What is ChatGPT?

Who created ChatGPT?

OpenAI -- an artificial intelligence research company -- created ChatGPT and launched the tool in November 2022. It was founded by a group of entrepreneurs and researchers including Elon Musk and Sam Altman in 2015. OpenAI is backed by several investorswith Microsoft being the most notable. OpenAI also created Dall-Ean AI text-to-art generator.

How does ChatGPT work?

ChatGPT works through its Generative Pre-trained Transformerwhich uses specialized algorithms to find patterns within data sequences. ChatGPT originally used the GPT-3 large language modela neural network machine learning model and the third generation of Generative Pre-trained Transformer. The transformer pulls from a significant amount of data to formulate a response.

ChatGPT currently provides access to GPT-3.5 and limited access to the GPT-4o language model. ChatGPT Plus provides access to GPT-4 and GPT-4o. GPT-4 can handle more complex tasks compared to GPT-3.5such as describing photosgenerating captions for images and creating more detailed responses up to 25,000 words. ChatGPT Pro users have access to GPT-4.5a general-purpose model that aims to provide human-like interactions.

ChatGPT uses deep learninga subset of machine learningto produce humanlike text through transformer neural networks. The transformer predicts text -- including the next wordsentence or paragraph -- based on its training data's typical sequence.

Training begins with generic datathen moves to more tailored data for a specific task. ChatGPT was trained with online text to learn the human languageand then it used transcripts to learn the basics of conversations.

Human trainers provide conversations and rank the responses. These reward models help determine the best answers. To keep training the chatbotusers can upvote or downvote its response by clicking on thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons beside the answer. Users can also provide additional written feedback to improve and fine-tune future dialogue.

What kinds of questions can users ask ChatGPT?

Users can ask ChatGPT a variety of questionsincluding simple or more complex questionssuch as"What is the meaning of life?" or "What year did New York become a state?" ChatGPT is proficient with STEM disciplines and can debug or write code. There is no limitation to the types of questions to ask ChatGPT. Howeverthe knowledge cutoff date is late 2023. 

How are people using ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is versatile and can be used for more than human conversations. People have used ChatGPT to do the following:

• Code computer programs and check for bugs in code.
• Compose music.
• Draft emails.
• Summarize articlespodcasts or presentations.
• Script social media posts.
• Create titles for articles.
• Solve math problems.
• Discover keywords for search engine optimization.
• Create articlesblog posts and quizzes for websites.
• Reword existing content for a different mediumsuch as a presentation transcript for a blog post.
• Formulate product descriptions.
• Play games.
• Assist with job searchesincluding writing resumes and cover letters.
• Ask trivia questions.
• Describe complex topics more simply.
• Write video scripts.
• Research markets for products.
• Generate art.

Unlike other chatbotsChatGPT can remember various questions to continue the conversation in a more fluid manner.

What are the benefits of ChatGPT?

Businesses and users are still exploring the benefits of ChatGPT as the program continues to evolve. Some benefits include the following:

• Efficiency. AI-powered chatbots can handle routine and repetitive taskswhich can free up employees to focus on more complex and strategic responsibilities.
• Cost savings. Using AI chatbots can be more cost-effective than hiring and training additional employees.
• Improved content quality. Writers can use ChatGPT to improve grammatical or contextual errors or to help brainstorm ideas for content. Employees can take ordinary text and ask to improve its language or add expressions.
• Education and training. ChatGPT can help provide explanations on more complex topics to help serve as a virtual tutor. Users can also ask for guides and any needed clarification on responses.
• Better response time. ChatGPT provides instant responseswhich reduces wait times for users seeking assistance.
• Increased availability. AI models are available around the clock to provide continuous support and assistance.
• Multilingual support. ChatGPT can communicate in multiple languages or provide translations for businesses with global audiences.
• Personalization. AI chatbots can tailor responses to the user's preferences and behaviors based on previous interactions.
• Scalability. ChatGPT can handle many users simultaneouslywhich is beneficial for applications with high user engagement.
• Natural language understanding. ChatGPT understands and generates humanlike textso it is useful for tasks such as generating contentanswering questionsengaging in conversations and providing explanations.
• Digital accessibility. ChatGPT and other AI chatbots can assist individuals with disabilities by providing text-based interactionswhich can be easier to navigate than other interfaces.

What are the limitations of ChatGPT? How accurate is it?

Some limitations of ChatGPT include the following:

• It does not fully understand the complexity of human language. ChatGPT is trained to generate words based on input. Because of thisresponses might seem shallow and lack true insight.
• Responses can sound like a machine and unnatural. Since ChatGPT predicts the next wordit can overuse words such as the or and. Because of thispeople still need to review and edit content to make it flow more naturallylike human writing.
• It summarizes but does not cite sources. ChatGPT does not provide analysis or insight into any data or statisticsnor does it provide links to sources unless you specifically request them. ChatGPT might provide statistics but no real commentary on what these statistics mean or how they relate to the topic.
• It cannot understand sarcasm and irony. ChatGPT is based on a data set of text.
• It might focus on the wrong part of a question and not be able to shift. For exampleif you ask ChatGPT"Does a horse make a good pet based on its size?" and then ask it"What about a cat?" ChatGPT might focus solely on the size of the animal versus giving information about having the animal as a pet. ChatGPT is not divergent and cannot shift its answer to cover multiple questions in a single response.
• It shuns politics. Generally speakingChatGPT does not like to get involved in political debates or take sidesalthough it has been accused of favoritism for certain political viewpoints.

Learn more about the pros and cons of AI-generated content.

What are the ethical concerns associated with ChatGPT?

While ChatGPT can be helpful for some tasksthere are some ethical concerns that depend on how it is usedincluding biaslack of privacy and securityand cheating in education and work.

Plagiarism and deceitful use

ChatGPT can be used unethically in ways such as cheatingimpersonation or spreading misinformation due to its humanlike capabilities. Educators have brought up concerns about students using ChatGPT to cheatplagiarize and write papers. CNET made the news when it used ChatGPT to create articles that were filled with errors.

To help prevent cheating and plagiarizingOpenAI announced an AI text classifier to distinguish between human- and AI-generated text. Howeverafter six months of availabilityOpenAI pulled the tool due to a "low rate of accuracy."

There are online toolssuch as Copyleaks or Writing.comto classify how likely it is that text was written by a person versus being AI-generated. OpenAI plans to add a watermark to longer text pieces to help identify AI-generated content.

Because ChatGPT can write codeit also presents a problem for cybersecurity. Threat actors can use ChatGPT to help create malware. An update addressed the issue of creating malware by stopping the requestbut threat actors might find ways around OpenAI's safety protocol.

ChatGPT can also be used to impersonate a person by training it to copy someone's writing and language . The chatbot could then impersonate a trusted person to collect sensitive information or spread disinformation.

Bias in training data

One of the biggest ethical concerns with ChatGPT is its bias in training data. If the data the model pulls from has any biasit is reflected in the model's output. ChatGPT also does not understand language that might be offensive or discriminatory. The data needs to be reviewed to avoid perpetuating biasbut including diverse and representative material can help control bias for accurate results.

Replacing jobs and human interaction

As technology advancesChatGPT might automate certain tasks that are typically completed by humanssuch as data entry and processingcustomer serviceand translation support. People are worried that it could replace their jobsso it's important to consider ChatGPT and AI's effect on workers.

Rather than replacing workersChatGPT can be used as support for job functions and creating new job opportunities to avoid loss of employment. For examplelawyers can use ChatGPT to create summaries of case notes and draft contracts or agreements. And copywriters can use ChatGPT for article outlines and headline ideas.

Privacy issues

ChatGPT uses text based on inputso it could potentially reveal sensitive information. The model's output can also track and profile individuals by collecting information from a prompt and associating this information with the user's phone number and email. The information is then stored indefinitely.

In March 2023Italy's data protection authority temporarily banned ChatGPT over concerns that the AI system violated privacy laws by collecting user data for commercial purposes without first obtaining proper consent. The ban was lifted a month later after OpenAI made changes to comply with EU data protection regulations.

How can you access ChatGPT?

To access ChatGPTcreate an OpenAI account. Go to chat.openai.com and then select "Sign Up" and enter an email addressor use a Google or Microsoft account to log in.

After signing uptype a prompt or question in the message box on the ChatGPT homepage. Users can then do the following:

• Enter a different prompt for a new query or ask for clarification.
• Regenerate the response.
• Share the response.
• Like or dislike the response with the thumbs-up or thumbs-down option.
• Copy the response.

What to do if ChatGPT is at capacity

Even though ChatGPT can handle numerous users at a timeit reaches maximum capacity occasionally when there is an overload. This usually happens during peak hourssuch as early in the morning or in the eveningdepending on the time zone.

If it is at capacitytry using it at different times or hit refresh on the browser. Another option is to upgrade to ChatGPT Pluswhich is a subscriptionbut is typically always availableeven during high-demand periods.

Is ChatGPT free?

ChatGPT is available for free through OpenAI's website. Users need to register for a free OpenAI account. There is also an option to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus for access to GPT-4faster responsesno blackout windows and unlimited availability. ChatGPT Plus also gives priority access to new features for a subscription rate of $20 per month.

Without a subscriptionthere are limitations. The most notable limitation of the free version is access to ChatGPT when the program is at capacity. The Plus membership gives unlimited access to avoid capacity blackouts.

What are the alternatives to ChatGPT?

Because of ChatGPT's popularityit is often unavailable due to capacity issues. Google announced Bard in response to ChatGPT in February 2023. One year laterGoogle renamed it Gemini. Google Gemini draws information directly from the internet through a Google search to provide the latest information. Google came under fire after Gemini provided inaccurate results on several occasionssuch as rendering America’s founding fathers as Black men.

Microsoft has invested $10 billion in OpenAImaking it a primary benefactor of OpenAI. In returnGPT-4 functionality has been integrated into Binggiving the internet search engine a chat mode for users. Microsoft does this through the use of its Copilot chatbot. Bing searches can also be rendered through Copilotgiving the user a more complete set of search results.

There are other text generator alternatives to ChatGPTincluding the following:

• AI-Writer.
• Article Forge.
• ChatSonic.
• Copysmith.
• DeepL Write.
• Jasper.
• Magic Write.
• Open Assistant.
• Peppertype.
• Perplexity AI.
• Spellbook.
• Rytr.
• YouChat.

Coding alternatives for ChatGPT include the following:

• AlphaCode.
• Amazon CodeWhisperer.
• CodeStarter.
• CodeWP.
• Cody.
• Enzyme.
• Ghostwriter.
• GitHub Copilot.
• Mutable.ai.
• OpenAI Codex.
• Seek.
• Tabnine.

Learn more about various AI content generators.

ChatGPT updates

In August 2023OpenAI announced an enterprise version of ChatGPT. The enterprise version offers the higher-speed GPT-4 model with a longer context windowcustomization options and data analysis. This model of ChatGPT does not share data outside the organization.

In September 2023OpenAI announced a new update that allows ChatGPT to speak and recognize images. Users can upload pictures of what they have in their refrigerator and ChatGPT will provide ideas for dinner. Users can engage to get step-by-step recipes with ingredients they already have. People can also use ChatGPT to ask questions about photos -- such as landmarks -- and engage in conversation to learn facts and history.

Users can also use voice to engage with ChatGPT and speak to it like other voice assistants. People can have conversations to request storiesask trivia questions or request jokes among other options.

The voice update will be available on apps for both iOS and Android. Users will just need to opt-in to use it in their settings. Images will be available on all platforms -- including apps and ChatGPT’s website.

In November 2023OpenAI announced the rollout of GPTswhich let users customize their own version of ChatGPT for a specific use case. For examplea user could create a GPT that only scripts social media postschecks for bugs in codeor formulates product descriptions. The user can input instructions and knowledge files in the GPT builder to give the custom GPT context. OpenAI also announced the GPT storewhich will let users share and monetize their custom bots.

In December 2023OpenAI partnered with Axel Springer to train its AI models on news reporting. ChatGPT users will see summaries of news stories from Bild and WeltBusiness Insider and Politico as part of this deal. This agreement gives ChatGPT more current information in its chatbot answers and gives users another way to access news stories. OpenAI also announced an agreement with the Associated Press to use the news reporting archive for chatbot responses.

In May 2024OpenAI released the latest version of its large language model -- GPT-4o -- which it has integrated into ChatGPT. In addition to bringing search results up to datethis LLM is designed to foster more natural interactions. These include voice interactionsallowing users to speak to ChatGPT and receive spoken responses; multimodel inputso ChatGPT can process and generate images as well as words; and an overall improvement in the program’s ability to maintain context over lengthy conversations.

OpenAI claims GPT-4o is twice as fast and 50% less expensive than GPT-4 when accessed via their API.

GPT-4o is being rolled out gradually to free and paid ChatGPT userswith free users having lower usage limits. It is available in the ChatGPT website/app by selecting the "GPT-4o" model option if you have access to it.

ChatGPT’s advanced Voice Mode is now available to small groups of paid ChatGPT Plus users. The new mode offers more natural conversations allowing users to interrupt and ask additional questions. The update lets ChatGPT sense and respond to the user’s emotions with response. The voice is more natural-sounding but is limited to four preset options.

On Oct. 312024OpenAI announced ChatGPT search is available for ChatGPT Plus and Team users. The search feature provides more up-to-date information from the internet such as newsweatherstock prices and sports scores. This new feature allows ChatGPT to compete with other search engines -- such as GoogleBing and Perplexity.

ChatGPT automatically searches the internet based on the user's prompt. To accessusers select the web search icon -- next to the attach file option -- on the prompt bar within ChatGPT. OpenAI said ChatGPT's free version will roll out this search function within the next few months.

On Dec. 52024OpenAI added the ChatGPT Pro tier for $200 monthly. This plan gives users access to its advanced OpenAI o1 model to solve more complex problems and reasoning for AI capabilities. This plan also offers unlimited access to o1-miniGPT-4o and the Advanced Voice feature.

In December 2024OpenAI launched an experimental way to converse with ChatGPT by calling 1-800-ChatGPT or messaging ChatGPT through WhatsApp. This allows more people to experiment with ChatGPT because no account is needed. WhatsApp only supports text so users cannot use images in conversations.

On Jan. 232025OpenAI introduced Operator to U.S. ChatGPT Pro users in a research preview mode. Operator is an AI agent that interprets orders and goes to a web browser to perform these tasks for the user. According to OpenAIOperator might automate several daily chores and errands such as planning vacationsfinding dealsordering groceries and filling out forms.

ChatGPT Gov

OpenAI announced ChatGPT Gov on Jan. 282025. This model was tailored to the U.S. government and is deployed through each agency's own Microsoft Azure commercial cloud or Azure Government cloud stacked on Microsoft's Azure's OpenAI Service. The platform is self-hosting for each government agency to feed "non-publicsensitive information" into the model while operating in their secure hosting environments. Because the platform is self-hostedthe agencies manage their security and privacy with their strict cybersecurity frameworks.

The user interface is similar to ChatGPT Enterprise and has the same features and capabilitiesincluding the following:

• Sharing and saving conversations.
• Uploading files and images.
• Summarizing and interpreting text.
• Coding.
• Creating custom GPTs on the workspace.