> OpenAI, at least in my day-day workflow for the last 9+ months has so superseded anything that google ever was to me that I'm having a difficult time comparing the two.

Seconded.

Let me tell you what I used to do.

First, Imagine I have an error executing code or an error running some bit of 3rd party software. I go to Stack Overflow and search. I find posts related to my problem and I spend a great deal of time trying to shoehorn existing answers to my specific issue. Sometimes, my shoehorning works and I fix my problem. Other times, it doesn't work, and then I post on Stack Overflow myself. And I wait ... and wait ... for a response. Sometimes I get a response.

Now, when I have this type of problem, I tell ChatGPT, "Hey, I'm trying to do <xyz> and I'm getting this error <abc>. Help me troubleshoot this. And it almost always helps me fix my problem. And it's ~10× faster than Stack Overflow.

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Second, there are times where I have write code to do some relatively 'complex' data manipulation--nothing sophisticated, mind you, but stuff like, "I need these data columns rearranged based on complicated logic. And I need the text in columns A, X, AQ, and F merged, but only if <blah blah is true>. Otherwise, Just merge text in Columns A and AQ, except if the date in column ZZ is after January 1, 2019.". I can do this stuff on my own, but: a] it's cognitively draining, b] it takes time, c] I often make silly errors due to the complexity.

ChatGPT is, again, an order of magnitude faster than I am. And it makes _fewer_ errors.

It still makes errors. And I still have to know what to look for to catch those errors, but it decreases my cognitive load tremendously.

edit: I haven't used Stack Overflow in 6 months. And "Googling" is Plan B.

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Edit 2: I recently had to write a sympathy letter to someone whose husband died.

I knew the general ideas behind what I wanted to say, but I knew I wasn't going to write anything great.

I fired up ChatGPT and said,

"write a sympathy letter to <x>. Tell her that I didn't know her husband well, but the few times I met him, I could tell that he cared deeply about you<x> and his daughter. I know his daughter well and I think she gets a lot of her great qualities from him and you. Tell her I don't know what to say in times like this. Keep it short-ish. Avoid schmaltz and sentimentality because <x> isn't that kind of person."

It gave me about as perfect a letter as I could have asked for.