Open AI has unlocked the "Dragon Binding" for ChatGPT: it can now connect to the internet!
ChatGPT is no longer limited to data before September 2021. It can now perform real-time searches and provide links, just like Microsoft's New Bing and Google's Bard.
From images to speech, and now to the internet... ChatGPT is "breaking through" a series of previous limitations.
On September 28th, OpenAI announced on Twitter that ChatGPT can now access the internet and provide links, meaning it is no longer limited to data before September 2021.
The GIF released by OpenAI shows that after asking a question to ChatGPT, it responds with a series of links and provides answers based on the content found on the internet.
OpenAI stated that this feature is currently available to all Plus and Enterprise users and will soon be expanded to all users:
To enable, select "Browse with Bing" in the GPT-4 selector.
This marks the "return" of web browsing for ChatGPT.
In March of this year, when OpenAI first introduced third-party plugins for ChatGPT, it also announced two of its own plugins - a code interpreter (later renamed "Advanced Data Analysis," allowing ChatGPT to accept uploaded files) and "Browse," which uses the Microsoft Bing API and a text-based browser to search the web and summarize information for users. Users can hover over and click on superscript citations to access the source website.
This feature puts ChatGPT on par with Microsoft's New Bing and Google's Bard, as these generative AI chatbots can now search in real-time and provide links.
It is worth noting that in late June of this year, OpenAI added the ability to browse the internet in its ChatGPT iOS app, but later disabled it due to concerns that it would allow users to bypass paywalls.
Earlier this week, OpenAI also announced a major update that will allow ChatGPT to engage in voice conversations with users and interact with them through images, bringing it closer to popular AI assistants like Apple's Siri.