In a significant development, OpenAI announced on Wednesday that ChatGPT users will now have the ability to browse the web, marking a substantial expansion of the chatbot’s capabilities beyond its previous knowledge cutoff in September 2021. This update aims to empower users by granting them access to a wider range of information.
The artificial intelligence startup, which is backed by Microsoft (MSFT.O), unveiled this new browsing feature, allowing ChatGPT to interact with websites while giving website owners control over these interactions. This announcement signals OpenAI’s commitment to continually enhancing its offerings and adapting to user needs.
This browsing feature will initially be available to Plus and Enterprise users, with plans to extend it to all users shortly. OpenAI provided clear instructions for enabling this feature, stating, “To enable browsing, choose ‘Browse with Bing’ in the selector under GPT-4.” This development opens up exciting possibilities for users who rely on ChatGPT for information and assistance.
OpenAI’s recent announcement follows another major update earlier this week, wherein ChatGPT gained the ability to engage in voice conversations with users and interact with them using images. These advancements bring ChatGPT closer to competing with popular AI assistants like Apple’s Siri (AAPL.O), making it a more versatile tool for a wide range of tasks and interactions.
It’s worth noting that OpenAI had previously tested a feature that allowed ChatGPT Plus users to access real-time information through the Bing search engine. However, concerns over potential misuse and the bypassing of paywalls prompted OpenAI to disable this feature. The introduction of web browsing appears to be a carefully considered step to address these concerns while expanding user capabilities.
ChatGPT’s meteoric rise earlier this year saw it become the fastest-growing consumer application in history, with over 100 million monthly active users as of January. However, it was later surpassed by Meta’s Threads app.
This rapid growth has attracted significant investor interest in OpenAI, as reports, including one from Reuters on Tuesday, suggest that the startup is in talks with shareholders about selling existing shares at a substantially higher valuation than just a few months ago.
As OpenAI continues to innovate and expand ChatGPT’s capabilities, it remains to be seen how these updates will impact the chatbot’s user base and its standing in the highly competitive world of AI-powered virtual assistants.
For more information on OpenAI’s latest updates and how to use the new web browsing feature, users can visit the official OpenAI website or follow the company’s social media updates on X, formerly known as Twitter.