ChatGPT has become a viral sensation since it was released, but it’s also a major financial challenge for the company behind it. Its operating costs can be “eye-watering,” according to OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, amounting to a few cents per chat.
Now, OpenAI is taking the next step to monetize its popularity by launching a pilot subscription plan for ChatGPT at $20/month. This premium tier will offer general access to ChatGPT even during peak times, faster response times and priority access to new features and improvements.
Below are a number of benefits ChatGPT subscribers will receive.
- General access to ChatGPT, even during peak times
- Faster response times
- Priority access to new features and improvements
Initially, the service will be available in the US, with more countries to be added soon. Users can sign up for the subscription plan by filling out a Google Doc form and OpenAI will invite them to join in the coming weeks.
You should keep a few things in mind when using ChatGPT, including its ability to generate content that’s often inaccurate and slanted against women and people of color. In addition, there’s always the chance that a human will make a mistake in a ChatGPT response.
So, if you’re planning to use ChatGPT Plus, it’s probably best to take the time to ensure it doesn’t spit out misleading or incorrect outputs before you publish anything. The company is developing a tool to detect generated text, and it’s likely that it will release more tools in the future as it continues to evolve its AI.
Ultimately, the subscription model is just a way to offset some of ChatGPT’s costs while continuing to provide the free version to the public. It’s possible that more monetization tiers could come in the future.