OpenAI announces an API for ChatGPT for developers. Game changer?
What's the story
We are about to see ChatGPT in more apps and services.
OpenAI has opened up access to its massively popular AI chatbot to third-party developers via an API. They will now be able to integrate ChatGPT into their apps and services.
The company has also launched an API for Whisper, its AI-powered open-source speech-to-text model.
Context
Why does this story matter?
ChatGPT has been a runaway success. However, success means nothing for a business if there is no equivalent monetary gain.
OpenAI, albeit being a capped-profit business, has to make its investors happy. The company has already launched a premium version of ChatGPT.
The chatbot has over 100 million active users. The company sees an API as a better way to take advantage of this.
API
API is powered by 'gpt-3.5-turbo'
ChatGPT's API is powered by the same engine behind ChatGPT called the "gpt-3.5-turbo." The company said it could be used for more than creating an AI-powered chat interface.
The API costs $0.002 per 1k tokens. The company said it is 10x times cheaper than its GPT-3.5 models.
The company added that developers will have access to stable versions of the model.
Features
Dedicated instances will offer developers more control
To make it easier for developers, OpenAI is offering dedicated instances. This will give developers more control over the specific model and associated system performance.
Dedicated instances will allow API users to understand whether they are running a massive amount of data through the API.
It "can make economic sense for developers running beyond ~450M tokens per day," the company said.
Early users
Five companies belong to the initial batch of API users
The initial batch of companies that are using ChatGPT's API includes Snap, Quizlet, Instacrat, and Shopify.
Snap launched 'My AI,' a customizable chatbot for SnapChat+ users, earlier this week. Quizlet is introducing a ChatGPT-powered tutor dubbed Q-Chat with the API.
Instacart will use the API to understand customers' shopping goals, while ChatGPT is used to power the shopping assistant in Shop, Shopify's consumer app.
Whisper
Whisper API can be used to transcribe/translate audio
While the ChatGPT API will get all the attention, OpenAI has also launched an API for Whisper. Technically, you don't need an API to run Whisper, as it is open source.
However, the model is "hard to run," and OpenAI is likely to have access to more powerful hardware. It can be used to transcribe or translate audio.
The API costs $0.006 per minute.