OpenAI ChatGPT Plus premium subscription launched at $20/month: Check benefits
What's the story
OpenAI wants to take advantage of the craze surrounding ChatGPT. The company has announced a new paid subscription plan for the chatbot capable of generating original content and engaging in human-like conversations. Dubbed ChatGPT Plus, it offers a number of advantages to subscribers over the free version. However, the company confirmed that this wouldn't be the end of the free version.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The astounding success of ChatGPT has surprised everyone, including OpenAI. It currently has over a million users, and it will only grow further. However, the company is under pressure to monetize the user base, especially after Microsoft's multi-billion dollar investment recently. OpenAI is expected to make $200 million in 2023, but that is next to nothing considering the money invested in the start-up.
Paid plan
ChatGPT Plus is only available in the US for now
Only customers in the US have access to ChatGPT Plus at the moment. It comes with several benefits, including general access to ChatGPT at all times, "faster response times," and "priority access to new features and improvements." OpenAI will send invitations to people on its waitlist in the coming weeks. The paid plan will be available in other countries and regions "soon."
Preview
OpenAI is charging $20/month for ChatGPT Plus
OpenAI previewed the paid version of ChatGPT in January. At that time, the company said that monetizing was one of the ways to ensure the long-term viability of the chatbot. A few users who claimed to have access to ChatGPT's premium tier said it costs $42 per month. That seems to be false information. ChatGPT Plus is priced at $20 per month.
Information
Paid version will help sustain free access: OpenAI
Open AI said that ChatGPT's free version is here to stay. "We love our free users and will continue to offer free access to ChatGPT," the company said. It added that the paid version would help sustain free access.
Future
OpenAI is exploring more tiers of ChatGPT
OpenAI may not stop at ChatGPT Plus. "We are actively exploring options for lower-cost plans, business plans, and data packs for more availability," the company said. It also plans to launch a ChatGPT API for the developer community. In its blog post about ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI said it is making changes to the tool based on the feedback it received during the research preview.