Audio episode : ChatGPT – What It Is & How It Works 9 min 36 s ▶ Listen ChatGPT: OpenAI’s AI assistant (Reviews, Prices & Alternatives) ChatGPT , a conversational agent developed by OpenAI , is an artificial intelligence tool that has attracted a lot of interest. Launched in November 2022, it quickly found its audience: hundreds of millions of people are already using it. This tool works with text and relies on language models called pre-trained generative transformers (GPT). It can therefore write autonomously. The name “ChatGPT” comes from the combination of ‘chat’ (for online discussion) and “GPT.” This “GPT” stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer.” The OpenAI program has been trained on a huge amount of data. This enables it to provide relevant answers. (Intensive training, in short!) ➥ What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a conversational agent, also known as a chatbot. It was created by OpenAI , an American company working on artificial intelligence. Its primary purpose is to write text when people ask it questions. This program can write responses in multiple languages (and even lesser-known dialects!). It is an automated tool that uses deep learning to generate content. More than just a text-writing machine, it understands and produces human language. Technology and models used The ChatGPT application is based on a neural network architecture called Transformer. It is designed to understand the relationships between words in a text. In fact, the tool incorporates pre-trained generative transformers such as GPT-4o, which enable it to generate text. Many (too many?) models When it was first launched, OpenAI ran on GPT-3.5. But now, the platform offers different versions of models. The free version of ChatGPT, for example, has been using GPT-4o mini since July 2024. The GPT-4o model has been trained to understand written questions, often referred to as “prompts.” It can then provide a response that perfectly matches what the person has specified. ➥ List of models available on ChatGPT: Model Access Description GPT-4o (Omni) Free (limited), Plus, Pro, Team Default model, multimodal (text, image, audio), 128k tokens, fast, multilingual. With Plus+, extended quota, priority speed, unlimited day/night access. GPT-4.1 mini Free (after GPT-4o quota), Plus, Pro, Team Lightweight version, fast, automatic fallback for free users after daily GPT-4o quota is reached. Direct access via interface for Plus/Team subscribers. GPT-3.5 Rarely used (mainly free, backup) Older generation, fallback if overloaded or for simple tasks. Only used when all quotas are exhausted. o3, o4-mini, o4-mini-high Plus, Pro, Team Intermediate versions focusing on speed (o3), efficiency (o4-mini), or performance (o4-mini-high). Selectable from the model menu (“Plus” and above). o1, o1-mini, o1-pro mode Pro only “Max-compute” models, prioritizing computing power, reserved for ChatGPT Pro subscribers. Used for complex tasks, prototyping, Sora video, “Operator” support. GPT-4.5 Pro (pre-release, gradually expanding to Plus/Team) Premium, enhanced intelligence and contextual understanding, high pricing (~$200/month). For advanced analysis, large files, or demanding tasks; soon to be removed from API. ➥ How to use ChatGPT? Screenshot from the official Chatgpt.com website Good memory ChatGPT works in such a way that it can interact with you. It takes into account what has been said previously, whether it be your messages or its own previous responses. It uses this information (and therefore its memory) to generate new responses. When you give it an instruction or a sentence to start with, the model looks at the context. Then it creates a response using everything it has learned during training. It always tries to give a sequence of words that makes sense in relation to what you have said. Process of Exchange and Generation To chat with ChatGPT, go to the OpenAI website or install its app. The interface is easy to understand, resembling that of a messaging service, with a place to type at the bottom of the screen. A tip: talk to it as you would to a real person. Use complete sentences and give lots of details. The more precise your question, the better the answer! What’s more, when you ask a question, the answer appears immediately, word for word. The basic version of ChatGPT is free on the OpenAI website. Just create an account, and you can start using it. (It’s pretty simple!) ➥ Use cases and applications This program, which works with text, can write scripts, social media posts, lines of code, technical specifications, or even poems. It can chat, write, translate, and summarize texts. It always adapts to the context and writing style you want. In addition, it can create code in several computer languages. It helps correct errors or explain how things work. It can also imagine game scenarios, stories for children, learning exercises, or simulate interviews. Email writing Like other AI tools, ChatGPT can be used to quickly and efficiently draft professional emails. Simply provide the context and a specific question, and ChatGPT will generate the email content. Another common use is to review (be careful not to cheat) and correct existing emails. Copywriting The article writing (SEO) feature is truly impressive. In fact, this chatbot can generate article ideas, titles, and even complete paragraphs. The results are often of high quality. Useful and even indispensable for research, it generates summaries of documents (even very long ones) or relevant quotes. Composition of the poems For the more poetic among us, ChatGPT can write poems for you free of charge. All you need to do is provide a theme or inspiration, and ChatGPT will generate verses and stanzas to create a complete poem. The generation of rhymes and meters for writing poetry also works wonderfully. ➥ Some ideas for using ChatGPT: Creating video game dialogues. Writing computer code. Generating speech synthesis for applications. Generating chatbot responses. Content for social media. Writing scripts for movies and TV shows. Automatic language translation. Drafting reports. Meeting summaries. Reviewing legal documents. SEO content for websites. Generating summaries and question-answer (FAQs). As you can see, there is currently no better way to automate tedious and repetitive tasks. Improving performance is now very accessible. In fact, the possibilities for using ChatGPT are virtually endless and depend mainly on each individual’s imagination. ChatGPT and video platforms ChatGPT can indeed be used to create videos for sites like YouTube or TikTok. In recent months, many TikTok users have decided to use this AI to generate video scripts, catchy titles, or “trending” descriptions. YouTubers, for example, use it to create automatic subtitles, using other AI tools such as text-to-speech (TTS) readers. In short, thanks to this incredible artificial intelligence, you save a lot of time and effort when editing your videos. See ChatGPT in action Learn ChatGPT in less than 10 minutes (2025) ➥ Pros and cons ChatGPT has many strengths, but it also has some limitations. One of its great strengths is undoubtedly that it improves over time. It learns from the questions people ask it, so that it can better respond to what they expect later on. You can get original, personalized content that’s free of spelling and grammar mistakes. The tool can give answers in several languages, which is handy if you’re targeting an audience around the world. It can even spot its own mistakes and reject requests that aren’t right. A few drawbacks Despite its strengths, it is important to note that ChatGPT works with data that is not updated in real time. For the free version (GPT-4o mini), its information base stops in October 2023. Therefore, it cannot tell you about very recent events. In addition, some free models do not connect directly to the internet and cannot always provide you with information about a location. You also need to be careful about the accuracy of the information it provides. Sometimes it is based on false data. And then, it may have difficulty following a very long conversation or understanding slightly complicated situations. (Always remember to fact-check !) ➥ New ChatGPT features to know in 2025 ChatGPT is developing rapidly and now includes tools that go far beyond simple text generation. Here is an summary of the main new features to discover this year. Codex : the intelligent code assistant The Codex feature turns ChatGPT into an AI agent for programming. It enables automatic code writing, error correction, feature generation, GitHub repository management, and even the automation of no-code workflows. Codex gives you a bunch of options for each task, runs scripts in an isolated environment, and makes it easy to work together on tricky projects (branch management, pull requests, code analysis). Sora : AI-powered video generation Gradually integrated into ChatGPT, Sora lets you create videos from text, images, or clips. You can generate photorealistic one-minute videos, with controls over resolution, duration, and style.. This module is aimed at marketing, training, and interactive content creation, with priority rollout for Pro subscribers. ChatGPT Agent : the AI that thinks and acts With Agent Mode, ChatGPT can now perform end-to-end tasks. It browses the web, automates searches, interacts with websites (logins, forms, transactional actions), manipulates files, automates business processes, and performs actions independently, including email management and report generation. Depending on the task, the agent always requests user validation before performing an irreversible action. ➞ Other major innovations Full multimodality: Text, images, documents, voice — ChatGPT now handles all these media in a single collaborative session. Live smart search: The built-in search engine delivers up-to-date, well-documented answers and adapts its “chain-of-thought” reasoning to explain its logic. Canvas and collaborative editing: A new interactive experience via Canvas to visually organize ideas and projects within ChatGPT. Advanced customization: Ability to refine instructions and create “Custom GPTs” tailored to specific needs. Large file analysis: Processes long PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and generates custom summaries or insights. These innovations now position ChatGPT as an all-in-one assistant for creation, coding, multimedia content generation, and business task automation in 2025. ➥ How much does ChatGPT cost? ChatGPT has several pricing plans to suit different ways of using it. Free Version: You get access to the GPT-4o mini model. It’s a great way to explore what AI can do for your everyday tasks. However, some features are limited, such as data analysis, image creation, voice mode, and web browsing. ChatGPT Plus: This subscription costs $20 per month. It gives you more messages, file uploads, data analysis, image generation, and enhanced voice modes. Ideal for heavier use with priority access to new features. ChatGPT Team: Designed for teams. It costs $25 per user per month (annual billing) or $30 per user per month (monthly billing). Includes a secure workspace and admin tools. Unlimited access to GPT-4o and 4.1-mini, plus generous access to high-performance models. ChatGPT Enterprise: Tailored for large organizations. Costs around $60 per user per month with a minimum of 150 seats and an annual contract. Offers enhanced security, advanced analytics tools, and integrations. Discounts available for non-profits. Note that prices may change. It’s always best to check directly on OpenAI’s website for the most up-to-date information. (Always check the pricing!) ➥ Who is ChatGPT intended for? ChatGPT is suitable for many people: individuals, professionals, content creators, and developers. Individuals and beginners: If you’re curious about AI that can talk, or need help with simple tasks (writing, gift ideas, advice), the free version is a great starting point. Content creators and marketers: Great for writing blog posts, product descriptions, or brainstorming topics. It helps produce original and relevant content. A big advantage for organic SEO . For example, it assists in keyword research, content structure, and text improvement. Developers: ChatGPT can write code, debug errors, or convert code between languages. It’s a powerful technical assistant. Various professionals: For HR, economics, or project management, AI can analyze situations and provide helpful insights. It also boosts team productivity by handling repetitive tasks — freeing up time for more important work. In general, ChatGPT is for anyone who wants to automate text writing, get information quickly, or even find inspiration. ➥ The best alternatives to ChatGPT There are several reliable and secure alternatives to consider. Many of them offer an excellent free alternative to ChatGPT . Here is a comparison table: Name Price Feature Google Gemini Free, Gemini Pro: $19.99/month, Ultra: $250/month. Paid API (Gemini 2.5 Pro: $1.25/M input tokens + $3.75/M output tokens). Compatible with Google ecosystem, access to multimodal functions and current events. Ultra plan targets professional and intensive use. Microsoft Copilot Free, Copilot Pro: $20/month, Microsoft 365 Copilot: $30/month (annual commitment), Copilot Studio: $200/month. Integration with Microsoft 365. Various plans for individuals and businesses depending on productivity and workload needs. Claude (Anthropic) Free, Pro: $20/month ($17/month annually), Max: $100/month, Team: $30/month/user (min. 5), Max Ultimate: $200/month. Contextual responses, advanced customization, extended plans for collaborative or intensive usage. Perplexity AI Free, Pro: $20/month, Enterprise Pro: $40/month/user, Max: $200/month. Search and information synthesis tool, supports multiple models, advanced options for professionals. Meta AI Free Integrated into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp. Offers image generation, summaries, and multimodal features. Jasper Chat Creator: $49/month, Teams: $125/month, Business: pricing on request Marketing and content generation for professionals and creative teams. Chatsonic Free (limited use), Unlimited: $20/month, Business: from $19/month Voice chat, content writing, API access and cloud storage for professional use. Grok AI SuperGrok 4: $30/month, Heavy: $300/month, X Premium from $8/month. Free version available with limitations. Real-time analysis on X (formerly Twitter), advanced options with higher-tier plans. DeepSeek Free for basic use. DeepSeek-VL Pro: $10/month, API: $1/M input tokens, $3/M output tokens. Open-source model focused on coding, long document understanding, high-performance API for developers. Qwen (Alibaba) Free (Qwen Mini). Qwen-Plus: $15/month, API: pricing varies by model and volume. Multimodal (text, image, code), professional tools via Alibaba Cloud, widely adopted in Asia. Kimi (Moonshot AI) Free with quotas. Kimi Pro: $8/month, Business: pricing on request. Excellent for summaries and long conversations (512k to 2M tokens), multilingual, popular for Chinese customer support. Each tool has different strengths. The choice will depend on what you specifically need, for example, whether integration with other services is important, the quality of responses, or your budget. ➥ Get ready for the future with GPT-5 The future of ChatGPT looks promising with the arrival of GPT-5 (the successor to GPT-4). This more advanced version offers even more impressive capabilities in terms of text comprehension and generation. The potential applications for GPT-5 are almost limitless, ranging from premium content creation to solving highly complex problems. In fact, we are eager to see how these developments will continue to improve AI and shape the future of our world. ➥ Reviews on ChatGPT ChatGPT has been very well received since its launch at the end of 2022. Many people praise it for its ability to create high-quality texts. These texts seem very human and thought-provoking. Community feedback People like how quickly it responds and the fact that it can create personalized content. For those who work in SEO, the tool is seen as an effective aid. It saves time on tasks such as keyword research, organizing articles, and writing meta descriptions. Still not perfect Despite its advances, the program cannot yet replace all human work, especially when it comes to highly detailed analyses or complicated situations. ➥ FAQ Can ChatGPT help with SEO? + Yes, this AI assistant is very useful for SEO. It helps find the right keywords, organize articles, write effective titles and meta descriptions, and even suggests topic ideas. How do prompts work with ChatGPT? + A “prompt” is a question or instruction you give to ChatGPT to get a response. The clearer, more detailed, and precise the prompt, the better the response will be. (The prompt is the command!) Is ChatGPT free? + Yes, there is a free version of ChatGPT. It gives access to GPT-4o mini with basic features. Paid versions also exist, offering more capabilities and stronger models. How can I get better responses from ChatGPT? + To optimize your results: be specific with your questions, define the context and goal, use relevant keywords, break down complex questions, and specify the desired format of the response. Can ChatGPT help with search engine optimization (SEO)? + Absolutely. ChatGPT is great for crafting optimized meta titles and descriptions, generating structured FAQs, identifying long-tail keywords, creating unique content, and analyzing competitors to boost rankings. Can ChatGPT generate computer code? + Yes, ChatGPT can write, debug, and explain computer code. It supports several programming languages. Can ChatGPT replace Google? + ChatGPT Search provides contextual search capabilities but remains a complement to traditional search engines. It excels in conversational answers but may have geographical and content limitations. Are there usage limits in ChatGPT? + Yes, ChatGPT uses a token system. GPT-4o supports up to 128k context tokens. Free users have daily quotas, while paying users enjoy near-unlimited access depending on their plan. How can I use ChatGPT for my business? + This chatbot helps with marketing (content creation, campaigns), customer support (automated answers, FAQ), development (code, debugging), writing (articles, reports), and strategy (competitive analysis). Does ChatGPT work in all languages? + Absolutely! The ChatGPT assistant can handle a wide range of languages. For best results, write your prompts in English, specify your region if relevant, and use specialized vocabulary related to your field of activity. That’s it for this rather famous assistant. Now it’s time to go and meet your new virtual companion!