MacStories editor and Shortcuts guru Federico Viticci created an incredible ChatGPT integration
The rapid pace at which ChatGPT has driven change is truly extraordinary. It seems as though society has recently become fully aware of the immense potential of large language models (LLMs) and is eager to integrate them into every facet of our daily routines. While this transformation did not occur overnight, the general public”s growing knowledge about generative AI creates the impression of sudden and widespread adaptation. Jason Aten discussed this phenomenon in an article on Inc.com that focused on enhancing iPhone productivity and broadening the scope of possibilities.
ChatGPT is a powerful tool
While ChatGPT is a powerful tool, it has largely been underutilized due to a lack of understanding about its potential applications, as pointed out in an article by Kelly Main on Inc.com. While it can be amusing to ask a machine to generate a poem or narrate a story, these tasks may not always be practical or increase productivity.
Thanks to a brilliant MacStories Shortcut called S-GPT, created by Federico Viticci, Editor-in-Chief at MacStories.net, ChatGPT can now be seamlessly integrated with apps and services on your iPhone or Mac. The amazing features of S-GPT were highlighted in a conversation with Federico Viticci. You can read more about it on MacStories.net.
According to Viticci, he observed many individuals creating shortcuts, such as Siri-GPT or similar names, to communicate with Siri and utilize abbreviated commands for interaction. While he found this concept interesting, he believed that there should have been an additional aspect to it, despite understanding its appeal.
The crux of the matter is that although it may be enjoyable to request ChatGPT to compose a poem, creating a shortcut for that purpose is unnecessary. It essentially achieves the same outcome but through an alternate interface.
The introduction of S-GPT brings about a complete transformation
S-GPT’s unique ability to integrate with your own data and information is a game-changer. Microsoft’s Copilot, for instance, leverages this capability to convert a marketing presentation into a Powerpoint presentation. With S-GPT, on the other hand, you can unlock its full potential on your iPhone.
Viticci elaborates on his website that the Shortcut he created is not just a simple bot for conversing with ChatGPT, but a tool that connects ChatGPT’s responses to native iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS functionalities. This ChatGPT-based utility can assist in processing data and accomplishing tasks on your computer, beyond answering trivia questions or writing poems.
For example, the Shortcut can summarize a webpage in Safari or check the grammar of an email by copying it to the clipboard on your iPhone. It can also examine your calendar and help you schedule a meeting by identifying the busiest days. Additionally, it can summarize text from a photo using Apple’s Live Text feature. One of its more enjoyable features is its ability to create a playlist of popular songs from the year you graduated high school and add them to Apple Music upon request.
According to Viticci:
He devoted several weeks to developing the Shortcut, which comprises over 250 actions. Compared to other Shortcuts, this one is exceedingly intricate. Furthermore, he reveals that he is already in the process of planning future updates.
S-GPT offers numerous possibilities for integration, such as utilizing the Mail app to capture handwritten meeting notes, using Apple’s Live Text feature to read the text with S-GPT, summarizing the notes, and sending them as an email to a colleague.
Although Viticci did not incorporate analytics into the Shortcut and cannot track its installation, more than 50,000 people have clicked the download link. Viticci describes the response as “incredible” and notes that, despite his eight or nine years of experience creating Shortcuts, this one has been surprisingly successful.
However:
It is important to note that setting up the Shortcut involves several steps. Firstly, you must have a basic understanding of how to use Shortcuts on your devices. If you are unfamiliar with Shortcuts, it is recommended to read Apple’s official guide to gain a basic understanding. Secondly, after downloading S-GPT, you need an API Secret Key from OpenAI. Viticci explains this process in his article, but it requires setting up billing on OpenAI’s developer site, and queries with the API incur a minimal cost.
There are two aspects of S-GPT that stand out. Firstly, it brings the power of ChatGPT to Apple devices, including the iPhone, in a manner previously unavailable.
In the end
One thing I appreciate about S-GPT is its practicality. Despite not being a coder, Viticci has leveraged his expertise in Shortcuts to harness the power of ChatGPT to perform a wide range of tasks. What’s even better is that he has generously shared this capability with the public. “The main Shortcut is and always will be free for everyone,” assures Viticci, who is continuously developing new and advanced integrations. “While there will always be free functionality in terms of integrations, some of the more sophisticated plugins, which I refer to as personalities, might be available for purchase. For instance, with the membership program, you can unlock personalities that sound like Steve Jobs, Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, or Super Mario.” This is probably my favorite aspect of the tool. Who wouldn’t want their S-GPT Shortcut to converse with them like Roy Kent? Even though it has revolutionized productivity, there’s no reason why it can’t be entertaining.
