# ChatGPT level of confidence **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** ai\ **Created:** [April 30, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717 "2025-04-30T17:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/121 "2025-06-04T20:00:10Z")
“[leaning] effusive or over-affirming” and “not flattery but a bias towards a supportive tone” are clean different things, not least because “effusive or over-affirming” is literally what flattery is. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/122 "2025-06-04T20:06:34Z")
I don’t really know what your question is at this point, but OpenAI wrote a whole thing about the excess sycophancy of their latest model release, what went wrong, and how they rolled it back to a somewhat less effusive version: [https://openai.com/index/expanding-on-sycophancy/](https://openai.com/index/expanding-on-sycophancy/) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/123 "2025-06-04T20:13:59Z")
I don’t find that contradictory. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/124 "2025-06-05T02:46:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You can ask it to be more critical and less effusive. In terms of presenting writing, you have to either attach a word file, text file, or copy and paste your work. I’ve run a bunch of my own work through it, and it responds as if it gets what I’m talking about. It even catches influences and themes I missed while I was writing that were correct. It’s quite eerie. It helped tighten up some areas I asked it to. I don’t take all its advice and sometimes it can be too cheesy and predictable. But quite useful. I did a fun experiment a couple of weeks back where I decided to have ChatGPT become my photography critic, but using two very different personas. I created a persona called “Eleanor” who was a kind and supportive photography critic, and another persona called “Basil” who was a sarcastic and snarky know-it-all who would judge fairly but harshly. I even was able to produce what I felt were appropriate voices for them, matching their description. Eleanor has a nice firm and confident grandmotherly voice with an American accent and a slight hint of cigarettes in her past. Basil is snooty Brit all the way. Check it out… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gYKvS3-ErL4/maxresdefault.jpg "What Happens When AI Judges Art—In Character?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYKvS3-ErL4) ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/125 "2025-06-05T13:14:28Z")
Not a question, just sharing some interesting and I hope relevant stuff on the topic of how confident we can be in ChatGPT. But I was curious about the sycophancy levels shot up so high, so thanks for sharing the link. (My hypothesis - the people who released it are a bunch of clowns who couldn’t see what was right in front of them - remains largely intact.) ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/126 "2025-06-06T19:53:56Z")
4o is pretty good at the “Drop in on a random Street view location and guess where you are in the world based on visual cues” Google Maps game: Edited: I didn’t realize sharing the link doesn’t include the images, so here are screenshots: [![](https://i.imgur.com/kwyQCt5.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/kwyQCt5.png) [![](https://i.imgur.com/w7484fz.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/w7484fz.png) [![](https://i.imgur.com/MxxFRP8.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/MxxFRP8.png) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/127 "2025-11-25T01:55:25Z")
The NY Times eventually did an article on the sycophancy: [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/technology/openai-chatgpt-users-risks.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/technology/openai-chatgpt-users-risks.html) Or [https://archive.is/NHgFd](https://archive.is/NHgFd) It’s really late, but they interviewed dozens of OpenAI staffers about what happened back then. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/128 "2025-12-01T12:53:16Z")
I’ve had it say ‘oops’ I was wrong. I think though it misinterpreted the question. But, as a programmer it has been very helpful. Just to test it, and I was curious, I asked it to write Python code using a specific Python module and return the latitude and longitude of the county court house. It wrote the code in 9 seconds. 9. Code ran clean on my Python interpreter and it was correct. That was a real holy shit moment for me. And it turned out to be helpful for snippets of code like that. BUT, I’m really glad I’m retiring. 10 more working days left. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/129 "2025-12-01T13:04:28Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > ChatGPT once told me the USA and Japan were allies during WWII. Oh, my God! It’s an idiot?! 😳 ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/130 "2025-12-01T13:20:25Z")
It’s a great tool as long as you keep a finely tuned BS meter handy. The other day I was wondering about an old guy who I knew years a go who told me his tattoo cost £3 when he was serving in 1944–he mentioned that was a week’s pay. I was curious about the “week’s pay” thing so I asked about the value of £3 in modern USD. I think it came up with $200. After a few more back-and-forths I told it about the “week’s pay” comment and asked if that were correct. It did some math gyrations and told me that the cost of the tattoo was extraordinarily high. Of course it was extraordinarily high _if you convert pounds from 1944 to dollars in 2025 and then compare the number of 2025 dollars to the number of dollars in the weekly wage of a private in 1944_. Doing that, it would have taken the poor guy 4 months to have paid off the tattoo! Following my not-so-gentle corrections it came up with a weekly wage for a private in 1944 of $12 and agreed that the £3 tattoo was a week’s wages. It was a surprising moment. I explained to it that the error was like a fifth-grader making a mistake on a math story problem and not having a clue about it being incorrect because they don’t have a feel for the ball park of a realistic answer. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/131 "2025-12-02T22:52:20Z")
I uploaded a google-streetmaps screenshot (sanitized) … and chat gpt localized it pretty good (Santiago, lots of leaf … named a few neighbourhoods (amongs which mine was) … but of course, it knows from my IP that I am sitting in Santiago … so I cheekely sneeked another sanitized screenprint from a similar ‘hood in Capetown in and it kept talking … typical manhole convers used in Stgo, etc… (completely bypassing the fact that the cars are parked like it would be in a left-driving country like RSA … I even pointed out the parked cars … _ **what side of the street are the cars** _ ###### _ChatGPT said:_ _In the photo, **the cars are parked on the left side of the street** (from the camera’s point of view facing forward)._ _This also indicates that **traffic is driving on the right-hand side** , consistent with countries like Chile, the U.S., most of Europe, etc._ so, I guess we still have some time before the Schwarzenegger-bots are coming for us ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/132 "2025-12-03T12:55:09Z")
An interesting phenomenon has been people with fringe views using chat gpt as their “cite”. Because, if you ask for defence of a fringe view, it will give it to you. …though the response will usually be heavily caveated and make allusions to reality. I can usually guess what prompt the user input to try to get the desired answer. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/133 "2025-12-04T13:20:12Z")
There is no point in correcting it. It isn’t learning from its mistakes (though you might reasonably expect something called AI to). ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/134 "2025-12-04T13:31:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There is no point in correcting it. It isn’t learning from its mistakes The latter does not necessarily imply the former. I am well aware that the LLM isn’t learning when I call it out. BUT…it does change behavior in the same chat, within 20 turns or so. More importantly, I feel much better when I call it out on its BS. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/135 "2025-12-04T15:09:25Z")
Just yesterday, I ran across an example of an error I hadn’t seen before. ChatGPT told an acquaintance of mine that an applicant for a NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) certification could obtain a Level II certification in a field without first obtaining a Level I certification. This is not true. However, it USED to be true until about 20 years ago. In fact, I did this myself way back when. But it looks like ChatGPT may have relied on information that it obtained from (very) old sources. The NICET website itself makes it very clear that an applicant cannot skip Level I. Why this individual didn’t just check the NICET site is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/136 "2025-12-04T15:57:34Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > Just yesterday, I ran across an example of an error I hadn’t seen before. ChatGPT told an acquaintance of mine that an applicant for a NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) certification could obtain a Level II certification in a field without first obtaining a Level I certification. This is not true. Just for shit & giggles, I posed this question to ChatGPT ver 5.1 in two ways: **1st - Thinking mode**. It spent 35 secs actually looking through the following sources: NICET – Fire Alarm Systems: Certification Requirements > **[Certification Requirements](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/fire-alarm-systems/certification-requirements/)** > > Level I > > > Level II > > > Level III > > > Level IV > > > > Examination- Pass the: > > > Level I Exam > Levels I and II Exam > Levels I, II, and III Exams NICET NICET – Fire Alarm Systems (Program Overview) > **[Fire Alarm Systems](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/fire-alarm-systems/)** > > All FAS exams have been updated and are currently available as of March 25, 2024. Learn more. > > > NICET Fire Alarm Systems Candidate Handbook: > > > > CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD > > > The Fire Alarm Systems certification progra NICET NICET – Water-Based Systems Layout (Program Overview) > **[Water-Based Systems Layout](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/water-based-systems-layout/)** > > NICET Water-Based Systems Candidate Handbook: > > > > DOWNLOAD HANDBOOK > > > All Water-Based System Layout exams have been updated and are currently available as of July 8, 2024. Learn more. > > The Water-Based Systems Layout certific NICET NICET – Water-Based Systems Layout: Certification Requirements > **[Certification Requirements](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/water-based-systems-layout/certification-requirements/)** > > Level I > > > Level II > > > Level III > > > Level IV > > > > Examination\*- Pass the: > > > Level I Exam > > Level I and II Exams > > > Level I, II, I NICET NICET – Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems: Certification Requirements > **[Certification Requirements](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/inspection-and-testing-of-fire-alarm-systems/certification-requirements/)** > > Level I > > > Level II > > > > Examination - Pass the: > > > ITFAS Level I ExamORFAS Level I and II Exams > ITFAS Level I and II ExamsORFAS III and/or FAS IV Exams > > > Performance Verificatio NICET NICET – Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems (Program Overview) > **[Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/inspection-and-testing-of-water-based-systems/)** > > ITWBS I and ITWBS II exams have been updated and are currently available as of June 2, 2025. The pilot testing for ITWBS III has ended. The updated ITWBS III exam is available as of December 1, 2025. > > The Inspection and NICET NICET – Examination Requirements (FAQ) > **[Examination Requirements](https://www.nicet.org/about-us/frequently-asked-questions/examination-requirements/)** > > What qualifications must I have before I can take a NICET exam? > There are no pre-qualifications for taking an exam. Once you meet an exam requirement, you must satisfy the program's other criteria before you can be certifie NICET NICET – Exams (General Exam Info; includes policy on testing for higher levels) > **[Exams](https://www.nicet.org/exams/)** > > NICET exams are oriented toward job knowledge and skills, so that most of what is needed to pass the exam should be acquired by a proactive technician in the course of working and learning for the job. > > There are no pre-qua NICET NICET – Candidate Handbook (Inspection & Testing of Water-Based Systems) – PDF > **[candidatehandbookitwbs.pdf](https://www.nicet.org/nicetorg/assets/file/public/candidatehandbookitwbs.pdf)** > > 860.95 KB NICET NICET – Application Procedures (Computer-Based Testing) > **[Application Procedures](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/cbt-application-procedures/)** > > Certification — Certification is awarded to individuals who meet a set of industry-specified requirements. The criteria fall into two main categories: written exams and work experience. > > Preparing for Certification &m NICET NICET – Work Experience (FAQ) > **[Work Experience](https://www.nicet.org/about-us/frequently-asked-questions/work-experience/)** > > What kind of work experience do I need for certification as an engineering technician? > A complete, comprehensive, and detailed record of employment history shall include the employer, position held, supervisor(s) name(s), d NICET NICET – Work Experience (General Info Page) > **[Work Experience](https://www.nicet.org/work-experience/)** > > Policies and Code of Ethics > > All candidates agree to abide by NICET’s Policies, Code of Ethics, and Conditions of Application. > > Accurate documentation is necessary for the validity and defensibility of the certifica NICET NICET – Conditions of Application > **[Conditions of Application](https://www.nicet.org/about-us/conditions-of-application/)** > > NICET has established policies, procedures, and fees that govern certification decisions, the uses of certification, and interactions with applicants and certificants. These policies, procedures, and fees may be changed by NI NICET NICET – Fire Alarm Systems Level II Selected General References – PDF > **[fas\_ii\_general\_references.pdf](https://www.nicet.org/nicetorg/assets/file/public/fas_ii_general_references.pdf)** > > 132.37 KB NICET NICET – Water-Based Systems Layout Performance Measures > **[Water-Based Systems Layout Performance Measures](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/water-based-systems-layout/wbslpms/)** > > Level I Performance Measures > > > >   > > Level II Performance Measures > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >  0301-7101 > > >  evaluate contract documents for feasibility and potential l NICET NICET – Water-Based Systems Layout Level II Content Outline – PDF > **[wbsl-ii\_content\_outline.pdf](https://www.nicet.org/nicetorg/assets/file/public/wbsl-ii_content_outline.pdf)** > > 228.07 KB NICET NICET – Fire Alarm Systems Certification Application Package (Experience) – PDF > **[cbtexperiencepackagefa.pdf](https://www.nicet.org/nicetorg/assets/file/public/cbtexperiencepackagefa.pdf)** > > 1426.36 KB NICET RocketCert – NICET Fire Alarm Systems Certification & Exam Prep (summarizes Level II requirements) > **[NICET Fire Alarm Systems Certification & Exam Prep | ROCKETCERT](https://rocketcert.com/construction/national/nicet-fire-alarm-systems-certification)** > > Looking to obtain your NICET Fire Alarm Systems Certification? Get started today with RocketCert! RocketCert National Training Center – Documenting Your NICET Work Experience [https://nationaltrainingcenter.com/documenting-your-nicet-work-experience/](https://nationaltrainingcenter.com/documenting-your-nicet-work-experience/) National Training Center ECPI Library Guide – Certifications (Industrial): Fire Alarm – Level II > **[LibGuides: Certifications (Industrial): Fire Alarm - Level II](https://ecpi.libguides.com/c.php?g=933244&p=6726898)** > > LibGuides: Certifications (Industrial): Fire Alarm - Level II ECPI Libraries National Training Center – NICET Water-Based Systems Layout, Level II – 30 Days > **[NICET Water-Based Systems Layout, Level II – 30 Days | National Training Center](https://nationaltrainingcenter.com/product/nicet-water-based-systems-layout-level-ii/)** National Training Center FireTech – NICET Water-Based Systems Layout Online Courses > **[Fire Tech Productions a fire protection training company](https://learning.firetech.com/pages/nicet-water-based-systems-layout-online-courses)** > > Fire Tech Productions fire protection and detection training, online courses, hands-on workshops, industry books for fire sprinkler, fire alarm, fire pump, special hazards Fire Tech Productions FireTech – Fire Alarm Systems Level II Course Package > **[Fire Tech Productions a fire protection training company](https://learning.firetech.com/collections/fire-alarm-level-ii-course-package)** > > Fire Tech Productions fire protection and detection training, online courses, hands-on workshops, industry books for fire sprinkler, fire alarm, fire pump, special hazards Fire Tech Productions NICET – Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems (ITWBS Overview) > **[Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems](https://www.nicet.org/certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/inspection-and-testing-of-water-based-systems/)** > > ITWBS I and ITWBS II exams have been updated and are currently available as of June 2, 2025. The pilot testing for ITWBS III has ended. The updated ITWBS III exam is available as of December 1, 2025. > > The Inspection and NICET Pennsylvania Senate GOP Veterans – NICET Overview PDF > **[NICET.pdf](https://veterans.pasenategop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/NICET.pdf)** > > 18.69 MB VA Emergency Preparedness Committee Reddit – r/firealarms: “Nicet Level 2 Fire Alarms” Discussion > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/firealarms/comments/ytlaqe/nicet_level_2_fire_alarms/)** Reddit Reddit – r/firePE: “Sections to brush up on for Nicet 2 – Water Based Systems Layout” > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/firePE/comments/104zec6/sections_to_brush_up_on_for_nicet_2_water_based/)** For the following summary: > Short answer: **you can’t _hold_ a NICET Level II certification without also meeting all the Level I requirements, but you _can_ test directly for Level II.** > > 1. You **do not have to already be certified at Level I** to sit for a Level II exam. Many people apply at Level II and take a combined “Level I & II” exam in one go. > 2. However, NICET will **not grant you Level II certification unless you qualify for Level I and Level II at the same time** (exam(s) passed, performance measures signed off, and required experience for both levels). In practice, you earn Level I first, then Level II—sometimes both are awarded in a single review if you already meet all the requirements. > ——- **2nd - Instant mode.** It gave the following answer immediately, so probably pulling from its training data without looking anything up: > **Short answer: Yes — an applicant _can_ obtain NICET Level II without first obtaining Level I** , _as long as they meet all the requirements for Level II._ > > NICET certification is **competency- and experience-based** , not strictly sequential. This means: > > A technician with 3 years of fire alarm experience may apply **directly** for Level II Fire Alarm Systems if they meet: > > - Experience requirements > > - NICET performance measures > > - Level II exam requirements > > Even if they never held Level I. In short, use thinking mode if you actually want ChatGPT to do some research before compiling an answer, and for generally more accurate results. But a summarized answer from 20+ listed sources could have more value to someone, as opposed to Googling it and looking through the results for a definite answer. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/137 "2025-12-04T16:19:21Z")
Wow! That’s an extensive reply and a lot of research. NICET does currently allow you to apply for Level II directly, but, as mentioned in one of the responses, in practice they award you Level I first (assuming you passed both the Level I and Level II exams and have the required experience) and then Level II. ChatGPT apparently told this guy that he didn’t have to take the Level I exam, and this is not correct. For one thing, there are Performance Measures on the Level I exam that are unique to that exam. And, if he is certified as Level II, his certification history will show that he was first certified as Level I. Compare that to my own certification history, which does NOT show that I was ever certified as Level I at all. (I’m currently Level IV.) TL;DR: ChatGPT convinced this guy that he could just sign up for the Level II exam and skip the Level I exam entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/138 "2025-12-04T17:21:52Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > In short, use thinking mode if you actually want ChatGPT to do some research How do I do that?… And it’s it paid service only? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/139 "2025-12-04T17:29:59Z")
I have the paid service, so I’m not sure, but usually typing something like “Think hard about it” at the end of the query will likely engage thinking mode. See if that works for you. Or maybe you have to be a paying customer like me. I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717/140 "2025-12-04T17:33:02Z")
I will have to think about it… /s [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chatgpt-level-of-confidence/1017717.md?page=8)