What can ChatGPT do?
Kahu team·Updated 2 Oct 2026·6 min read
ChatGPT can write and rewrite text, read and analyse files, create images, search the web, run longer deep research, hold voice conversations and connect to tools such as Google Drive and Slack. On some paid plans it can also build and publish simple websites. It cannot know your business unless you tell it, and its work still needs checking.
The short answer
ChatGPT started as a chat window that writes. It now does much more: it reads files, creates images, searches the web and connects to other tools. What you can use depends on your plan. The free plan covers the basics with limits, and paid plans raise the limits and add features.
What it can do, by job
| Job | What ChatGPT does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | Drafts, rewrites, shortens and changes tone | Emails, replies, posts, descriptions |
| Files | Reads uploads and answers questions about them | Contracts, reports, price lists |
| Numbers | Analyses spreadsheets and data | Sales summaries, simple charts |
| Images | Creates and edits images from a description | Social posts, mock-ups, ideas |
| Research | Searches the web; deep research builds longer reports | Competitor and market overviews |
| Voice | Talks back and forth, with video on some plans | Thinking out loud, practice, hands-free |
| Connected tools | Plugins bring in context from tools like Google Drive, Slack and SharePoint | Answers that use your own documents |
Newer things worth knowing
- Deep research: describe what you need, review its plan, and receive a report you can download as a PDF or Word file.
- Projects: keep chats and files for one piece of work together.
- Scheduled tasks: ask it to do something at a set time, on paid plans.
- Sites: on Plus and Pro, describe a website or simple app and ChatGPT builds, hosts and shares it.
- Office extensions: work with it inside Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets.
- Codex: OpenAI’s coding agent, available on every plan, with limits on the lower ones.
OpenAI adds and renames features often, and some only appear on certain plans or countries. Its pricing page has a plan-by-plan feature table that is the most reliable place to check.
What it should not do on its own
- Quote prices, terms or availability you have not given it.
- Send anything to a customer without a person reading it first.
- Give legal, tax or medical answers you rely on without checking.
- Handle complaints and refunds, where tone and judgement matter.
Where Kahu fits
Two Thursday gaps at 11:00 and 14:30. Drafted messages to 6 waitlisted customers.
Updated the hours on your site and Google profile to Sat–Sun 8–2.
One post about the new hours, using your Sunday counter photo.Where to start
- 1Pick one weekly jobA job you repeat, like replying to common questions or writing a weekly post.
- 2Give it your factsPaste your services, prices, hours and policies so its drafts are accurate.
- 3Compare for a weekUse its draft, note how much you change, and adjust your instructions.
- 4Add the next jobOnce one task works, move to the next. Do not try everything at once.
Frequently asked questions
Can ChatGPT browse the internet?
Yes. It can search the web for current information, and deep research reads many sources for a longer report.
Can ChatGPT make images?
Yes. The free plan includes limited image creation, and paid plans allow more.
Can ChatGPT build a website?
On Plus and Pro, its Sites feature can build, host and share a simple site. For a business site you also need your own domain, content and someone to keep it current.