OpenAI announced on Monday that it will make its ChatGPT generative AI chatbot freely accessible to users without requiring sign-ups, starting this Monday.
ChatGPT, which sparked the GenAI trend in late 2022, possesses the ability to simulate human conversation and execute various tasks such as summarizing lengthy texts, crafting poetry, and brainstorming ideas for themed parties.
The San Francisco-based startup stated that it aims to gradually introduce this feature to enable anyone curious about AI capabilities to access it. Despite its initial rapid user base expansion, the service has experienced a slowdown in growth since May 2023, with web visits peaking at 1.8 billion, according to Similarweb.
To ensure user safety, OpenAI has implemented additional content safeguards for those accessing ChatGPT without signing up, including blocking prompts and generations across a wider array of categories, although specific categories were not disclosed.
In addition to the free version of ChatGPT, which operates without direct internet access, OpenAI offers paid versions tailored for individuals, teams, and enterprises. The company clarified that it may utilize user-provided content to enhance its large-language models, but users have the option to disable this feature.
This announcement follows billionaire Elon Musk’s recent lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that they deviated from the startup’s original mission of developing AI for the betterment of humanity rather than financial gain.
