ChatGPT can now browse the Internet. here’s how it can help you
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has opened new horizons of possibilities. Launched in November 2022, the AI-powered chatbot quickly became a sensation thanks to its ability to process content from natural language prompts. Since then, the chatbot has evolved by leaps and bounds, with users coming up with new use cases every day.
Now, it looks like ChatGPT is about to take the next leap. US-based AI powerhouse OpenAI has given its viral chatbot the ability to browse the web. On Thursday, the company introduced its ChatGPT applications, which will allow the bot to access third-party databases and knowledge sources, including the web.
The plugins are available in Alpha to ChatGPT users and developers who are currently on the waiting list. For now, OpenAI has said it will allow access to a small set of developers and subscribers with its premium ChatGPT Plus plan, and will introduce scale and API access later. The company said it will also introduce the ability for developers to create their own plugins for ChatGPT.
“Today, we’re starting to gradually enable existing plugins from our early partners for ChatGPT users, starting with ChatGPT Plus subscribers. We are also starting to develop the ability for developers to create their own plugins for ChatGPT,” OpenAI says on its page. official blog.
Among the plugins launched by the company, the most interesting and practical seems to be its web browsing plugin. This plugin essentially means that ChatGPT will now be able to pull data from the web to suggest answers to user prompts. The plugin uses the Bing Search API to retrieve content and also throws links to sites visited by ChatGPT to generate its responses and will also indicate sources.
Through a web browsing application, ChatGPT will show users its search in real time. For example, for a query comparing critically acclaimed Oscar winners over the past two years, ChatGPT will show that it browses the top sources and compiles the answer. The answer will essentially be a summary of content gleaned from the best sources. The bot will also suggest quotes in terms of factual information.
ChatGPT browsing the Internet. what does it mean:
Along with the web browsing app, OpenAI appeared to be working on a number of additions to ChatGPT that would allow users to book restaurants, book trips, buy groceries, and perform complex math problems. All of this is possible thanks to some early partner plugins like FiscalNote, Instacart, Klarna, Milo, Kayak, OpenTable, Shopify, Slack, Zapier, and more that have joined OpenAI.
Write a restaurantThe OpenTable app enables ChatGPT to view restaurants for available reservations and allows users to find the most convenient restaurants.
Go shoppingThe Instacart app will allow users to place orders from local stores using an AI chatbot.
Increase productivityThrough Slack and Zapier, users will be able to connect with apps like Google Sheets, Gmail, and Trello.
Code interpreterThis is an experimental application that uses Python and can handle uploads and downloads. It is also useful for solving quantitative and qualitative mathematical problems. It can convert file formats and can be useful with data analysis and visualization.
Interestingly, this is not the first time a company has worked on a chatbot with internet access. In 2021, OpenAI worked on a chatbot called WebGPT that reportedly quoted information from unreliable sources.
By the way, Meta Inc. also experimented with its now-defunct BlenderBot 3.0, which was also removed after giving the wrong answers. However, with web-enabled ChatGPT, OpenAI claims to have implemented all the necessary safeguards to prevent the bot from “unwanted behavior”.
