How to Use GPT Work
A condensed lesson on GPT Work: what it is, how it differs from Chat and Codex, how to give it a task, and its 14 most important capabilities.
Lesson overview
This lesson is a condensed version of my full one-hour GPT Work video.
You’ll learn:
- What GPT Work is
- How Work differs from Chat and Codex
- Why GPT Work is interesting
- How to give it a task
- Its 14 most important capabilities
Introduction
GPT Work is a new way to use ChatGPT for getting actual work done.
Instead of only asking questions and receiving answers, you can give GPT Work a larger task. It can research information, use connected tools, create files, and continue working until it produces a finished result.
To use it:
- Open ChatGPT.
- Switch from Chat to Work.
- Describe the result you want.
- Add any relevant files, context, or connected tools.
- Let GPT Work complete the task.
- Review the result and ask for changes.
What is GPT Work?
GPT Work is the agent mode inside ChatGPT.
An agent doesn’t only respond to a prompt. It can break a goal into steps, choose the tools it needs, perform the work, and create a finished deliverable.
You can use it to create:
- Presentations
- Reports
- Documents
- Spreadsheets
- Images
- Websites
- Research
- Automated workflows
Chat vs. Work vs. Codex
| Mode | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Chat | Questions, brainstorming, explanations, and quick help |
| Work | Multi-step business tasks and finished deliverables |
| Codex | Coding, repositories, terminals, tests, and technical work |
A simple way to remember the difference:
- Chat helps you think.
- Work helps you complete work.
- Codex helps you build software.
What makes GPT Work interesting?
GPT Work brings the agent capabilities that made Codex powerful into a product designed for everyday work.
You can give it a task, let it work for several minutes, and return to a completed document, presentation, spreadsheet, or website. It can also connect to your existing tools, run scheduled tasks, and continue cloud work across web, desktop, and mobile.
The important shift is that you’re no longer only chatting with AI. You’re delegating work to it.
How to give GPT Work a task
A strong task should include:
- Outcome: What should it create?
- Context: What information should it use?
- Tools: What apps, files, or websites does it need?
- Requirements: What should the result contain?
- Format: How should the finished work be delivered?
Example
Research the biggest AI-agent developments from the past month. Create a five-page beginner-friendly report with a timeline, comparison table, links to the original sources, and three practical recommendations. Deliver it as a polished PDF.
The 14 Capabilities of GPT Work
Create reports and documents
Switch from Chat to Work and describe the finished document you want, including the topic, format, research requirements, and visual style. GPT Work can research the subject and create presentations, DOCX files, PDFs, spreadsheets, and HTML documents that open inside ChatGPT. Open the result in the side panel and describe every change you want, just as you would give feedback to a coworker. You can continue revising the document from the web or mobile app, including making changes with your voice.
Connect plugins
Plugins connect GPT Work to external tools such as Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, Notion, Canva, ClickUp, and GitHub. Open the Plugins menu, select the app you want, sign in, approve the connection, and review the skills included with that plugin. Once connected, GPT Work can move between tools, for example reading an email, updating a Notion page, and creating a calendar event. You can mention a specific plugin in your prompt, but GPT Work can often choose the correct plugin automatically.