The ChatGPT chatbot by OpenAI is taking the world by storm. Here’s how to use it and everything you need to know about AI text generation with GPT.
By now, you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT, the general-purpose chatbot prototype that the internet is obsessed with right now. It’s quickly become the dominant example of the influence AI-generated content will have in the future, showing just how powerful these tools can be.
It’s made by OpenAI, well-known for having developed the text-to-image generator DALL-E, and it’s currently available for anyone to try out for free. Here’s what ChatGPT is, how to use it, and how it could change change the future of the internet.Is ChatGPT free to use?
Yes, the basic version of ChatGPT is completely free to use. It’s not free for OpenAI to continue running it, of course. Estimates are currently that OpenAI spends around $3 million per month to continue running ChatGPT, which is around $100,000 per day. Beyond the cost of the servers themselves, some egregious information has recently come out about what else has been done to train the language model against producing offensive content.
OpenAI has also recently announced a new paid, premium version of its chatbot, called ChatGPT Plus. It’s not available just yet, but you can currently only join the waitlist, and the eventual price will be $20 per month. ChatGPT Plus will provide access even during peak times, faster responses, and first access to new features.ChatGPT ‘at capacity’ network error
Many people attempting to use ChatGPT recently have been getting an “at capacity” notice when trying to access the site. It’s likely behind the move to try and use unofficial paid apps, which have already flooded app stores and scammed thousands into paying for a free service.
Because of how much ChatGPT costs to run, it seems as if OpenAI has been limiting access when its servers are “at capacity.” It can take as long as a few hours to wait out, but if you’re patient, you’ll get through eventually. Of all the problems facing ChatGPT right now, this is the biggest hurdle keeping people from using it more.Do you need to download ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is available via a webpage, so no downloading is needed. OpenAI has yet to release an official app, despite the fact that app stores are full of fake versions. These should be installed and used with caution, as they are not official ChatGPT apps.
There are a couple of ways to install ChatGPT, though. First, you can navigate to the ChatGPT website and save it as a Windows app through Edge. Go to the site, click the ellipsis menu, and hover over Apps. Select Install this site as an app to load ChatGPT from your desktop.
You can also download the source code for ChatGPT from GitHub, but note this requires a bit of technical knowledge to get the app to work. For instance, there’s a GPT-powered Discord bot available to install on your Discord server. Many users have leveraged the tech to build their own apps, such as the MagicSlides extension for Google Sheets.How to use ChatGPT
The ChatGPT webpage is simple and includes an area for the results to populate and a text box at the bottom of the page for users to type inquiries. We started with questions, however, OpenAI recommends inputting a statement for the best possible result.
For example, inputting “explain how the solar system was made” will give a more detailed result with more paragraphs than “how was the solar system made,” even though both inquiries will give fairly detailed results. You also have the option for more specific inputting requests for an essay with a specific number of paragraphs or a Wikipedia page. We got an extremely detailed result with the request “write a four-paragraph essay explaining Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.”
If there is enough information available, the generator will fulfill the commands with accurate details.
