Have questions about ChatGPT but don’t have a Wi-Fi connection? OpenAI has introduced a new way to connect to the popular AI chatbot for US users. Call 1-800-CHATGPT or 1-800-242-8478.
OpenAI announced the feature on Wednesday and demonstrated how it works via a YouTube livestream. OpenAI researchers called this number using every device, from iPhones to flip phones to landlines. Regardless of the medium, the final output was the same. “Hello, this is ChatGPT, your AI assistant. Our conversations may be screened for your safety. How can we help you?” a female voice says.
In a live demo, ChatGPT helped researchers identify landmarks they said they saw during their expeditions. In another example, I provided another researcher with an English-to-Spanish translation so he could greet a friend’s grandmother in Spanish.
The move to make ChatGPT available on phones is part of the company’s goal to make AI “as accessible as possible to as many people as possible,” said Kevin Weil, head of product at OpenAI. mentioned in the demo video.
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Currently, each phone number is limited to 15 minutes of free talk time, and there are no disclosed plans to monetize this feature.
Although only users in the United States can call ChatGPT, OpenAI announced Wednesday that users around the world can access the chatbot by sending a message via WhatsApp to the number 1-800-242-8478. In the demo, ChatGPT offered a recipe for a pesto pasta dinner via WhatsApp and modified it to be vegan at the user’s request.
Both calling and messaging features include having conversations with ChatGPT without creating an account.
According to Weil, the OpenAI team built this functionality within a few weeks.
“They were really having a hard time shipping, and it’s really nice to see that here,” he said.
This feature is one of many announcements OpenAI made as part of its “12 Days of OpenAI” event. Other new features the company announced at the same event include making ChatGPT Search available to all users, free or paid, and making Sora, its text-to-video generator, generally available.
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