ChatGPT Isn't Stuck in 2021 Anymore, Can Browse Web for Recent Answers
After an earlier beta test, ChatGPT will now serve up current info from the internet to people with a Plus or Enterprise subscription.
ChatGPT can now browse the web to give you "current and authoritative information" that's more recent than 2021, OpenAI said Wednesday. The Browse with Bing feature is rolling out to ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users, OpenAI said.
ChatGPT, the popular generative AI chatbot, has previously been limited to using data from before September 2021 when answering users' questions. The Browse with Bing feature brings Microsoft's search engine into the mix, allowing for up-to-the-minute answers. OpenAI and Microsoft have a partnership, which is also behind Microsoft's AI-powered Bing search engine.
OpenAI previously launched the feature in beta in ChatGPT's iOS app in June but then disabled it in July, saying it could "occasionally display content in ways we don't want."
In several posts on X, OpenAI said ChatGPT can now browse the web to provide current answers and will offer direct links to sources. "Browsing" is available only to paid Plus or Enterprise subscribers, according to the posts, but OpenAI said it will expand the feature to all users soon.
The posts include a GIF showing off the feature. A user asks ChatGPT, "What are the latest reviews for a commuter bike," and a "finished browsing" message appears along with an answer.
"Browsing is particularly useful for tasks that require up-to-date information, such as helping you with technical research, trying to choose a bike, or planning a vacation," OpenAI said in the posts.
OpenAI is a major player in the AI boom that's seen tech companies release a plethora of generative AI tools. With prompts, modern AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google's Bard can produce email responses, travel itineraries and even poetry, though quality greatly varies. Concerns remain, too, about things like AI's ability to make up information, or "hallucinate," its potential to be used to create and spread disinformation, and the technology's impacts on schools and jobs.
Here's how to use Browse with Bing via the iOS app and in your browser.
Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.