Introduction
I have been using ChatGPT for over two years now. When I first signed up the model powering it was GPT 3.5, and since then I have worked through GPT 4, GPT 4o, and most recently GPT 5.
It has been fascinating to watch the tool evolve, but also eye-opening to see what has not changed as much as I expected. Here is my honest reflection on how the experience has shifted and what I think it means for us as professionals.
GPT 3.5 was my entry point. At the time, it felt groundbreaking. Suddenly I could draft ideas, summarise articles, or brainstorm with an AI assistant. But it also had obvious flaws such as limited reasoning, a tendency to create things that were not true, and not much consistency in tone.
When GPT 4 arrived the difference was noticeable. It was sharper, more reliable, and far more useful in day-to-day professional tasks. That was when I started to rely on it properly.
With GPT 5, I expected another big leap forward. In practice, it feels more like a series of small improvements.
So while GPT 5 is smarter on paper, in practice the experience has not changed dramatically.
One new feature I have started exploring with GPT 5 is Custom GPTs. These are personalised versions you can set up to act like an SEO strategist, finance assistant, or content creator. They still have limitations such as no memory of past chats and no ability to create files directly, but they have opened up interesting possibilities for tailoring AI to specific parts of my work.
I will share more about this in a separate article, but it is worth noting here that the biggest opportunity with GPT 5 is not necessarily the model itself, but how we adapt it to fit our needs.
After two years with ChatGPT, my biggest learning is this: each new version feels exciting, but the real difference lies in how we use it.
GPT 3.5 showed me what was possible.
GPT 4 made it reliable enough for professional use.
GPT 5 is a step forward, but not the dramatic leap many might expect.
The real value has not been in the technology itself. It has been in learning how to integrate it into my workflow without losing the human judgement, creativity, and empathy that clients and colleagues still rely on.
Conclusion
GPT 5 is an evolution, not a revolution. It reminds me that AI will keep improving, but professionals still need to lead the way in deciding how to use it wisely.
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My career began in the hospitality industry, which gave me a solid grounding in people skills, service and adaptability. Wanting to build on that foundation, I returned to education as a mature…
