ChatGPT Plus subscribers will soon get a much more powerful version of OpenAI’s large language model, allowing it to access plugins and the internet. This will dramatically expand the capabilities and usefulness of the world’s most famous chatbot.
OpenAI shared the news via a tweet linking to the latest ChatGPT release notes. Web browsing and plugin access will begin as an optional beta feature that can be enabled in settings.
We’re rolling out web browsing and Plugins to all ChatGPT Plus users over the next week! Moving from alpha to beta, they allow ChatGPT to access the internet and to use 70+ third-party plugins. https://t.co/t4syFUj0fL pic.twitter.com/Mw9FMpKq91
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 12, 2023
The beta panel started rolling out along with the new ChatGPT features last Friday. If you’re a ChatGPT Plus subscriber but don’t see a beta panel in settings, you won’t be able to access browsing or plugins yet.
A few early-access users got to test ChatGPT plugins in a limited form in late March. Since then, the number of available plugins has grown dramatically from a meager 11 to over 70.
Plugins provide access to various websites and services, allowing ChatGPT to perform more complicated tasks and access specialized databases. Examples include checking the weather, booking a flight, finding deals, and looking up recipes. The web browsing feature allows ChatGPT to bring in current information, similar to how Bing Chat and Google Bard work.
YouTube channel App Of The Day gives a good overview of what ChatGPT plugins look like and how they work.
After you’ve enabled plugins, ChatGPT knows when to use them, so you only need to specifically name a service if you have more than one that can help with the same task. The real power comes in combining multiple plugins, with ChatGPT orchestrating everything.
Plugins let ChatGPT do more than type messages; it can perform tasks, a bit like AutoGPT but without the hassle. ChatGPT will also be able to read everything online and access specialized knowledge bases that aren’t indexed and searchable without visiting a particular website.
Plugins and internet access will change everything and greatly expand how people use ChatGPT.
