How Do You Use the 3 Useful ChatGPT Updates: Customization, Projects, and Tasks?

TL;DR

Use ChatGPT customization to set account-wide response preferences, Projects to organize specialized files and instructions, and Tasks to schedule recurring prompts and web searches. Projects can turn an uploaded course transcript into summaries, bullet points, or a study guide, while Tasks can run daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or on a custom schedule. Read on for practical setup steps and use cases for all three updates.

Transcript

chat GPT recently released some new updates that I think you're going to find really useful one of them just got released a few days ago and the two other ones that I want to cover in this video got released within the last month that I think are very useful too so the first one I want to show you is inside of your profile picture right on top of c... Read More

Key Insights

• Account-level customization is a way to make every new chat follow consistent preferences, including the user's name, occupation, desired tone, writing style, business context, and enabled capabilities. The settings only apply automatically when the option to enable them for new chats is turned on.
• Clear custom instructions are most useful when they define observable writing behaviors. The provided example requests simple vocabulary, conversational language, rhetorical questions, personal phrases, concise paragraphs, a casual but respectful tone, practical solutions, and actionable steps that readers can immediately apply.
• The redesigned customization interface is easier to configure because users can select suggested traits such as forward-thinking, encouraging, or respectful. Selecting a trait adds related instructions, while users can still write or paste their own detailed guidance into the customization fields.
• Advanced customization controls are available for deactivating capabilities such as Canvas or web search. The presenter generally keeps every capability enabled for broad use, but notes that disabling web search can be appropriate when responses should rely on training data or an uploaded knowledge base.
• Projects are contained workspaces that combine related chats, uploaded files, and dedicated instructions. Each project can support a different activity, allowing users to keep its source material and preferred response behavior separate from unrelated conversations and from broader account-level preferences.
• Project-level instructions are better suited to specialized tasks than universal account instructions. A course project can request short, focused answers while using an uploaded transcript to produce a key-point summary, bullet list, or study guide without repeatedly attaching the same source file.
• Tasks are scheduled ChatGPT prompts that can run once or repeat daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or at a custom time. During the beta described, access required ChatGPT Plus, Teams, or Pro, with wider availability expected after the beta period.
• Recurring Tasks are most valuable when they combine reminders with generation or timely web searches. Examples include collecting five AI news items each day, checking selected stock prices when the market opens, finding nearby activities, sending movie trailers, and drafting practical AI tips with hashtags.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do you customize ChatGPT for every new chat?

Open the profile menu and select “Customize GPT.” Add what ChatGPT should call you, what you do for work, its desired traits, and relevant personal or business context. Turn on “enable new chat” and save so the instructions apply automatically to every new chat.

Q: What custom instructions can make ChatGPT writing clearer?

Ask it to use simple, clear language, avoid complex vocabulary, and write conversationally. You can also request concise paragraphs, personal phrases such as “I’ll show you,” and actionable steps that readers can immediately apply.

Q: Can you choose suggested traits when customizing ChatGPT?

Yes. The redesigned settings offer suggested traits such as forward-thinking, encouraging, and respectful. Selecting one adds a corresponding instruction, and you can combine these suggestions with your own detailed guidance.

Q: Can ChatGPT capabilities be disabled in the customization settings?

Yes. The advanced section lets you deactivate capabilities such as Canvas or web search. Disabling web search can keep responses focused on ChatGPT’s training data or an uploaded knowledge base, while the presenter keeps everything enabled for general-purpose use.

Q: How do ChatGPT Projects organize specialized work?

Projects place related chats, uploaded documents, and dedicated instructions inside one contained workspace. Create one with the plus sign on the left side of ChatGPT, add project files, and specify how responses should be written. Each project can have different material and guidance.

Q: What can ChatGPT do with files uploaded to a Project?

ChatGPT can use uploaded files as the project’s focused knowledge base. With an entire course transcript uploaded, it can identify the course’s key point, produce a quick summary, convert information into bullet points, or help create a study guide.

Q: When should you use project-level instructions instead of account customization?

Use project-level instructions when one activity needs its own sources or response style. Account customization applies broadly to enabled new chats, whereas project instructions remain connected to a specific workspace. For example, a course project can require short, focused answers grounded in its transcript.

Q: How do scheduled Tasks work in ChatGPT?

Tasks combine scheduled reminders with prompts and web searches. They can run once or repeat daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or on a custom schedule. Examples include collecting five AI news items, checking selected stock prices, finding nearby activities, sharing movie trailers, and drafting social posts with hashtags.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The redesigned customization settings let users specify their name, work, preferred ChatGPT traits, personal or business context, and available capabilities. Instructions can request simple language, conversational phrasing, concise paragraphs, personal touches, practical solutions, and actionable steps. When enabled for new chats, these preferences apply automatically across the account.

• Projects provide separate workspaces for related chats, uploaded documents, and project-level instructions. A course project, for example, can contain its full transcript and direct ChatGPT to keep responses short and focused. Users can then request summaries, bullet points, study guides, or other outputs grounded in that contained knowledge base.

• Tasks combine scheduled reminders with ChatGPT prompts and web searches. They can run once or repeat daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or on a custom schedule. Practical examples include collecting AI news, checking stock prices, finding nearby activities, sharing movie trailers, and drafting a daily social post with hashtags.