A quick guide published in April 2023 by UNESCO and the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) introduces ChatGPT, a popular artificial intelligence (AI) tool with 100 million users within two months of its launch. The publication provides an overview of how ChatGPT works and explains how it can be used in higher education. The quick start guide raises some of the main challenges and ethical implications of AI in higher education and offers practical steps that higher education institutions can take. The guide is based on GPT-3.5, the latest version at the time of writing.