Context
Back in March I wrote this – 5 ways ChatGPT (and AI tools in general) could help PR.
In it, I shared how I created a very simple PR stunt generator using ChatGPT-4, learning through play/trial and error, giving ‘safe’ and ‘controversial’ options. It was a fun exercise in understanding its coding capabilities, and wondering how we could apply AI to PR.
Inspired by this 🧵, it took me, a technical wally, next to no time to create a very basic PR campaign idea generator with Chat GPT-4.
Then a bit more time prompting to create a sector-specific one that returns 'safe' and 'controversial' ideas.
Play: https://t.co/rk4g8OvBos https://t.co/Q0QeQF9dNp
— Rich Leigh (@RichLeighPR) March 15, 2023
Well, times have changed – and quickly. Custom GPTs have been announced, and they could be incredibly powerful.
What are custom GPTs?
In the last week, those with access to ChatGPT premium have been able to create their very own (mini/custom) GPTs. Here’s Andrew Bruce Smith explaining what this means – it’s long, sure, but worth going over so you have a good overview.
Rich, what the bloody hell are you saying here?
Basically, we can each create – and then either use internally, or share publicly – easily-created tools designed to help in particular ways.
For instance, I’ve just built Press Release Draft GPT.
Give it a go if you have paid access to ChatGPT.
Basically, I’ve uploaded a load of our own releases (it appears you can upload up to 10 separate files before it plays silly buggers).
The releases I’ve selected cut across sectors and topics, training the tool on press releases that have collectively got tonnes of coverage (and links) for clients.
It took longer to choose the releases I fed into it, wanting to ensure breadth, than it did to create the tool.
My team have put a few press release briefs through it. It works well, and is seemingly more useful that just asking GPT-4 to draft a release, especially having access to the source files I’ve uploaded.
You can even upload a file and the tool will write a release about it. Imagine a client sends you a document about a new product – that’s a press release before you know it, complete with suggested quotes.
Startups could use it to write their own press releases. PRs can use it to create first drafts.
Any suggestions for how to improve appreciated, but for now, it’s about as good as a person that’s new-ish to PR’s first draft, in a fraction of the time, and that’s, as I’ve said before, certainly not nothing.