This is easier (and more useful) than Googling!
- Maryke Louw
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
We all Google things every day. In fact, most of us would feel quite lost if it suddenly disappeared from our phones and computers!
Today I want to show you something that is often easier – and, in my opinion, more helpful – than Googling many of the questions we have. You may not believe me straight away, so I’ve recorded a few video clips to show you exactly how it works.
So what is this “mystery tool”? It’s artificial intelligence (AI) – specifically ChatGPT 🤖
There are other AI tools you can use, and many of them have free versions. If you’d like, I can demonstrate some of those in a future article – let me know here.
In this article:
Why use ChatGPT instead of Google?
Don’t get me wrong – Google is still a wonderful tool if you just need a quick, simple answer.
But AI tools like ChatGPT allow you to ask a question in the same way you would ask a friend, an insurance broker, or an accountant. You can explain your situation in your own words and even ask follow-up questions if something is not clear.
And the big difference? Instead of giving you a long list of links that you still have to open and read through, it gives you a clear, well-structured answer that is usually tailored to your specific situation.
It usually also points out important things to consider, common pitfalls, and can even help you draft a letter if you need one.
If I don’t understand something, I often ask it to “explain it to me like I’m 12”. It then breaks the information down into simple steps and uses easy examples – like the most patient teacher in the world!
But don’t just take my word for it. Here are some of the ways my mom’s friends (aged 60 to 87) are already using ChatGPT:
I often ask about authors I’m interested in and it usually gives very detailed and insightful responses.
When I want another person’s opinion and I don’t have anyone to ask, I’ll ask ChatGPT.
When I needed advice about the increase in my funeral policy cover, it gave me clarity.
I’ve asked it to explain concepts like blood sugar levels and to give me new eating plan ideas.
I often use it to help me plan a trip – which routes are best and good places to stay overnight.
Let me show you a few practical ways you can use it.
How to start using ChatGPT
You can access ChatGPT here.
In the video clip below, I also talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of creating a free account and show you, step by step, how to do it.
Example 1: Use ChatGPT to save your plants
This is something that really happened to me while we were looking after someone else’s home. The owner was very particular about their plants and, of course, the stupid things started dying 🙈! I needed help fast.
So I took a photo of the plant – because I had no idea what it was – uploaded it, and asked ChatGPT to diagnose the problem and suggest what I should do.
You can view the actual conversation with ChatGPT here, and I also show you the whole process in the video below. What I realised very quickly was that I had left out important information. Once I gave ChatGPT a bit more detail, the advice became spot on.
This example is a simulated test, but I’m happy to report that in real life the plant survived – and the owners came home to very happy, healthy plants 😅!
Example 2: Let ChatGPT plan your next trip
Imagine you want to travel from Cape Town to Johannesburg and stay overnight in lovely guest houses along the way. ChatGPT can act like your own research assistant, finding options for you in seconds.
In this example you’ll also see something very important – if you’re not happy with the first suggestions, you can ask it to change them.
Treat it like you would a person and give clear feedback. If you only say “that’s wrong”, it won’t know what to fix. Rather say:
“I’d like a more interesting route.”
“Please avoid the N1.”
“Use quieter back roads instead.”
The more specific you are, the better the results will be.
You can read through the full chat and the responses here, and I also show you exactly how I did it in the video below.
Example 3: Use ChatGPT to find cheaper insurance
In this example I show you how to use the Deep Research setting (you need to be logged in to use it).
This is one of my favourite time-saving tools when I have a complicated topic and simply don’t have the energy to work through everything myself. It makes ChatGPT take a bit longer to answer, because it searches through many more sources instead of only using the information it already has.
For this example, I asked it to help me find more affordable home insurance.
You can view the full chat here, and I also demonstrate and explain exactly how it works in the video below.
Now that I’ve (hopefully!) convinced you that AI is worth trying, let’s quickly look at a few important things to understand – like the fact that AI can’t think for itself and that it can sometimes get things wrong.
AI can’t actually think
The term artificial intelligence is a bit misleading, because it makes it sound as if these tools can think and reason like humans.
That’s not the case.
ChatGPT and the other AI tools we use at the moment are simply very clever computer programmes. They have been trained using enormous amounts of information and can turn that into a neat, well-structured answer that sounds like one person explaining something to another.
But they don’t have their own thoughts, opinions, or understanding.
Truly intelligent computers that can think like humans are unlikely to exist in our lifetimes.
AI can make mistakes
Even though these tools may sound very confident, they are not always right. But this is no different from the rest of the internet. The difference is that with AI you can reduce the chances of mistakes simply by asking your questions in the right way.
Here are the three most common reasons why it might give a wrong answer – and how you can easily avoid them.
The information on the internet might be wrong
AI tools rely on the information they find online. So, just like you can get incorrect or outdated answers when you Google something, they can also get it wrong if the information they are using is old or inaccurate.
Easy fix: Ask it to make sure it uses the most up-to-date information when answering your question, by adding something like this to the end of your question: "Please make sure you use the most current and up to date information."
It’s designed to be a people-pleaser
This was a big problem when ChatGPT first came out. I don’t see it happening as often anymore – the developers have improved it a lot – but it is still worth knowing about.
These tools are programmed to be helpful, supportive, and to sound understanding. The downside is that they sometimes try too hard to give you an answer.
Instead of saying “I don’t know”, the AI may try to predict what the answer could be and present it very confidently – which can make it sound completely correct even when it isn’t.
Easy fix: Tell it (include it in your question): “Let me know if you don’t know the answer or are guessing – do not make anything up”. You can also ask it to include the links to where it found the information so that you can double-check it yourself. This is especially important for serious topics like legal matters.
It shapes the answer according to the information you give it
This is particularly important for medical questions.
When it comes to illnesses or injuries – even something common like foot pain – there can be more than one possible cause, and the correct treatment often depends on the individual person. Things like your medical history, medication, test results, and the severity of the problem all play a role.
When you ask your doctor for advice, they look at your full medical history and ask detailed questions before deciding what might be wrong and what to do next.
AI works in a similar way – it uses the information you give it to decide what advice to provide. But because we usually don’t give it our full medical history, it cannot see the complete picture. That means it can easily get the diagnosis or treatment advice wrong.
🚨 I would not trust ChatGPT for medical advice – the stakes are too high and it can easily get it wrong.
If you did want to use it for that, my advice is to only use it to help you understand medical reports and to learn more about possible conditions and treatments. But don’t act on medical advice or interpretations from AI without first discussing it with your doctor, physiotherapist, or another healthcare professional.
Final thoughts
The best way to discover what ChatGPT can do is simply to try it. Ask it something small, something fun, or something you’ve always wondered about – and see where the conversation takes you. You can’t break it and you don’t have to agree with it! If you don’t like the answer, simply start a new chat and ask your question in a slightly different way.
If you do try it, let us know how you used it – we’d love to share your ideas with the rest of the Pensioners Pay Less community.
Best wishes
Maryke
Co-founder Pensioners Pay Less!
Meet Maryke Louw
Maryke is a co-founder of Pensioners Pay Less! A physiotherapist with a BSc in Physiotherapy and an MSc in Sports Injury Management, she’s spent more than 20 years helping people live happy, healthy lives. Through her popular sports injury blog and YouTube channel, Maryke shares practical advice that inspires people to stay active and confident as they age. She’s passionate about busting the myth that getting older means slowing down – a belief inspired by her own mom’s journey from struggling with stairs to hiking up Table Mountain again!
