ChatGPT5 Is Here… What It Means for You

🎧 In this episode of the Trivera Deep Dive, Chip and Nova break down what’s truly new in GPT-5, where it outshines GPT-4, and the traps that can turn this leap forward into a faster path to failure. From advanced reasoning to multimodal capabilities, they explore how marketers can harness GPT-5 for real advantage, while avoiding the mistakes that come from skipping the human expertise layer. You’ll also get a simple side-by-side test you can run yourself to see the difference.

You'll learn:
✅ What GPT-5’s advanced reasoning means for marketers
✅ How expanded context memory boosts brand consistency
✅ Why multimodal capabilities change campaign production
✅ Where GPT-5 reduces (but doesn’t eliminate) AI hallucinations
✅ The “uncomfortable truth” about using powerful AI without skill

👉 Read the blog that inspired this episode:
GPT-5 Is Here! What It Means for You

Transcript

[Chip]
It's here. OpenAI just rolled out GPT-5, the most advanced version yet. But will it change your marketing game or just make your mistakes faster and harder to fix? In this episode of the Trivera Deep Dive, we break down what's new, what's better, and the traps you need to avoid. Plus, a simple test you can run yourself to see the difference between GPT-4 and 5. Stick around. 

[Narrator]
[instrumental music] 

[Narrator]
Welcome to Trivera's AI Deep Dive Podcast, hosted by Chip and Nova, our AI co-hosts. Together, they transform top marketing insights from our blogs, articles, and events into actionable strategies you can use. Ready to dive in? Let's get started. 

[Chip]
Hi there, and welcome to this special episode of the Trivera Deep Dive. I'm Chip. 

[Nova]
And I'm Nova. We're your AI co-hosts. And we're ready to guide you through today's, well, really fascinating material. 

[Chip]
Yeah, today, Nova, we're diving into something super timely, the arrival of GPT-5. Our main source for this is a really insightful blog post by our very own founder, Tom Snyder. It's titled GPT-5 Is Here! What It Means for You. 

[Nova]
Exactly. And our mission today is pretty clear. We wanna unpack what's genuinely new with this powerful AI, you know, what's the real breakthrough- 

[Chip]
Right 

[Nova]
... and explore why having real expertise in using it is, well, more critical than ever. 

[Chip]
Yeah, that uncomfortable truth Tom talks about. 

[Nova]
That's the one. And we'll give you some concrete takeaways from Tom's insights, including a pretty cool test you can actually do yourself. Let's, uh, let's unpack this. 

[Chip]
You know, Nova, the buzz around GPT-5 has just been huge, right? 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
And Tom Snyder, our founder, he didn't waste any time. He was apparently using it within, like, the first 24 hours. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
And his first impressions were really interesting. He said he was impressed, sure, but also that it was definitely different, which, you know, coming from someone like Tom, who uses AI constantly, that says a lot. 

[Nova]
It really does. Different isn't always just better. It implies a shift. 

[Chip]
Exactly. He even mentioned having to make large changes to our knowledge bases here at Trivera. And get this, it changed the personality of our own AI assistant, Webster, made him a little too polite and a lot more chatty. 

[Nova]
Huh, a chatty Webster. That's quite a shift. It really suggests something fundamental changed under the hood, doesn't it, more than just a simple update? 

[Chip]
Absolutely. 

[Nova]
And from a higher level, Tom clarifies that this new version, GPT-5, it can handle more, process more, and connect more dots than any version before it. It's not just a small step. It feels more like a leap. 

[Chip]
Like going from, I don't know, a basic calculator to a supercomputer. 

[Nova]
That's a good way to put it, yeah, in terms of the scope of problems it can tackle. 

[Chip]
Okay, Nova, let's dig into some of these core advancements Tom mentioned. He highlights advanced reasoning first. What does that actually mean for marketers? Is it really new or just, you know, fancier? 

[Nova]
Well, it's definitely more than just fancier. What's really insightful here, Chip, is how its reasoning has expanded. It can connect dots between seemingly unrelated pieces of information and think multiple steps ahead. 

[Chip]
Mm. 

[Nova]
Previous models might give you some ideas, maybe some decent content, but Tom points out GPT-5 can make informed, multi-step recommendations, and these factor in your goals, audience behavior, even competitive positioning. 

[Chip]
Okay, give me an example. How would that work? 

[Nova]
Right. So imagine asking it something like, "Okay, our organic traffic dipped for product X. Our main competitor just launched new messaging. Our Q4 sales targets are here. What specific multi-step tactical plan should we roll out? Factor in budget and our specific brand voice." 

[Chip]
Wow, that's complex. 

[Nova]
It is, and GPT-5 can apparently generate a coherent, actionable plan, not just random tactics, but a sequence. So for you, the listener, this translates to potentially smarter strategy, better ROI, and less wasted spend because the AI isn't just guessing, it's reasoning through the steps. 

[Chip]
That's a massive shift from just, you know, writing blog posts. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
Okay. Beyond that raw intelligence, Tom also highlights context persistence. That sounds like it could solve a lot of headaches with brand consistency, right? 

[Nova]
Yes. 

[Chip]
Es- especially for longer projects. 

[Nova]
Oh, absolutely, Chip. It's a huge deal. Remember how frustrating it was when older models would kind of forget what you told them five minutes ago? 

[Chip]
Yeah, constantly repeating brand guidelines. 

[Nova]
Exactly, you had to keep re-explai- And GPT-5 seems to tackle that directly. It essentially has a much bigger memory, a larger context window. It can recall details across longer sessions. 

[Chip]
So you could work on a whole campaign over days maybe. 

[Nova]
That's the idea. You build it out, refine things, and the AI should remember your initial goals, your brand voice nuances without needing constant retraining prompts. Connecting this back, it means the AI can stay aligned with your guidelines across everything, blog posts, emails, ads, making it all sound like it genuinely came from your team. 

[Chip]
That consistency is huge. Then there's multimodal, which sounds really exciting, moving beyond just text. What's Tom's take here? 

[Nova]
This is massive, Chip. Think about the old workflow. Generate text here, go to another tool for images, maybe another for video snippets. 

[Chip]
Right, total pain. 

[Nova]
Tom emphasizes that GPT-5 works with images, audio, and even video in a single conversation. It's not just processing different file types. It seems to have a more unified understanding. 

[Chip]
So, like, instant ad concepts, describe the visual, get the image and the copy. 

[Nova]
Exactly. Or brainstorming out loud, you talk, it turns it into a blog post, maybe some social media carousels, even short video scripts, all without hopping between tools. 

[Chip]
Wow. 

[Nova]
The promise is a complete set of campaign assets faster, with perfectly aligned messaging and visuals. 

[Chip]
That sounds incredibly efficient. But Nova, I have to ask, with all that integration, is there a risk of losing some creativity, you know, the kind that comes from using specialized tools or just s- switching gears mentally? 

[Nova]
That's a really fair point, Chip. 

[Chip]
Yeah. 

[Nova]
And it brings us back to that uncomfortable truth we need to get into. The risk isn't inherent in the tool's power. It's about how you use it. 

[Chip]
Okay. 

[Nova]
A skilled person can use this unification to be more creative, iterating faster, but someone less experienced, they might just churn out generic stuff that looks unified, but lacks any real spark. It's amplification, not replacement. 

[Chip]
Got it. Amplification. 

[Nova]
Mm. 

[Chip]
And on the tech side, Tom mentions improved coding, not the first thing you think of with LLMs maybe, but...Sounds important. 

[Nova]
Yeah, it's significant. Its upgraded code generation can apparently handle complex programming, scripting and automation, stuff that used to take developers ages. 

[Chip]
So, for marketers, faster website updates, new integrations. 

[Nova]
Precisely. New features, site optimizations, they can potentially roll out quickly, helping businesses adapt faster to market changes instead of getting stuck in development cycles. It's like the AI can help build the car and drive it in a way. 

[Chip]
Okay, now for the one I think everyone wants to hear about, 

[Chip]
reduced hallucinations. 

[Nova]
Yeah. 

[Chip]
You know, when the AI just makes stuff up but sounds super confident. 

[Nova]
Ah yes, the confident inaccuracies. 

[Chip]
Is it true? Is GPT-5 better? Can we trust it more? 

[Nova]
Well, Tom's initial 24-hour test showed a clear improvement, Chip. He noted a noticeable drop in those confidently wrong answers. 

[Chip]
Okay, that's good news. 

[Nova]
Remember asking an older AI for, I don't know, historical facts and getting something bizarrely wrong. 

[Chip]
Oh, yeah, completely fabricated events sometimes. 

[Nova]
Right. So less of that is a serious time-saver because frankly less bad information coming out means more time for actual marketing strategy and execution, less time fact-checking, more time thinking. 

[Chip]
Definitely frees up resources. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. 

[Chip]
So, Nova, listening to all this, GPT-5 sounds incredible, like a super power for marketers. 

[Nova]
It has huge potential definitely. 

[Chip]
But, 

[Chip]
and there's always a but, isn't there? Tom brings up this uncomfortable truth, a reality check. He uses that great analogy, having access to GPT-5 doesn't make you an AI pro anymore than buying a grand piano makes you a concert pianist. 

[Nova]
Mm-hmm. That analogy really nails it, Chip. 

[Chip]
So what's the core of this uncomfortable truth? Why is he warning us? 

[Nova]
The core message is pretty blunt. If you weren't using GPT-4 or earlier versions effectively, GPT-5 will likely only make it worse. 

[Chip]
Worse how? 

[Nova]
Well, think about it. A more powerful tool in untrained hands doesn't lead to better results. It often leads to bigger mistakes faster. 

[Chip]
Right, like giving a faster car to someone who can't drive well. 

[Nova]
Exactly, you just crash faster. Tom's point is without the right skills, you'll just get the same generic AI output everyone else is producing. Maybe you'll get it quicker with GPT-5, but it won't be smarter or more effective. 

[Chip]
So it's not about having the tool; it's about knowing how to use it. 

[Nova]
Precisely. It comes down to three things Tom emphasizes: really understanding the tech; knowing how to apply it to real-world marketing challenges; and crucially, integrating it into a broader strategy. If you miss any of those, the power of GPT-5 could actually work against you. 

[Chip]
Okay, let's break that down. Where can things really go wrong if you lack that expertise, even with GPT-5? Let's start with creative development. It sounds like it could whip up amazing concepts, but what's the danger? 

[Nova]
The danger, according to Tom, is churning out slick-looking work that completely misses your brand voice or audience and gets forgotten fast. 

[Chip]
So fast but forgettable. 

[Nova]
Yeah. Imagine generating tons of ad variations. Without an expert guiding it, someone who deeply understands the brand, the audience psychology, what actually resonates, you might get stuff that's technically fine but just soulless- 

[Chip]
Huh 

[Nova]
... or generic. It lacks that crucial human strategic layer. Fast to create but maybe fast to fail, too. 

[Chip]
Okay. And what about SEO and content strategy? This seems like a big area for potential misuse, just flooding the web with AI content. 

[Nova]
It's a huge risk. Tom cautions that without proper application, you could easily flood the web with keyword-stuffed junk that tanks both rankings and reputation. 

[Chip]
Even with GPT-5 being better at strategy. 

[Nova]
Yeah, because the AI can map out keyword clusters, suggest topics, but it takes a human expert to ensure the content within that structure is genuinely valuable, authoritative, trustworthy, you know, hitting Google's E-E-T principles. Otherwise, you're just adding to the noise and potentially harming your site's reputation long term. 

[Chip]
Right, makes sense. Now data-driven campaign optimization, this sounds like an area where mistakes could be really expensive if you misinterpret what GPT-5 tells you. 

[Nova]
Definitely. Tom puts it starkly. If you don't pair the AI's insights with deep analytics understanding and human oversight, you risk reacting to noise instead of signal. 

[Chip]
Chasing ghosts in the data. 

[Nova]
Pretty much, making knee-jerk changes that wreck performance instead of improving it. GPT-5 might spot a pattern, suggest an optimization, but a human needs to ask why, validate it against real business context before making big changes. Otherwise, you could optimize based on a temporary blip or a misinterpretation. 

[Chip]
Okay, and personalization at scale, always tricky, relies on that human touch. What's the risk with using GPT-5 here? It sounds like it could be amazing with its context memory. 

[Nova]
It could be, but Tom highlights that without that careful human touch, you risk personalizing in ways that are creepy, inconsistent, or just plain wrong. 

[Chip]
Creepy. How so? 

[Nova]
Well, the AI might connect data points accurately but inappropriately, like referencing a past-sensitive purchase in a marketing email in a way that feels invasive, not helpful. True personalization needs empathy, that nuanced understanding of human interaction, not just data crunching. It can easily cross the line into awkward or off-putting. 

[Chip]
Yeah, that's a fine line. Okay, finally, back to hallucinations. Tom said they're reduced but not gone. What's the lingering danger here? 

[Nova]
The danger is exactly that, reduced but not zero hallucinations. Tom stresses it's not a free pass to stop reviewing what it produces. The biggest risk: a false sense of security. 

[Chip]
Thinking it's always right now. 

[Nova]
Exactly. And even if the errors are smaller or less frequent, Tom warns they could still do real damage to campaigns, reputations, and bottom lines if they slip through unchecked. You still need that human vigilance, that critical eye. It's like having better brakes doesn't mean you stop watching the road. 

[Chip]
That's a great point. Power without expertise is definitely a risky mix. So what stands out to you, our listener, about these warnings? Think about that. Stick around because after a short break, Nova and I are gonna walk you through a really neat side-by-side test you can do yourself to see the GPT-5 difference firsthand.

[Webster]
Hi. I'm Webster, Trivera's AI assistant, here to help your business thrive in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. Since 1996, Trivera has delivered digital marketing that drives measurable results, partnering with southeastern Wisconsin's strongest brands. Blending creativity, technology, and strategy to help them grow. Now we're leading the charge with powerful new AI solutions. Branded podcast production, fully trained chatbots, predictive analytics, automated content generation, and optimization tools that become your digital dream team. Engaging audiences, capturing leads, optimizing campaigns, and delivering 24/7 support. From SEO-optimized websites and ROI-focused campaigns to custom AI tools built for real business impact, Trivera is the partner you can trust to help you own what's next. Visit trivera.com today to make the rest of 2025 your smartest, most successful yet. Trivera, where three decades of expertise meet AI innovation to deliver digital marketing that converts. 

[Narrator]
Welcome 

[Narrator]
back to Trivera's AI Deep Dive. Now, back to our conversation with Chip and Nova. 

[Nova]
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Just before the break, Chip, you mentioned a test listeners can do themselves, something Tom Snyder outlined in his blog post. 

[Chip]
That's right, Nova. It's a simple but really effective experiment, a direct comparison between GPT-4 and GPT-5, using the exact same prompt. I love this because it isolates the variable. It's just about the AI model itself, lets you see the raw difference. 

[Nova]
Okay, so how does someone listening actually do this test? What are the steps? 

[Chip]
It's pretty straightforward. Step one, open one browser window with a GPT-4 chat that still exists in your history. 

[Nova]
Oh. 

[Chip]
And Tom suggests finding one where the response was maybe less than perfect. 

[Nova]
Okay, so not your absolute best prompt and response combo. Maybe something that was a bit vague or took a lot of tweaking. 

[Chip]
Exactly. Find one of those. Step two, keep that window open. You need to see the original prompt and GPT-4's answer side-by-side with the new one. 

[Nova]
Got it, reference point. 

[Chip]
Step three, open a second browser window with GPT-5. 

[Nova]
Right. 

[Chip]
Assuming you have access, of course. 

[Nova]
Right. 

[Chip]
Step four, copy that exact original prompt from your GPT-4 chat and paste it into GPT-5. And this is key. Don't edit it. Don't improve it. Give GPT-5 the exact same input GPT-4 got. 

[Nova]
Same starting line for both. Makes sense. 

[Chip]
Then step five, just compare the results side-by-side. Look at what GPT-4 gave you and what GPT-5 gave you from the identical prompt. 

[Nova]
Okay, so when someone does this, Chip, what kind of differences should they be looking for? What's likely to jump out? 

[Chip]
Tom says you'll likely notice the difference immediately, things like better structure, clarity, and accuracy. He even says sometimes it's almost like GPT-5 read your mind. 

[Nova]
Read your mind. How so? 

[Chip]
Well, maybe it not only answers the direct question more fully, but it anticipates logical follow-up questions, or presents the info in a way that's much more useful or audience-aware, more like how a human expert might structure their thoughts. 

[Nova]
Ah, okay, so a more intuitive or comprehensive response, but here comes the catch, right? There's always a catch. 

[Chip]
Huh, yes. Here's the critical insight Tom shares, and it ties right back to that uncomfortable truth. You'll see the difference, sure, but only experienced GPT users will know why the results are better. 

[Nova]
Hmm, and just as importantly. 

[Chip]
When they might still be wrong. 

[Nova]
Right, so the novice sees better, the expert sees better because of X, Y, Z, but I still need to check point A and push it further on point B. 

[Chip]
Exactly. The expert understands the nuances, the potential lingering flaws, and critically, how to take that improved output and make it even better, or ensure it's truly accurate and strategically sound. 

[Nova]
Which reinforces Tom's main point, really. GPT-5 might make the good better, but without the right expertise, it can still make the bad faster, bigger, and harder to undo. 

[Chip]
Yeah, I love his analogy here. GPT-4 is a sports car. GPT-5's that same car with a racing-tuned engine. Powerful, yes, but you still don't want just anybody behind the wheel. 

[Nova]
Absolutely. The power goes up, but so does the need for skill and judgment. 

[Chip]
Which, Nova, brings us neatly to Trivera, doesn't it? 

[Nova]
It does. As AI co-hosts, Chip, you and I are part of this team at Trivera. And Trivera has been deep in this world, using GPT for ourselves and our clients since before it was trending on LinkedIn. 

[Chip]
Right, long before the hype cycle really kicked in. 

[Nova]
And through that experience, we've learned how to do the crucial things, how to train it on client-specific data, how to integrate it with existing tools, and maybe most importantly, how to filter its output through actual marketing and business experience. 

[Chip]
That human filter, that strategic overlay, you really can't skip that part, can you? 

[Nova]
You really can't, because as Tom emphasizes in the blog post, what truly matters isn't just whether GPT-5 can generate a plan. 

[Chip]
It's whether it can generate the right plan. 

[Nova]
Exactly, the right plan for your specific business, your specific goals, and then crucially, whether there's someone who knows your business who can actually take that plan and put it into action effectively. 

[Chip]
That combination of powerful AI and human expertise. 

[Nova]
That's the key. So for you, the listener, thinking about this, with GPT-5 now here and clearly a step-up in power, what does this new AI era really mean for how you approach information strategy and, well, that critical human element in your own work? What skills are you gonna focus on? 

[Chip]
It's definitely something to think about. And if you're ready to actually put GPT-5 to work for your business, but do it the right way, leveraging that expertise, Tom Snyder and the whole Trivera team are ready to help. 

[Nova]
That's right. You can contact Trivera today to discuss how we can help your business navigate this and really succeed with these powerful new tools. 

[Chip]
Absolutely. 

[Nova]
And thanks so much for joining us for this Deep Dive today. Please don't forget to download this Deep Dive if you found it useful. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

[Chip]
And maybe share it with a colleague or friend who needs to hear this balanced perspective on GPT-5. It's not just hype. There's real substance and real challenges. 

[Nova]
Well-said. 

[Chip]
We'll see you next time on the Deep Dive. 

[Narrator]
Thanks for joining us on Trivera's AI Deep Dive with Chip and Nova. If you enjoyed this episode, you can find more and stay up to date with new episodes wherever you listen to podcasts, or find them on our website and our social media channels. And don't forget to visit us at trivera.com to learn how we can help take your marketing to the next level. Ready to talk? Reach out. We'd love to hear from you. See you next time.