OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has announced a game-changing feature for its popular conversational AI chatbot. It can now browse the internet providing users with up-to-date information and direct links to the sources.
This new capability allows ChatGPT to scour the web for the most current and credible information, citing its sources in its responses, using “Browse with Bing” i.e. users now have access to an integrated web browsing feature powered by Microsoft’s Bing search engine.
ChatGPT Browse with Bing is a beta feature (available to Plus subscribers) that allows the AI chatbot to search the internet to help answer questions that benefit from recent information.
In a statement, OpenAI said,
Browse is rolling out to all Plus users. ChatGPT can now browse the internet to provide you with current and authoritative information, complete with direct links to sources. It is no longer limited to data before September 2021.
This enhancement enables the AI chatbot to transcend its original training dataset, which was limited to information available up to September 2021. However, the feature is exclusively for Plus and Enterprise tier users of ChatGPT. OpenAI plans to extend it to all users in the near future as part of its ongoing expansion.
With its newfound browsing capabilities, the AI chatbot becomes a valuable tool for tasks like research, product comparisons, and travel planning, where access to current data is essential. Since the initial launch of the browsing feature in May, OpenAI has actively sought user feedback.
They have emphasized that the AI chatbot adheres to the rules defined in robots.txt files and identifies itself via user agent strings, giving websites control over how it interacts with their content.
This enhancement is particularly important in the context of AI bots, which can sometimes generate inaccurate information. The ability to cross-check sources is a significant improvement, ensuring that the AI chatbot not only provides reliable information but also gives users the ability to credit their sources.
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How to access this new “Browse with Bing” feature on ChatGPT
First of all, as we said earlier, the feature is only available to premium users i.e. Plus and Enterprise tier users of ChatGPT. This is quite evident as it only works under GPT-4. The ChatGPT free version’s default setting is “under 3.5.”
So, as a premium user, choose Browse with Bing in the selector under GPT-4. Once that is done, follow these three next steps:
- Click on Profile & Settings
- Select Beta features
- Toggle on Browse with Bing
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The “Browse with Bing” feature on ChatGPT is not new
Although the idea of integrating a real-life browsing feature on ChatGPT launched in May, it temporarily came to a halt in July following content concerns. In a statement issued, OpenAI explained that the ChatGPT Browse with Bing beta feature was not at that time serving its purpose in alignment with the company’s cause.
Speaking on the aborted mission, the AI company in the statement said,
We have learned that the ChatGPT Browse beta can occasionally display content in ways we don’t want. For example, if a user specifically asks for a URL’s full text, it might inadvertently fulfil this request.
As of July 3, 2023, we’ve disabled the Browse with Bing beta feature out of an abundance of caution while we fix this in order to do right by content owners. We are working to bring the beta back as quickly as possible, and appreciate your understanding! – It added.
Read Also: Open AI now enables users to have voice conversations with ChatGPT
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