What you need to know
- OpenAI launches a standalone ChatGPT app for iOS.
- The app contains much of the power the AI chatbot has on the web with Whisper integration, GPT-4, and goodies for ChatGPT Plus subscribers.
- An Android app is on the way but OpenAI did not give a specific timeframe.
AI fever continues as OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is bringing the chatbot to mobile devices.
The company announced the launch of a standalone ChatGPT app for iOS today in a blog post. OpenAI cites user feedback as the top reason why it has worked to produce a mobile app users can take with them to utilize their AI’s potential. The app is free, available through the Apple app store, and packs in much of the power users can find on the web version.
OpenAI touts the new ChatGPT app’s capabilities, providing users with instant answers, precise information, and guidance on a number of topics without the need to sift through pages of results. However, it’s still not advised that you sink any sensitive information into the AI machine.
OpenAI explains the app comes with its open-source speech-recognition software Whisper, as well. Those who are ChatGPT Plus subscribers using the app will still have access to its latest GPT-4 system, early access to features, and even quicker response times.
For now, it’s only available on iOS, but Android users will be next to receive the ChatGPT app, which could create an interesting situation. After all the Google I/O 2023 hype, the company notably did not announce a Bard app for Android devices. Instead, Google stated that it’s “committed to rolling out Bard as an experiment. And a standalone web experience is allowing us to focus on the direct engagement with a large language model.” The company is more interested in keeping a “web-only experience” for now.
OpenAI’s announcement of an official ChatGPT app comes just days after Microsoft launched its own Bing Chat widget for Android and iOS. Bing is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and lets users talk or text with the AI chatbot and even customize how its responses should be to their liking. Chats with Bing on your phone can also be continued on your computer and vice-versa.
OpenAI is rolling out the ChatGPT app to iOS users in the U.S. first before other countries in the “coming weeks.”
