ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about artificial intelligence chatbot

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence text-generating chatbot developed by OpenAI, has made a sensation around the world. It is capable of writing essays, code and more on short text prompts, increasing productivity. But it has a more... nefarious side.

Either way, AI tools aren't going anywhere - in fact, they've expanded significantly since their introduction just a few months ago. Big brands are experimenting with it, using AI to create advertising and marketing copy, for example.

And OpenAI is investing heavily in this. ChatGPT has recently been enhanced with GPT-4, the latest language writing model developed in the OpenAI labs. Paid ChatGPT users have access to GPT-4, which can write more naturally and fluently than the model on which ChatGPT previously ran. In addition to GPT-4, OpenAI has recently connected ChatGPT to the Internet with plug-ins available in alpha for waitlisted users and developers.

Here is a chronology of ChatGPT product updates and releases, starting with the most recent, which will be updated regularly. We also answer the most frequently asked questions (see below).

Chronology of the latest ChatGPT updates

July 13, 2023.

The FTC is reportedly at least at the investigative stage of investigating whether OpenAI's flagship conversational AI ChatGPT made "false, misleading, derogatory, or harmful" statements about people.

This is reported by TechCrunch reporter Devin Coldaway:

Such investigations don't just happen out of nowhere - the FTC doesn't look around and say, "This looks suspicious." Typically, a lawsuit or formal complaint is brought to their attention, and the actions described therein demonstrate that regulatory requirements are being ignored. For example, a person might sue a supplement company because the pills made him sick, and the FTC will launch an investigation based on those facts because there is evidence that the company lied about the side effects.

July 6, 2023.

Starting July 6, access to GPT-4 is available to all existing OpenAI developers "with a history of successful payments." OpenAI plans to open access to new developers by the end of July.

In the future, OpenAI says it will allow developers to refine GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 Turbo, one of the original models underlying ChatGPT, with their own data, as has long been possible with some of OpenAI's other text generation models. According to OpenAI representatives, this capability should be available later this year.

June 28, 2023.

OpenAI announced that ChatGPT Plus subscribers can now utilize a new feature of the ChatGPT app called Browsing, which allows ChatGPT to search Bing for answers to questions.

The browsing feature can be enabled by going to "New Features" in the app's settings, selecting "GPT-4" in the model switcher, and choosing "Browse with Bing" from the drop-down list. Browsing is available in the ChatGPT apps for iOS and Android.

June 15, 2023.

U.S. owners of Mercedes models using MBUX will be able to participate in a beta program activating the ChatGPT feature starting June 16. This will supplement the car's conversational skills with a universal big language model. You can join the program by simply telling your vehicle, "Hey Mercedes, I want to participate in the beta program."

It's not really clear what it's for, though.

June 8, 2023.

The new version of the ChatGPT app includes native iPad support, as well as support for using ChatGPT with Siri and Shortcuts. You can also drag and drop individual messages from ChatGPT to other applications.

On iPad, ChatGPT now works in full-screen mode, optimized for the tablet interface.

May 30, 2023.

A federal judge from Texas added a requirement that any attorney appearing in his court must certify that "no part of the application was generated by generative artificial intelligence," or if it was, it was vetted by a "human."

May 26, 2023.

The list of new countries includes Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Estonia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Slovenia, Tunisia.

May 25, 2023.

OpenAI tweeted that the ChatGPT mobile app is now available on iOS in the US, Europe, South Korea and New Zealand, with other countries soon to be able to download it from the app store. In just six days, the number of downloads of the ChatGPT app has surpassed 500,000.

May 18, 2023.

ChatGPT is officially moving to mobile devices. According to the company, the new ChatGPT app will be free, ad-free and voice-activated, but will initially be for U.S. users only.

When you use the mobile version of ChatGPT, the app synchronizes your search history across all devices, meaning it learns what you've previously searched for through the web interface and makes it available to you. The app is also integrated with Whisper, OpenAI's open source speech recognition system, which allows for voice input.

May 3, 2023.

On May 3, Meta reported an increase in malware posing as ChatGPT on its platforms. According to the company, since March 2023, its security services have detected 10 malware families using ChatGPT (and similar themes) to deliver malware to users' devices.

"In one case, we observed threat actors creating malicious browser extensions available on official web stores that claimed to offer ChatGPT-based tools," Meta security engineers Duc H. Nguyen and Ryan Victory reported in a blog post. "They then promoted these malicious extensions on social media and through sponsored search results to entice people to download the malware."

April 28, 2023.

According to documents obtained by TechCrunch, venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive and K2 Global are buying new shares. A source told us that Founders Fund is also investing. In total, the venture funds have invested just over $300 million at a company valuation of $27 billion to $29 billion. A person familiar with the situation told TechCrunch that this deal was finalized in January, on top of Microsoft's large investment announced earlier this year. The size of Microsoft's investment is believed to be around $10 billion, which we confirmed to our source.

April 25, 2023.

Called ChatGPT Business, OpenAI describes the upcoming offering as "designed for professionals who need more control over their data, as well as enterprises looking to manage their end users."

"ChatGPT Business will follow our API data usage policy, which means that end-user data will not be used by default to train our models," OpenAI said in a blog post. "We plan to make ChatGPT Business available in the coming months."

April 24, 2023.

OpenAI filed a trademark application for "GPT," which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, last December. Last month, the company asked the USPTO to expedite the application, citing the "huge number of infringing and counterfeit applications" that are beginning to appear on the market.

Unfortunately, OpenAI's motion was denied last week. According to the agency, OpenAI's attorneys failed to pay the appropriate fee and also failed to provide "adequate documentary evidence to support the validity of the special action".

This means that a decision could take up to another five months.

April 22, 2023.

Auto-GPT is an open source application created by game developer Toran Bruce Richards that uses the latest OpenAI text generation models - GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 - to interact with software and services on the Internet, allowing it to "autonomously" perform tasks.

Depending on what the goal of the tool is, Auto-GPT can behave in very... unexpected ways. One Reddit user claims that, given a $100 budget for a server instance, Auto-GPT created a wiki page about cats, used a gap in the instance to gain admin-level access, took over the Python environment it was running in, and then "killed" itself.

April 18, 2023.

FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan and other commissioners warned House representatives about the potential use of advanced artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT to "turbocharge" fraud at a congressional hearing.

"AI offers great opportunities, but it also carries a number of risks," Khan told House representatives. "And I think we've already seen how it can be used to accelerate fraud and scams. We are putting market participants on notice that instances where AI tools are actually designed to defraud people could result in them being on the hook for the FTC," she said.

April 17, 2023.

The company behind the popular iPhone customization app Brass, sticker maker StickerHub and others today unveiled SuperChat, a new artificial intelligence chat app that allows iOS users to chat with virtual characters powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT. What sets SuperChat apart from the standard ChatGPT or dozens of generic artificial intelligence chat apps, however, are the characters that can be used to interact with SuperChat's artificial intelligence features.

April 12, 2023.

Italy's data protection authority has outlined what OpenAI needs to do to overturn an injunction against ChatGPT issued late last month when it said it suspected the artificial intelligence chatbot service of violating the EU's GSPR and ordered the US company to stop processing local residents' data.

The DPA has set an April 30 deadline for OpenAI to meet the regulator's requirements. (A slightly more generous deadline of May 15 has been set for an information campaign on local radio, television and the Internet).

April 12, 2023.

The study, co-authored by researchers from the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, found that assigning ChatGPT a "personality" - such as "bad person," "terrible person," or "nasty person" - via the ChatGPT API increases its toxicity by six times. More worryingly, the co-authors found that when ChatGPT is impersonated by certain historical figures, genders, and political parties, it also increases its toxicity - in particular, journalists, men, and Republicans make the machine learning model say more offensive things than usual.

The study was conducted using the latest version of ChatGPT, but not the model currently in preview, which is based on OpenAI's GPT-4.

April 4, 2023.

The Winter 2023 YC Demo Day group features no less than four startups claiming to be "ChatGPT for X". They all claim to be in the customer service software market, which will be worth $58.1 billion by 2023 if Acumen Research's optimistic forecast comes true.

Here are the YC-backed startups that caught our eye:

• Yuma, whose customers are mostly Shopify merchants, offers artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT that integrate with help desk software to offer draft responses to customer inquiries.
• Baselit, which uses one of OpenAI's text understanding models, allows companies to embed chatbot-style analytics for their customers.
• Lasso customers send in descriptions or videos of processes they'd like to automate, and the company combines a ChatGPT-like interface with robotic process automation (RPA) and a Chrome extension to create those automations.
• BerriAI, whose platform is designed to help developers build ChatGPT applications based on their organizations' data using various data connectors.

April 1, 2023.

OpenAI has begun geo-blocking access to its generative AI chatbot ChatGPT in Italy.

Italy's data protection authority has made a timely reminder that some countries have laws that already apply to advanced artificial intelligence: it has ordered the company OpenAI to immediately stop processing people's data locally. The Italian Data Protection Authority said it was concerned that the company creating ChatGPT was violating the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and launched an investigation.

March 29, 2023.

The letter was signed by Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology and others, among others. The letter calls on "all AI labs to immediately suspend training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least 6 months."

The letter states the following:

Modern artificial intelligence systems are becoming competitive with humans at common tasks,[3] and we must ask ourselves: Should we allow machines to fill our information channels with propaganda and untruths? Should we automate all jobs, including those that are beneficial? Should we develop non-human intelligence that will eventually surpass, outcompete, outdate and replace us? Should we risk losing control of our civilization? These decisions should not be left to unelected technological leaders. Powerful artificial intelligence systems should be developed only when we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks manageable.

March 23, 2023.

OpenAI has released plug-ins for ChatGPT that extend the bot's functionality by giving it access to third-party knowledge sources and databases, including those on the Internet. Available to ChatGPT users and waitlisted developers, the alpha version of the plugins will initially prioritize a small number of developers and ChatGPT Plus premium plan subscribers, followed by increased scale and API access, OpenAI said.

March 14, 2023.

GPT-4 is a powerful artificial intelligence model for understanding images and text from OpenAI. Released on March 14, GPT-4 is available to paid users of ChatGPT Plus and through a public API. Developers can sign up for a waitlist to gain access to the API.

March 9, 2023.

ChatGPT is generally available as part of the Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft's fully managed enterprise offering. Customers who are already "Microsoft Managed Customers and Partners" can apply for special access here.

March 1, 2023.

OpenAI is taking another step towards monetization by launching a paid API for ChatGPT. The company's first customers include Instacart, Snap (Snapchat's parent company) and Quizlet.

February 7, 2023.

At a press conference in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft announced the long-announced integration of the OpenAI GPT-4 model into Bing, bringing ChatGPT capability to the search engine. The announcement led to a 10-fold increase in new Bing downloads worldwide, indicating significant consumer demand for the new AI capabilities.

Companies other than Microsoft have joined the AI craze by implementing ChatGPT, including OkCupid, Kaito, Snapchat and Discord, putting pressure on Big Tech's AI initiatives, such as Google.

February 1, 2023.

After ChatGPT caused a stir online, OpenAI has launched a new pilot ChatGPT subscription plan called ChatGPT Plus, aimed at monetizing the technology at prices starting at $20 per month.

December 8, 2022.

A week after ChatGPT went live, two developers, Steven Tay and Dom Eccleston, created a Chrome extension called ShareGPT to make it easier to get artificial intelligence responses and share them with the world.

November 30, 2022.

GPT-3.5 introduces ChatGPT, a refined version of GPT-3.5 that is essentially a general-purpose chatbot. ChatGPT can communicate on a wide variety of topics, including programming, television scripts, and scientific concepts.

Writers everywhere rolled their eyes at the new technology, much like artists rolled their eyes at OpenAI's DALL-E model, but the latest iteration of chat seems to have broadened its appeal and audience.

Questions and Answers:

What is ChatGPT? How does it work?

ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a query, developed by technology startup OpenAI. The chatbot uses GPT-4, a large language model that uses deep learning to generate human-like text.

When was ChatGPT released?

On November 30, 2022, ChatGPT was released for public use.

What is the latest version of the ChatGPT program?

Both the free version of ChatGPT and the paid version of ChatGPT Plus are regularly updated with new GPT models, the latest being GPT-4.

Can I use ChatGPT for free?

In addition to the paid version of ChatGPT Plus, there is a free version that only requires registration.

Who uses ChatGPT?

ChatGPT can be used by everyone! More and more technology companies and search engines are using chatbots to automate word processing or quickly answer user questions/questions.

What companies are using ChatGPT?

Many businesses utilize ChatGPT, though others may limit the use of this artificial intelligence-based tool.

Just recently at the Build 2023 conference, Microsoft announced that it will integrate the ChatGPT-based Bing application into Windows 11. Looking Glass, a Brooklyn-based 3D display company, is using ChatGPT to create holograms that can be communicated with using ChatGPT. And the non-profit organization Solana has officially integrated the chatbot into its network with a ChatGPT plugin designed for end users to help them explore the web3 space.

What does GPT mean in ChatGPT?

GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.

What is the difference between ChatGPT and Bard?

Like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Bard is a chatbot that answers questions in natural language. At the I/O 2023 event, Google announced that it will soon add multimodal content to Bard, meaning it will be able to provide answers not only in text, but also in rich visuals. For now, rich visuals mean images, but in the future they may include maps, diagrams, and other elements.

ChatGPT's generative AI has a longer lifetime and thus takes longer to "learn" than Bard.

What is the difference between ChatGPT and chatbot?

A chatbot can be any program/system that dialogs with you/human, but not necessarily with artificial intelligence. For example, there are chatbots that work according to rules, i.e. give ready-made answers to questions.

ChatGPT is powered by artificial intelligence and uses LLM technology to generate text after a query.

Can ChatGPT write abstracts?

Yes.

Can ChatGPT commit defamation?

Because of the way these models work, they don't know or care whether something is true, only whether it appears to be true. This is certainly a problem when you use it to do your homework, but when it accuses you of a crime you didn't commit, it may well be libel.

In the coming months, we'll see how events surrounding ChatGPT's troubling claims unfold as technology and legal experts grapple with the rapidly changing industry landscape.

Does ChatGPT have an app?

Yes, there is currently a free ChatGPT app that is only available for US iOS users for now. OpenAi says an android version is "coming soon".

What is the character limit in ChatGPT?

Nowhere is it documented that ChatGPT has a character limit. However, users have noted that character limits occur after about 500 words.

Does ChatGPT have an API?

Yes, it was released on March 1, 2023.

What are some examples of everyday use of ChatGPT?

Everyday examples - programming, scripts, answering emails, articles, blog ideas, summarizing, etc.

What are some additional uses for ChatGPT?

Examples of advanced uses include code debugging, programming languages, scientific concepts, solving complex problems, etc.

How well does ChatGPT know how to write code?

It depends on the nature of the program. While ChatGPT can write workable code in Python, it cannot always program an entire application. This is because ChatGPT lacks context awareness - in other words, the generated code is not always appropriate for the particular context in which it is used.

Can you save a ChatGPT chat?

Yes. OpenAI allows users to save chats in the ChatGPT interface stored in the sidebar of the screen. There are no built-in sharing features yet.

Are there any alternatives to ChatGPT?

Yes. There are many competitors to AI chatbots, such as Together, Google's Bard and Anthropic's Claude, and developers are creating open source alternatives. But launching the latter today is more difficult, if not impossible.

Just recently, Google-owned research lab DeepMind said its next LLM will rival or even surpass OpenAI's ChatGPT. To create a chatbot called Gemini, DeepMind is using techniques from AlphaGo, DeepMind's artificial intelligence system that was the first to beat a professional player of the board game Go.

How does ChatGPT ensure data privacy?

OpenAI has stated that residents of "certain jurisdictions" (e.g. the EU) can object to the processing of their personal information by AI models by filling out this form. This includes the ability to submit requests to have AI-generated information about you deleted. Although OpenAI notes that it may not honor all requests, as it must balance privacy requests with freedom of expression "in accordance with applicable law."

The web form to submit a request to delete data about you is called "OpenAI Personal Data Deletion Request".

In its privacy policy, ChatGPT briefly mentions objection requirements related to the use of "legitimate interest" (LI) and points users to more information about requesting an opt-out - when it writes, "See here for instructions on how you can opt out of our use of your information to train our models."

What controversies have arisen around ChatGPT?

Discord recently announced the integration of OpenAI technology into its bot named Clyde, where two users tricked Clyde into providing them with instructions on how to make the illegal drug methamphetamine (methamphetamine) and the incendiary mixture napalm.

The mayor of Australia has publicly announced that he may sue OpenAI for defamation over ChatGPT's false claims that he served time in prison for bribery. This would be the first defamation lawsuit against the text generation service.

The CNET website has been at the center of controversy after Futurism reported on the publication of articles under a cryptic headline generated entirely by artificial intelligence. Red Ventures, the private equity firm that owns CNET, was accused of using ChatGPT for SEO farming, even though the information was incorrect.

Several large school systems and colleges, including New York City public schools, have banned the use of ChatGPT on their networks and devices. They argue that artificial intelligence interferes with the learning process by encouraging plagiarism and misinformation, something not all educators agree with.

ChatGPT has also been known to accuse people of false crimes.

Where can I find examples of ChatGPT prompts?

Several marketplaces host and provide ChatGPT prompts for free or for a nominal fee. One of them is PromptBase. Another is ChatX. There are new ones popping up every day.

Can ChatGPT be detected?

Bad. Several tools claim to be able to detect ChatGPT-generated text, but in our tests they proved inconsistent at best.

Are ChatGPT chats public?

No. But there was a bug recently discovered in OpenAI, which has been fixed, that caused some users' conversation headers to become known to other users of the service.

Who owns the copyright to the materials or media created by ChatGPT?

The right holder is the user who requested input from ChatGPT.

What kind of lawsuits exist around ChatGPT?

None of them are specifically directed against ChatGPT. However, OpenAI is involved in at least one lawsuit involving artificial intelligence systems trained on publicly available data, which may affect ChatGPT.

Are there plagiarism issues when using ChatGPT?

Yes. Text-generating AI models such as ChatGPT tend to regenerate content from training data.