The right way to use ChatGPT to make charts and tables

Know what floats my boat? Charts and graphs.

Give me a cool chart to dig into and I am unreasonably pleased. I like watching the information on election nights, not for the vote depend, however for all the good charts. I change between channels all night to see each potential approach that every community finds to current numerical information. 

Is that bizarre? I do not assume that is bizarre.

Additionally: The second I noticed ChatGPT Plus was a game-changer for my enterprise

Because it seems, ChatGPT does an awesome job making charts and tables. And provided that this ubiquitous generative AI chatbot can synthesize a ton of knowledge into one thing chart-worthy, what ChatGPT offers up in fairly presentation it greater than makes up for in informational worth.

Precisely what kind of chart-making instruments can be found for ChatGPT? There are 3 ways you may proceed: 

  1. You may make tables (however not charts) within the free model of ChatGPT
  2. You may make charts and tables utilizing the Superior Knowledge Evaluation (previously “Code Interpreter”) add-on to ChatGPT Plus
  3. You may make tables utilizing ChatGPT Plus and charts utilizing random charting plugins

On this article, I will be discussing the primary two choices, however skipping over the third. Whereas there are a selection of charting plugins for ChatGPT Plus, all of them take you out of the ChatGPT interface and make use of exterior providers. All of them try to cost an upsell payment to get you to make use of their SaaS-based charting providers. Basically, they’re listed within the ChatGPT retailer as adverts, not as out-of-the-box practical instruments. Plus, they are typically very unreliable.

Notice: What ChatGPT used to name “Code Interpreter” is now known as “Superior Knowledge Evaluation”. So at any time when we beforehand used the time period Code Interpreter, we’ll now be transferring on to calling it Superior Knowledge Evaluation.

Superior Knowledge Evaluation produces comparatively ugly charts. But it surely rocks. First, let’s talk about the place ChatGPT will get its information, then we’ll make some tables.

The right way to use ChatGPT to make charts and tables

Step 1: Perceive the completely different variations of ChatGPT

Earlier, we talked about which charting instruments can be found during which variations of ChatGPT. However there’s extra to it than merely charting instruments. If you wish to use ChatGPT productively, it’s worthwhile to perceive what the varied editions can do.

ChatGPT free model: This model makes use of the GPT-3.5 massive language mannequin (LLM), which is not fairly as succesful because the GPT-4 model. From a knowledge perspective, its view of worldly information ends in September 2021. You may paste about 1,500 phrases of knowledge into the chat dialog, which it’s able to processing.

ChatGPT Plus: ChatGPT Plus is OpenAI’s industrial, absolutely powered model of ChatGPT. It’s so well-liked that they needed to activate a waitlist for brand spanking new subscriptions. Additionally it is a really, very fast-paced goal. So after I describe which options to decide on inside ChatGPT Plus, remember the fact that issues are altering on a weekly and generally even a every day foundation. Proper now, ChatGPT Plus offers three main choice choices per session: GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and plugins.

The GPT-4 model now consists of DALL-E 3, Bing Net entry, and Superior Knowledge Evaluation. Some customers have reported some problem with utilizing Bing for net entry. Most of what we will likely be doing is utilizing the Superior Knowledge Evaluation element. Even with out Bing net entry, GPT-4 reviews that its coaching information now consists of data as much as April 2023. It is a huge change, as a result of simply two months in the past, GPT-4’s coaching database resulted in September 2021.

Additionally: GPT-3.5 vs GPT-4: Is ChatGPT Plus value its subscription payment?

For a lot of this text, we will likely be utilizing the Superior Knowledge Evaluation element of the GPT-4 choice. This instrument will import information tables in a variety of file codecs. Whereas it would not specify a dimension restrict for imported information, it will possibly deal with pretty massive information, however will break if the information exceed some undefined degree of complexity.

As ChatGPT Plus modifications, and it’ll, we are going to replace you with extra data. For now, let’s simply have a look at making some cool charts.

ChatGPT Plus with WebPilot plugin: This model additionally makes use of the GPT-4 LLM. Mainly, you may run both Superior Knowledge Analytics or plugins. In the event you select to run plugins, the WebPilot plugin is pretty dependable in terms of net searches (though it breaks on huge requests). That functionality implies that ChatGPT’s worldly information would not want to finish in 2021, however can usually lengthen to the present date.

ChatGPT Enterprise: Superior Knowledge Analytics and plugins are additionally accessible within the newly introduced enterprise model. You may add information to Enterprise, and they’ll stay confidential. Enterprise can be supposed to permit for greater information and greater responses. Pricing has not been specified.

Step 2: Create a primary desk

Let’s begin with an instance. For the next demonstration, we’ll be working with the highest 5 cities by way of inhabitants.

Record the highest 5 cities on the earth by inhabitants. Embrace nation.

I requested this query to ChatGPT’s free model and here is what I bought again:

basic-city-list
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Turning that information right into a desk is easy. Simply inform ChatGPT you need a desk:

Make a desk of the highest 5 cities on the earth by inhabitants. Embrace nation.

basic-city-table
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Step 3: Manipulate the desk

You may manipulate and customise a desk by giving ChatGPT extra detailed directions. Once more, utilizing the free model, we’ll add a inhabitants depend discipline. After all, that information is old-fashioned, but it surely’s offered anyway:

Make a desk of the highest 5 cities on the earth by inhabitants. Embrace nation and a inhabitants discipline

city-table-with-population
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

You can even specify sure particulars for the desk, like discipline order and items. Right here, I am transferring the nation first and compressing the inhabitants numbers.

Make a desk of the highest 5 cities on the earth by inhabitants. Embrace nation and a inhabitants discipline. Show the fields within the order of rank, nation, metropolis, inhabitants. Show inhabitants in hundreds of thousands (with one decimal level), so 37,833,000 would show as 37.8M.

Notice that I gave the AI an instance of how I needed the numbers to show.

city-table-manipulated
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

That is about so far as the free model will take us. To any extent further, we’re switching to the $20/month ChatGPT Plus model.

Step 4: Create a bar chart

ChatGPT Plus with Superior Knowledge Analytics enabled could make line charts, bar charts, histograms, pie charts, scatter plots, heatmaps, field plots, space charts, bubble charts, Gantt charts, Pareto charts, community diagrams, Sankey diagrams, choropleth maps, radar charts, phrase clouds, treemaps, and 3D charts.

On this instance, we’re simply going to make a easy bar chart.

Make a bar chart of the highest 5 cities on the earth by inhabitants

Chatty little instrument, is not it?

bar-chart
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

The eagle-eyed amongst you could have seen the discrepancy in populations between the earlier desk proven and the outcomes right here. Discover that the desk has a inexperienced icon and this graph has a purple icon. We have jumped from GPT-3.5 (the free model of ChatGPT) to GPT-4 (in ChatGPT Plus). It is attention-grabbing that the differing LLMs have barely completely different information. This distinction is all a part of why it pays to watch out when utilizing AIs, so double-check your work. In our case, we’re simply demonstrating charts, however this can be a tangible instance of the place confidently offered information might be fallacious or inconsistent.  

Step 5: Add information

One in every of Superior Knowledge Analytics’ superpowers is the power to add a dataset. For our instance, I downloaded the Widespread Child Names dataset from Knowledge.gov. It is a comma-separated file of New York Metropolis child names from 2011-2014. Despite the fact that it is a decade old-fashioned, it is enjoyable to play with.

The dataset I selected for this text is available from a authorities web site, so you may replicate this experiment by yourself. There are a ton of nice datasets accessible on Knowledge.gov, however I discovered that many are far too massive for ChatGPT to make use of. 

Additionally: The right way to use ChatGPT to create an app

As soon as I downloaded this one, I noticed it additionally included data on ethnicity, so we will run a variety of completely different charts from the identical dataset.

Click on the little add button after which inform it the information file you need to import.

baby-name-import
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

I requested it to point out me the primary 5 traces of the file so I would know extra concerning the file’s format.

Step 6: Create a pie chart (and alter colours)

I used to be interested in how the dataset distributed gender names. Here is my first immediate:

Create a pie chart exhibiting gender as a proportion of the general dataset

And here is the consequence:

green-gender-pie
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Sadly, the darkish shade of inexperienced makes the numbers tough to learn. Luckily, you may instruct Superior Knowledge Analytics to make use of completely different colours. I used to be cautious to decide on colours that didn’t reinforce gender stereotypes.

Create a pie chart exhibiting gender as a proportion of the general dataset. Use mild inexperienced for male and medium yellow for feminine.

yellow-green-gender-pie
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Step 7: Normalize information for accuracy

As we noticed earlier, the information collected consists of ethnicity. Here is see the distribution of the varied ethnicities New York recorded within the early 2010s:

Present the distribution of ethnicity within the dataset utilizing a pie chart. Use solely mild colours.

And here is the consequence. Discover something?

raw-ethnicity-chart
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Apparently, New York did not correctly normalize its information. It used “WHITE NON HISPANIC” and “WHITE NON HISP” collectively, “BLACK NON HISPANIC” and “BLACK NON HISP” collectively, and “ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER” and “ASIAN AND PACI” collectively. This resulted in inaccurate representations of the information.

One advantage of ChatGPT is it remembers directions all through a session. So I used to be capable of give it this instruction:

For all the next requests, group “WHITE NON HISPANIC” and “WHITE NON HISP” collectively. Group “BLACK NON HISPANIC” and “BLACK NON HISP” collectively. Group “ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER” and “ASIAN AND PACI”. Use the longer of the 2 ethnicity names when displaying ethnicity.

And it replied:

group-normal
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Let’s attempt the chart once more, utilizing the identical immediate.

Present the distribution of ethnicity within the dataset utilizing a pie chart. Use solely mild colours.

That is higher:

group-fixed
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

It’s essential to be diligent when outcomes. For instance, in a request for high child names, the AI separated out “Madison” and “MADISON” as two completely different names:

case-sensitive-baby-names
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

For all the next requests, child names needs to be case insensitive.

Step 8: Export your graphics

Let’s wrap up with a posh chart from one immediate. Here is our immediate:

For every ethnicity, current two pie charts, one for every gender. Every pie chart ought to listing the highest 5 child names for that gender and that ethnicity. Use solely mild colours.

Because it seems, the chart generated textual content that was too small to learn. So, to get a extra helpful chart, we will export it again out. I’ll specify each file format and file width:

Export this chart as a 3000 pixel huge JPG file.

export-confirmation
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

And here is the consequence:

pie-chart-extravaganza
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Discover that Sofia and Sophia are very talked-about, however are proven as two completely different names. However that is what makes charts so fascinating.

FAQ

How a lot does it value to make use of Superior Knowledge Analytics?

Superior Knowledge Analytics comes with ChatGPT Plus as a beta characteristic it’s important to activate within the Settings panel. ChatGPT Plus is $20/month. Superior Knowledge Analytics is also included with the Enterprise version, however pricing for that hasn’t been launched but.

Is the information uploaded to ChatGPT for charting stored personal or is there a threat of knowledge publicity?

Assume that there is all the time a privateness threat.

I requested this query to ChatGPT and that is what it informed me: Knowledge privateness is a precedence for ChatGPT. Uploaded information is used solely for the aim of the consumer’s present session and isn’t saved long-term or used for some other functions. Nevertheless, for extremely delicate information, customers ought to all the time train warning and think about using the Enterprise model of ChatGPT, which provides enhanced information confidentiality.

Additionally: Generative AI brings new dangers to everybody. Here is how one can keep protected

My advice: Do not belief ChatGPT or any generative AI instrument. The Enterprise model is meant to have extra privateness controls, however I might advocate you solely add information that you just will not thoughts discovering its option to public visibility.

Can ChatGPT’s Superior Knowledge Evaluation deal with real-time information or is it extra fitted to static datasets?

It is potential, however there are some sensible limitations. First, the Plus account will throttle the variety of requests you may make in a given time frame. Second, it’s important to add every file individually. There may be the likelihood you would use a licensed ChatGPT API to do real-time analytics. However for the chatbot itself, you are parsing information at relaxation.


You may comply with my day-to-day challenge updates on social media. You’ll want to subscribe to my weekly replace e-newsletter on Substack, and comply with me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Fb at Fb.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *