Understanding ChatGPT
DataCamp
Last updated June 30, 2026
A practical introduction to using ChatGPT, OpenAI's conversational AI, effectively and responsibly — no prior knowledge assumed. The first half focuses on prompting: the best practices for writing clear, interpretable requests so you get the highest-quality, most relevant responses. The second half translates that into business value, working through common uses such as summarizing text, explaining complex ideas, drafting marketing content, and generating and explaining code — and gives you a framework for spotting new situations where ChatGPT could help. It also covers the tool's capabilities and limitations and the legal and ethical points to keep in mind. It is conceptual and non-coding. You can sample the opening chapter before subscribing; the full course and its Statement of Accomplishment are part of DataCamp Premium.
What you'll learn
- What ChatGPT is, and its capabilities and limitations
- Best practices for effective prompts
- Common business use cases (summarizing, explaining, drafting, coding help)
- A framework for identifying new use cases
- Using ChatGPT responsibly
- Legal and ethical considerations
Frequently asked questions about Understanding ChatGPT
Is Understanding ChatGPT free?
No — Understanding ChatGPT is a paid course.
What are the prerequisites for Understanding ChatGPT?
None.
Does Understanding ChatGPT offer a certificate?
Yes. DataCamp Statement of Accomplishment on completion (requires DataCamp Premium).
Why we suggest this course
A good fit for professionals who want to move from casual use to getting reliable, useful results from ChatGPT. It spends real time on prompting technique and on a framework for finding your own use cases, which is what turns the tool from a novelty into a workflow, and it is honest about limitations and the legal and ethical considerations. One thing to know: the opening chapter is free to sample, but the complete course and its Statement of Accomplishment require a DataCamp Premium subscription.