I've been using ChatGPT 4.0 with my textbook uploads to help with school questions. However, I encounter a frustrating issue: when I ask it to refer to specific pages in the textbook, it often makes up answers instead of sticking to the material I've provided. I've tried giving clear instructions to only use the uploaded content, but it doesn't seem to follow them consistently. Is there a way to ensure it accurately follows my input? I'm trying to rely on it as a learning tool, but having to constantly verify its responses is quite annoying.
4 Answers
I remember reading somewhere that breaking down large PDFs can help with accuracy if you're using custom models. Have you looked into trying something like NotebookLM? It might be a better fit for your needs.
What type of file did you upload? ChatGPT struggles with PDFs a lot, which could be causing issues. Also, consider how large the document is. Sometimes, you need to adjust the format for it to read properly. If it's optimized, it can respond accurately, but it might take some tweaking.
I had good luck with PDFs in college; it might be just the format you're using.
I've had success by creating a Project and uploading files there. When you do this and prompt it to work only within those files, it reads PDFs and images nicely. Just using the default chat can lead to inaccuracies. I'm guessing you're using a Plus subscription since you uploaded a textbook, so Projects should be available to you.
Honestly, no one seems to have a solid solution for this issue yet. AI companies are probably investing a lot to figure it out because it’s a major hurdle. Just remember, always fact-check everything that comes out of an AI model until they make some big improvements.
I've noticed that too! When I started using it, it worked great, but lately, I've been getting inaccuracies more often, even though I'm a paying subscriber.