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Can ChatGPT Write Airtable Formulas?

chatGPT airtable

Does AI Work With Airtable Formulas?

 

ChatGPT is said to be changing the very nature of work, and notably in the world of programming. In this article, we look at whether ChatGPT can write good Airtable formulas (or write them at all?). 

Picture this – you’ve spent hours trying to figure out how to write an Airtable formula. And shazam! It suddenly occurs to you that ChatGPT might be able to help. But can it?

 

1. Does ChatGPT think it can write Airtable formulas?

 
We asked it, and here’s what it had to say:
 

Yes, I can write Airtable formulas! Airtable formulas are used to perform calculations, manipulate text, and create logic-based functions within an Airtable base. To write an Airtable formula, you’ll need to follow a specific syntax that uses operators, functions, and references to fields within your base. Here’s an example of an Airtable formula that adds two numbers together:

In this formula, {Number 1} and {Number 2} are references to two fields in your base that contain numerical values. The + operator is used to add those values together. If you have a specific Airtable formula in mind that you’d like me to help you with, please let me know the details, and I’ll do my best to assist you!

 

2. Can Chat GPT Write A Basic Airtable Formula?

 

Let’s put AI to the test for a basic formula. Like the simplest one we can think of. One easy example is to get the ID of a given record in Airtable. The answer should be simply RECORD_ID()

To get the record ID in Airtable, you can use the RECORD_ID() function.

The formula is:

This formula will return the ID of the current record in Airtable. You can use this formula in a variety of ways, such as referencing the ID in other formulas or using it as a unique identifier for each record in a linked table.

Nice work, AI. You passed the simple formula test. Now, can it do something a bit fancier?
 
 

3. Can ChatGPT Write A Complex Airtable Formula?

 
I’d like to ask ChatGPT whether it can give me a formula to get the first weekday of a given month now. The answers for this can vary, depending on the approach there are a bunch of solutions. This is the suggested AI solution:
 

To get the first weekday of each month in Airtable, you can use the following formula:

DATETIME_PARSE(
CONCATENATE(
DATETIME_FORMAT(
DATEADD(
DATE(YEAR({Date}), MONTH({Date}), 1),
IF(
WEEKDAY(DATE(YEAR({Date}), MONTH({Date}), 1)) = 7,
2,
IF(
WEEKDAY(DATE(YEAR({Date}), MONTH({Date}), 1)) = 1,
1,
0
)
),
'YYYY-MM-DD'
),
'T00:00:00.000Z'
),
'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSSZ'
)
)
On the face of it, it looks pretty comprehensive. The thing is, if you plug it into Airtable, it won’t work. In Airtable (unlike Excel), the DATE function does not exist. There are a bunch of date and time functions, just not that particular one. Maybe asking a better question will yield a more accurate response, however that one can be called a fail for now.
 
 

4. The Airtable AI Conclusion

 
So, did it pass the tests? It passed-ish. It seems like there is a huge potential for ChatGPT to augment humans in the development space, but it lacks the nuance that a person brings to the table. That said, it is a great tool for troubleshooting existing formulas, and even indenting text on formulas or code. To finish, I’ll let Chat GPT give its side of the story in its own words:
 

ChatGPT can be a useful resource for helping you write Airtable formulas because it has a vast amount of general knowledge and can provide information on a wide range of topics. Additionally, ChatGPT can assist in generating example formulas based on specific requirements or criteria that you provide. It can also help with troubleshooting errors or suggesting alternative approaches if your formulas are not working as expected.

In general, ChatGPT can serve as a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve their proficiency in using Airtable formulas or seeking guidance on how to solve specific problems within their Airtable bases. By leveraging the capabilities of ChatGPT, you can potentially save time and streamline your workflow, allowing you to focus on more critical tasks.

If you have an Australian business, and you’re ready to automate with Airtable, talk to one of our experts on a free strategy call.