ChatGPT users can browse internet: OpenAI

Microsoft-backed OpenAI has announced an update for ChatGPT, allowing users to access the internet and expanding its data access beyond the September 2021 cutoff. The browsing feature comes with controls for websites to manage how ChatGPT interacts with them.

Who can use the feature? 

OpenAI stated that browsing is currently available to Plus and Enterprise users, and will soon be expanded to all users. To enable this feature, users can choose "Browse with Bing" in the selector under GPT-4, as mentioned in a social media post on platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Additionally, OpenAI recently introduced a major update, enabling ChatGPT to engage in voice conversations with users and interact using images, bringing it closer to popular AI assistants like Apple's Siri.

OpenAI had experimented with a feature that allowed users to access real-time information through the Bing search engine within the premium ChatGPT Plus offering. However, this feature was later disabled due to concerns that it might enable users to bypass paywalls.

ChatGPT has experienced rapid growth, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history, with 100 million monthly active users in January. It was later surpassed by Meta's Threads app. This surge in popularity has attracted increased investor interest in OpenAI, with reports suggesting that the startup is in discussions with shareholders regarding a potential sale of existing shares at a significantly higher valuation compared to just a few months ago.

(With Reuters Inputs)