OpenAI has announced an expansion of ChatGPT’s capabilities, allowing users to browse the web while addressing copyright concerns. This update, revealed by the Microsoft-backed company, extends the chatbot’s access to information beyond its previous cutoff date in September 2021.
This new browsing feature is designed to give websites control over their interactions with ChatGPT while searching the data or content online instantly.
OpenAI stated, “Browsing is now accessible to Plus and Enterprise users, with plans to roll it out to all users soon. To activate it, select ‘Browse with Bing’ in the GPT-4 settings.”
Additionally, OpenAI recently unveiled a significant update that enables ChatGPT to engage in voice conversations with users and utilize images, bringing it closer in functionality to popular AI assistants such as Apple’s Siri.
Previously, OpenAI had experimented with integrating Bing search engine access into the premium ChatGPT Plus offering, but this feature was later disabled due to concerns that it might enable users to circumvent paywalls.
ChatGPT experienced unprecedented growth earlier this year, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history, with 100 million monthly active users in January. However, it was eventually overtaken by Meta’s Threads app.
This rapid rise of ChatGPT in popularity has sparked increased investor interest in OpenAI, with reports, including one from Reuters, suggesting that the startup is in discussions with shareholders about selling existing shares at a significantly higher valuation compared to a few months ago.
Sam Altman-run OpenAI is reportedly raising funds at a valuation of $80-$90 billion via sale of existing shares. According to The Wall Street Journal, the ChatGPT developer is “talking to investors about a share sale” that would value the company between $80 billion to $90 billion, “roughly triple its level earlier this year”.
OpenAI generates revenue in part by charging individuals for access to a powerful version of ChatGPT. “Employees would be allowed to sell their existing shares rather than the company issuing new ones,” said the report.
In April, OpenAI OpenAI closed a more than $300 million share sale at a valuation of $29 billion.
Altman has “privately suggested OpenAI may try to raise as much as $100 billion in the coming years to achieve its aim of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) that is advanced enough to improve its own capabilities”.
Earlier this year, Microsoft invested around $10 billion in the AI startup. The tech giant owns 49 per cent in OpenAI. Last month, OpenAI said it expected to reach $1 billion in revenue in 2023.
According to media reports, the ChatGPTmaker OpenAI may even go bankrupt by the end of 2024 if it doesn’t get more funding soon.
(With additional inputs from Agencies)
