collect information, gain insights, and make informed choices.
In this blog post, we delve into ChatGPT’s two most exciting new features – code interpreter and plugins – and explore how they are breaking barriers, amplifying efficiency, and ushering in a new era of data-driven exploration. Whether you’re an academic researcher, a market analyst, or a curious mind, join us on a journey to uncover the boundless possibilities that these digital allies bring to the realm of research.
Defining ChatGPT’s Role
It’s important that prior to prompting any tasks to ChatGPT, you make it aware of the role you want it to play. For example, if I’m using it to help me find specific articles or journals related to a project I’m working on, I’ll tell it to act as a research assistant.
When conducting research, the precision and integrity of methodologies and tools are important, and this extends to the utilization of AI language models like ChatGPT. Prompting it to fill a specific role within the context of your project or work will help it better understand its boundaries and will minimize hallucinations.
Code Interpreter
One of the most impressive things about ChatGPT is the new code interpreter feature. Not only can this feature be used to run code for you, but it can also be used to analyze different formats of data. This includes things like research papers, academic journals, and case studies in common formats like PDF and Word Documents. It’s like having a tenured professor at your fingertips, ready and willing to answer any questions you might have. When you ask the ChatGPT code interpreter about a specific article or journal that you have uploaded, it will give you detailed answers and potentially save hours of your time. 
It’s important to note that code interpreter is still in its beta phase, and is only available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers.
Plugins
Another revolutionary feature from ChatGPT which you can utilize for research is the plugins feature. The plugin store contains several useful plugins which will help you conduct high-quality research and find useful information from various reputable sources.
As an example, I’ll use the MixerBox Scholar plugin to find a paper. All I have to do is enable the plugin, then type in a simple prompt. The results come up in seconds:
Plugins are also a feature that, at the moment, is still in in beta and is only available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers.
If you are interested in potentially developing your own plugin for ChatGPT, at CustomGPT we offer a No-Code Plugin Builder which makes the process of developing a plugin easy. These plugins can be powerful tools to help increase your productivity in a multitude of ways.
Conclusion
The integration of ChatGPT as a research assistant has unveiled a new horizon for information discovery. In the realm of academic exploration, ChatGPT emerges as a transformative asset. By seamlessly navigating through academic papers and journals, ChatGPT streamlines the process of discovering valuable insights. This synergy between AI and research not only accelerates information retrieval but also unearths connections that might otherwise remain hidden. As researchers embrace ChatGPT as their partner in knowledge discovery, they unlock a more efficient and insightful path toward advancing human understanding.
