I kid you not—this is what I overheard the other day at one of my client's offices. Someone casually mentioned, “I asked ChatGPT [something], but [disappointment here].”
Honestly, the poor use case didn't surprise me, but what schocked me was the response of his colleague: “What is ChatGPT?”
Wait… what?!
After all this time, I still can’t believe how little AI has penetrated our industry!
I recently ran a LinkedIn poll, and the results were eye-opening. Take a look:
I expected that by now, most people would be power users. Turns out, a good chunk has never even touched it, while most use it only occasionally for basic stuff. Only 30% are regular users!
This blows my mind because, to me, the benefits are crystal clear. I have ChatGPT open all the time on all my devices, and I use it every single day. It's a game changer—I honestly couldn’t work without it.
So, why isn’t everyone else seeing what I see?
From conversations with colleagues and friends, it seems to come down to three main reasons:
Many think their jobs are too strategic for AI to replace.
But here’s what I believe: a little fear can be the push we need in the right direction. The old cliché still holds true:
“AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use it will.”
So, let me recap the best use cases for ChatGPT in your daily work—you might be surprised by just how much you can accomplish.
Generative Text: Need to craft a professional email or write a report? Try this:
“Write an email to John from IT about an unresolved ticket that’s holding me back. Firm but polite.”
Text Summarization: Got a long article? Let ChatGPT distill the key points. Great for writing executive summaries too.
“Give me 5 bullet points summarizing this block of text: <paste block of text>.”
Code Generation & Troubleshooting: Get code by prompting in plain English.
“Create a python script that asks the user for the initial rate in MMscfd and the decline rate in percent per annum and generates a production profile plot in MMscf for the first 10 years using the exponential decline formula”
Software Instructions: Get step-by-step help for any tool you’re stuck on.
“How do I create a slider in Excel to adjust cell B1 between 1 and 100?”
“Give me step-by-step instructions to install VS Code on my Windows PC”
Data Analysis: Got a dataset? ChatGPT can quickly analyze it and give you insights.
I dive deeper into these use cases, along with examples, in my four-part ChatGPT series on the blog. Check it out:
Part 3: Python (for Non-Coders)
Part 4: Data Analytics and PowerQuery
Imagery: AI is a game changer for image creation and editing. I’ve even created a free 5-part email course to get you started.
Sign up here.
Video: Play around with AI avatars or lip-sync historical figures. It’s fun, but it also opens doors for more engaging presentations.
Check out these experiments:
These might seem like a waste of time at first, but once you know these tools are available, you'll start spotting opportunities everywhere.
And it’s not just about work or business—you can have a lot of fun creating mini short films at home with your kids or friends as the main characters!... or animated stories; check this out.
Audio & Voice Interaction: I now talk to ChatGPT on my phone while walking. I just ask questions out loud, and it turns them into prompts—no more typing on a tiny screen! You can even dictate reports, have them proofread, and improved all in one go. A true shift in the report-writing game!
As an instructor or teacher: You can teach yourself anything with ChatGPT. I've shared an example with a money lesson, here.
As a business coach: It can guide you in creating a complete business plan step-by-step. I’ve posted an example of how you can turn your skills into cash by following a structured guide, here.
Custom GPTs: You can easily create your own AI tools for specific tasks, like:
Web search: Google can be a hassle when you need to search the web and sift through results to create a summary that’s exactly what you need. Use precise prompts, and you’ll save heaps of time; example.
Focusing on a few factual errors in AI responses is missing the forest for the trees. Yes, web search in AI tools is still in its early stages, but I bet that won’t be the case for long.
Seriously, try the alternative—do the search, compile the table yourself, and tell me how long it took you!
Instead of dismissing the tech due to its errors, it’s smarter to embrace it, fully aware of its limitations, while recognizing its already incredible capabilities. Ride the wave or risk being left behind.
PDF Analysis: One of the most overlooked features is uploading a PDF and asking questions about it directly—no need to sift through pages of data manually.
“What were the results of the DST-4 in well-X?"
Go ahead and see for yourself... upload your own PDF and start asking questions!
Why stop at business? You can bring this AI magic into personal life too:
The possibilities are endless, and I’m still discovering new ways to integrate AI into both work and home life every day.
Remember, ChatGPT isn’t the only player in the AI space—there’s plenty of competition.
Check out my fun experiment across different platforms, where I asked who would be phased out first: geologists or reservoir engineer, here.
AI is moving fast. You can choose to ignore it or ride the wave. But one thing's clear: those who embrace it will be the ones who move ahead.
Explore a curated collection of valuable resources in our Store, both free and paid, all designed to help you upskill.
Alan Mourgues is a Petroleum Reservoir Engineering Consultant with 25 years of international experience. He is the founder of CrowdField — the go-to hub for Oil & Gas subsurface professionals to upskill, freelance, and monetize their expertise. CrowdField brings together a global community through: i) Freelance marketplace for niche talent and task-based solutions; ii) Digital Store & Vault of engineering tools, workflows, and resources; iii) AI Hub showcasing startups, workflows, and use cases; iv) Learning resources including webinars, blogs, and curated datasets. Alan’s mission is to empower professionals to turn knowledge into income and future-proof their careers as the energy transition unfolds.
