Most people think of ChatGPT as a chatbot that answers questions or helps with writing. Sure, that’s true.
But under the hood, it’s far more powerful than that. If you're only using it to brainstorm ideas or edit emails, you're missing out on some seriously impressive hacks that can save you time, simplify complex tasks and even boost your productivity.
Here are five under-the-radar things ChatGPT can do that even power users often overlook.
1. Detect AI-generated content from images or text
Wondering if something was written or designed by AI? You can upload a screenshot, image or block of text directly into ChatGPT, and the chatbot can analyze the content to flag signs of AI involvement.
It looks for telltale clues like inconsistent phrasing, visual artifacts or watermarking metadata that we might not notice.
Example prompts:
“Does this look AI-generated?”
“What makes this image seem artificial?”
“Is this text likely written by a human or AI?”
There are plenty of AI detectors available, but if you're already in the chat, might as well save a little time and as ChatGPT to detect the AI without swithing apps.
2. Run code and analyze data directly in chat
With the built-in Python tool (a.k.a. the code interpreter or “advanced data analysis”), ChatGPT can not only explain code, but it can execute it.
Even if you have no coding experience, you can upload a CSV or Excel file and ask it to:
- Plot graphs
- Clean messy datasets
- Run regression models
- Simulate logic or test algorithms
Example prompts:
“Can you graph the trends from this Excel file?”
“Find outliers in this dataset.”
“Calculate average sales by month.”
Trust me, you really don’t need to know Python, just describe what you want, and ChatGPT will handle the rest.
3. Write and debug regular expressions (regex)
If you’ve ever tried to extract phone numbers or emails from text, you’ve probably Googled a regex pattern.
ChatGPT makes this process much easier. Just describe what you're trying to match, and it will build the regex for you and explain it line by line.
What's regex? Well, you probably already know what regex is without recognizing the term. Short for regular expression, it’s a way to search and match patterns in text like dates, URLs, capitalized words or repeated characters. Think of it as a supercharged version of “find and replace.”
Example prompts:
“Write a regex that extracts all email addresses from this text.”
“What’s wrong with this regex pattern?”
I use this hack frequently for spreadsheets or lists when double checking items. It's equally useful for work-related needs as planning vacations or school activities.
4. Build your own calculators or logic tools
Need a quick mortgage calculator? A freelance rate estimator? A tip-splitting tool? Rather than switching over to Google, just ask ChatGPT to build one using custom logic.
Example prompt:
“Create a mortgage calculator where I input price, interest rate, and term, and it gives me monthly payments.”
ChatGPT will write the formula, explain the math (my favorite part!) and even wrap it in code you can run elsewhere.
5. Reverse-engineer success
Whether it’s a competitor’s landing page or a teammate’s standout performance, you can use ChatGPT to break down what’s working and why.
Just paste in any marketing copy, ad or performance data and ask:
“Why is this copy effective?”
“What persuasion techniques are used here?”
It’s like having a creative strategist, programmer and data analyst all in the same tab.
The takeaway
As a power user, I am accustomed to using ChatGPT for so much more than basic writing needs or quick queries. These tricks save me time and enhance productivity nearly every day, which is why I'm sharing them with you.
Whether you are a creator, analyst, marketer or just someone curious about what ChatGPT beyond the basics, I encourage you to give these a try.
With the right prompts, ChatGPT can do far more than you think while quietly saving you hours every week.
More from Tom's Guide
- This ChatGPT prompt changed how I work — and I use it every Monday morning
- Still shopping blind on Amazon? This ChatGPT trick helps me avoid bad buys — and it works every time
- I’ve started using ChatGPT’s incognito mode every time — here's 4 reasons why and how to do it
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