Why your AI assistant struggles with simple requests, and how a small change in how you ask can make all the difference.

Have you ever asked an AI chatbot, like ChatGPT, to do something that feels incredibly simple, only to get a response that’s completely useless? I definitely have. The other day, I was trying to get it to help me with some ChatGPT real-world tasks, specifically finding highly-rated restaurants in a new city. I thought, “This should be easy,” but the conversation went absolutely nowhere.

It’s a common frustration. We see AI doing incredible things, so we assume it should be able to handle a straightforward request like searching Google Maps. But when you ask, it often apologizes and explains that it can’t access live data or perform actions on other websites. So, what’s going on? It turns out we’re just thinking about the problem in the wrong way.

The ‘Why’: Understanding ChatGPT’s Limits with Real-World Tasks

The first thing to understand is what ChatGPT is and what it isn’t. At its core, it’s a Large Language Model (LLM). Think of it as an incredibly advanced autocomplete that has read a massive chunk of the internet—books, articles, websites, conversations—up to a certain point in time. It’s an expert at understanding patterns in language, generating text, summarizing information, and brainstorming ideas.

What it isn’t is a real-time web browser or a personal assistant that can directly interact with other apps. It doesn’t have a little mouse and keyboard it can use to go click around on Google Maps for you. When you ask it to “find restaurants with the most reviews,” it can’t actually perform that search. Its knowledge is based on the data it was trained on, which is like a giant, static snapshot of the internet. For more on the fascinating specifics of LLMs, you can check out this great explainer on how generative AI works.

So, when you ask it to do something that requires live, up-to-the-minute information, it hits a wall. It’s not being difficult; it’s just not built for that specific job.

A Better Way to Ask: Using ChatGPT for Real-World Tasks

This is where a small shift in your approach can make all the difference. Instead of treating ChatGPT like a doer, treat it like an expert guide who can teach you how to do something.

Let’s go back to my restaurant problem. The wrong prompt is:

“Use Google Maps to find the Italian restaurants with the most reviews in Chicago.”

ChatGPT will fail because it can’t “use” Google Maps. But the right prompt asks for guidance:

“Tell me the steps to use Google Maps on my phone to find the Italian restaurants with the most reviews in Chicago.”

See the difference? You’re no longer asking it to perform the action. You’re asking for a plan. With this prompt, ChatGPT will give you a perfect, step-by-step guide. It will likely tell you to:

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Search for “Italian restaurants in Chicago.”
3. Use the “Sort by” filter if available, or manually tap on a few promising-looking restaurants.
4. Check their star rating and the number of reviews listed on their profile.

It turns the tool from a failed assistant into a super-helpful instructor. You still do the final five seconds of work, but you get exactly what you need without any frustration.

Practical Prompts for Everyday Problems

This “ask for a plan, not an action” method works for all sorts of things. The key is to reframe your request from a command to a question about process.

• Instead of: “Book me the cheapest flight to London next Tuesday.”
• Try this: “What’s a good strategy for finding the cheapest flight to London for next Tuesday? What are 2-3 websites I should check and what filters should I use?”

• Instead of: “What’s on sale at my local grocery store?”

• Try this: “I’m trying to meal plan on a budget. What are some common grocery items that frequently go on sale that I can build meals around?”

This approach keeps you in the driver’s seat but uses the AI’s massive knowledge base to make you a smarter, more efficient user of the tools you already have.

The Right Tool for the Job

Sometimes, the smartest move is recognizing that an LLM isn’t the right tool for the job. For all its power, ChatGPT can’t replace specialized apps and websites. Google Maps is built for searching maps. Skyscanner is built for searching flights. Your banking app is built for checking your balance.

The real power of ChatGPT real-world tasks isn’t in replacing these tools, but in helping you use them better. Think of it as your brilliant co-pilot. It can’t fly the plane for you, but it can give you the checklist, read the map, and suggest a better route. By understanding its strengths and weaknesses, you can stop being frustrated by its limitations and start taking full advantage of its incredible capabilities. For a deeper dive into its features, you can always visit the official OpenAI ChatGPT page.