OpenAI has made an exciting announcement for iOS users by launching a free app for ChatGPT, their popular AI chatbot.
The company intends to launch an Android version soon. This iOS application is available for iPhones and iPads.
Users will be pleased to know that the app syncs chat history with the web version, allowing for a seamless experience across platforms. Additionally, the app supports voice input, thanks to OpenAI’s Whisper, an open-source speech recognition model.
OpenAI is starting by launching the Chat GPT app in the United States, with plans to broaden its access to additional countries in the upcoming weeks.
The launch of this mobile app comes as a surprise, as OpenAI had not hinted at such a development previously. However, it makes perfect sense considering the immense popularity of ChatGPT.
Since its debut in November, the AI chatbot has experienced substantial growth, with certain estimates indicating that it garnered 100 million users by January, although these numbers have not been officially verified by OpenAI.
The launch of the app raises interesting questions about OpenAI’s positioning of ChatGPT in the market. Originally introduced as an experiment, the chatbot quickly found a consumer audience that utilizes it for a wide range of purposes, from academic assistance to business applications.
In February, OpenAI introduced a premium subscription service called ChatGPT Plus, which provides subscribers with priority access and responses generated using the company’s latest language model, GPT-4.
Previously, users seeking access to OpenAI’s language models on mobile had to rely on Microsoft’s Bing app, which offers integration with the company’s chatbot powered by GPT-4. The introduction of the official ChatGPT app is likely to entice some of these users away from Microsoft’s platform, as it provides a dedicated and authentic experience.
Moreover, it should help deter users from falling victim to spam or fake apps that falsely claim to offer access to the chatbot on mobile devices.
However, it is important to note that ChatGPT exhibits the same challenges on mobile as it does on the web. This includes the bot’s tendency to generate information with unwarranted confidence and the concerns surrounding user privacy.
OpenAI has recently introduced the option for users to keep their conversations private, but the app’s home screen still emphasizes the need to avoid sharing sensitive information.
With the launch of the ChatGPT app for iOS, OpenAI aims to provide an enhanced and convenient experience for users while addressing some of the existing concerns and limitations of the chatbot.
