AI Chatbot ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI and owned by Microsoft, has regained web browsing capabilities, allowing it to deliver real-time answers from trusted sources. This new feature, called ‘Browse with Bing,’ is currently available only to Plus and Enterprise subscribers but will soon be rolled out to all users.
With the ability to browse the internet, ChatGPT is now equipped to provide users with up-to-date and authoritative information, supported by direct links to the sources. This upgrade removes the previous limitation of using data only up until September 2021. OpenAI announced this exciting development on Wednesday, stating that browsing is accessible to Plus and Enterprise users immediately. The company plans to expand this feature to all users in the near future. Users can enable this capability by selecting ‘Browse with Bing’ in the GPT-4 settings.
Similar to Microsoft’s Bing Chat, Windows’ Edge browser, and third-party browser plugins, ChatGPT now has the ability to retrieve current information from the web. Google’s Bard in Chrome also offers the same functionality. Additionally, when conducting searches, both Bing and ChatGPT provide links to relevant sources.
OpenAI recently introduced significant updates to ChatGPT, allowing it to engage in voice conversations and utilize images. These updates bring ChatGPT closer to the functionality of popular AI assistants like Apple’s Siri.
Previously, OpenAI had experimented with integrating the Bing search engine into the premium ChatGPT Plus offering. However, this feature was disabled due to concerns that it could potentially enable users to bypass paywalls.
ChatGPT has experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity this year, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history, with 100 million monthly active users in January. While it was overtaken by Meta’s Threads app, this remarkable growth has attracted increased investor interest in OpenAI. Reports indicate that the startup is currently in discussions with shareholders regarding the sale of existing shares at a significantly higher valuation compared to a few months ago.
In June, OpenAI briefly introduced the capability to browse the internet within its ChatGPT iOS app. However, it had to remove this feature when users discovered they could extract paywalled content by feeding a URL directly to the chatbot.
With ChatGPT’s web browsing capabilities restored, users can now rely on it to provide them with real-time, accurate information from trusted sources. OpenAI’s continuous development and improvement of its AI chatbot reflect its commitment to enhancing user experiences and diversifying the range of functionalities available.
