People are using ChatGPT for much more than writing and research — these are the 7 ideas I want to steal

If you're the kind of person who only dabbles in ChatGPT now and again, you might be getting a bit bored.

Maybe you use it to proofread work, plan a trip or make images sometimes.

But with the cost of a subscription, and growing concerns about AI’s environmental impact, its effect on our cognitive abilities and what it might mean for jobs, you might reasonably be wondering: is ChatGPT actually useful enough to justify using it? Well, you're not alone.

Plenty of AI users have been telling me the same.

So I went looking through Reddit threads where ChatGPT users were sharing the more unusual and genuinely useful ways they use it.

And I found a few that might actually be worth experimenting with.

One Redditor asked: What's the most unexpectedly useful thing ChatGPT has done for you? Another posted: What are the most useful ChatGPT features and use cases that most people do not know about? So, I went through the most upvoted replies looking for ideas that went beyond the usual writing, brainstorming and summarizing suggestions.

Some of them made me think about ChatGPT's capabilities in a different way.

But a quick caveat before we start, I haven't tested every suggestion below and we know ChatGPT can make mistakes, so be cautious when an answer could affect your health, safety and finances.

Think of these more as inspiration for using ChatGPT more creatively rather than fully vetted recommendations.

1.

Declutter your junk drawer (Image credit: Future) I know this one might seem a bit silly.

And maybe you thought you'd have to wait until ChatGPT gets a robotic body to help you tidy up.

But I promise it might make your dull organization tasks a little less boring.