OpenAI released an iOS app for ChatGPT and plans to release an Android version soon. The app is free, syncs chat history with the web and supports voice input using OpenAI’s Whisper speech recognition model.
It is available for download on the App Store and is compatible with iPhones and iPads. Initially, the app is being rolled out in the US and will expand to other countries in the following weeks.
OpenAI did not previously indicate the development of a mobile app, but considering the immense popularity of ChatGPT, it seems like a logical step.
The AI chatbot was introduced last November and experienced a rapid surge in usage. While external estimates claim that the app garnered around 100 million users by January of this year, OpenAI has not officially verified these numbers.
The app’s release is fascinating, given OpenAI’s somewhat unclear stance on ChatGPT’s market positioning. Despite initially being introduced as an experiment, the chatbot quickly gained popularity among consumers, who utilized it for various purposes ranging from academic misconduct to business applications.
In February, OpenAI introduced a premium subscription for the app called ChatGPT Plus. This subscription gives users priority access and responses generated using OpenAI’s latest language model, GPT-4. It is priced at $20 per month.
Until now, the primary method of accessing OpenAI’s language models on mobile devices has been through Microsoft’s Bing app, which provides access to their chatbot powered by GPT-4. However, with the release of an official ChatGPT app for iOS, some of these users are expected to be drawn away from Microsoft.
Previously, Microsoft used access to its chatbot as an incentive to promote Bing and Edge. Introducing an official ChatGPT OpenAI App should also help deter individuals from signing up for numerous spam and counterfeit apps that falsely claim to offer access to the chatbot on mobile platforms.
Similar to its web counterpart, ChatGPT faces certain challenges on mobile devices. These challenges encompass the chatbot’s inclination to generate confident yet falsified information and concerns regarding privacy.
OpenAI has only recently introduced the option for users to have private conversations, and the app’s home screen (as depicted above) explicitly cautions users against sharing “sensitive info” within the app.
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