In this article, we’ll explore both the basic version and paid version and let you know what to expect from both.
TABLE OF CONTENT
5. Is ChatGPT Free for Commercial Use?
6. Can Developers Use ChatGPT?
7. ChatGPT: Free for Now But for How Long?
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Ah, and if you are interested in an AI for business course, we’ve got you covered!
What is ChatGPT?
Before we dive into the details let’s recap exactly what ChatGPT is.
ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) that uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to supercharge its Artificial Intelligence giving you pretty much accurate answers.
Translated, this means users can interact with a cutting-edge chatbot that mimics human-like text.
The company behind it, OpenAI, is based in San Francisco, and its backers include Elon Musk and Sam Altman.
ChatGPT has been “trained” using masses of internet data and text which it uses like a brain to form responses to user prompts about a wide range of topics.
Lastly, during this training and even now, the chatbot recevives constant human feedback (RLHF) to keep it as far as possible from nonsensical answers.
You can do a bunch of cool things with ChatGPT. From writing code to composing music and poetry, to content creation, gathering recipes or even getting relationship advice.
It’s a truly remarkable powerful tool that has caught the attention of the entire planet.
Is ChatGPT Free To Use?
Yep. If you want to try OpenAI’s revolutionary chatbot it won’t cost you anything other than time.
All you need to do is register a new account with OpenAI by entering a few details and you’re ready to start using the conversational AI to get human-like responses.
The current version is in its feedback stage, which essentially means they’re testing the software out to see how it fares in the real world while collecting user data and feedback for finetuning.
This isn’t to say ChatGPT isn’t without its limitations though.
Yes, it’s true you can register for free and gain unlimited access to the service.
But due to high traffic, expect ChatGPT to throw up error codes, experience downtime and run into server issues from time to time.
We talk about ChatGPT error codes and their fixes in this blog. There can be several reasons for this.
If you’re having trouble logging in, you can try ChatGPT alternatives, which are also free. Many of them are based on the same natural language processing models as ChatGPT.
Still each company will have some distinguishing features between them.
Will ChatGPT Stay Free?
We can’t predict the future but OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has publicly said that ChatGPT will remain free for the foreseeable with no plans to charge users for access.
It’s fair to assume, however, that (as with any commodity) the more popular a service gets and the demand increases, most companies tend to shift to paid subscription models.
After all, AI development is a costly business that can’t survive on goodwill alone. And with such a strong competition coming from Google Bard, money will be a needed thing!
For the time being, OpenAI has opened the gates on ChatGPT Plus, a premium access model designed to support the free base version of ChatGPT.
What is ChatGPT Plus?
ChatGPT Plus is a pilot subscription plan that gives the user access to ChatGPT’s conversational AI chatbot but includes some added perks.
For $20 per month, you can prompt ChatGPT to your heart’s content, plus:
- Get unrestricted access to ChatGPT, even during peak times when average use can be prone to delays and capacity issues.
- Faster response times so you can get the answers you need quicker!
- Priority access to new features and improvements before the general public as and when OpenAI release them.
- Choose from a wide range of ChatGPT plugins
For casual users, the idea of paying a premium to access virtually the same features you get with the free version (besides priority for new features) is probably not enough to sway most people.
For users who are incorporating AI into their daily lives and tasks, albeit for work or otherwise, it is frequently challenging to gain access to ChatGPT during the day and at peak times.
For these heavier users the premium ChatGPT Plus can be justified quite easily.
Is ChatGPT Free for Commercial Use?
Another resounding yes! With regards to commercial use and modifications for ChatGPT, OpenAI said this:
“It is free for anyone to use and modify it for any purpose, including commercial use. But it’s important to remember that OpenAI doesn’t offer any warranty or support for ChatGPT, and it’s up to the users to make sure that how they use the model doesn’t break any laws or rules.”
They go on to say:
“Additionally, if you use ChatGPT or modify it for your own purposes, you should be aware of the potential ethical and legal implications of using AI, including any potential biases that may be present in the model’s training data.”
The bottom line: do with it what you like, but you’re responsible for ensuring that any chatbot applications are ethical and don’t support some kind of illegal activities. Any misbehaviour will be entirely on your head.
Can Developers Use ChatGPT?
Ding ding ding! Yes! OpenAI allows developers to make use of their language models, including ChatGPT as a paid service.
The price depends on which models you want and how much you’ll use them, more information on pricing can be found here.
Interestingly though, OpenAI has made their platform free for people using OpenAI API for non-commercial and educational purposes.
ChatGPT: Free for Now But for How Long
There’s no doubt that ChatGPT is a fantastic tool and with the intoduction of Chat GPT-4 this is even more clear.
Over 100 million people think so too and if you haven’t already, it’s something definitely worth checking out.
Whether you’re thinking of using it as a professional assistant, to entertain you for a bit or as a tool to push the envelope in your field, ChatGPT allows users to test its limits for free. For now.
With the introduction of ChatGPT-4 and a paid subscription model, the winds of change are already picking up speed, so get in while you can.
Even if it’s just to avoid ads becoming part of the base model because nothing ruins a good chatbot session quite like an impromptu commercial.