OpenAI launched on Monday opening ChatGPT for users without an account. It described the move as part of its mission to “make tools like ChatGPT widely available so people can reap the benefits of AI.” It also gives the company more training information (for those who don’t) and possibly more users to create accounts and subscription for superior GPT-4 access instead of the old GPT-3.5 model, users can get it for free.
I tested the instant login, which, as advertised, allowed me to flash a new GPT-3.5 header without any login information. A chatbot’s default is “How can I help you today?” A screen appears with additional buttons to register or log in. Although I saw it today, OpenAI says it’s gradually expanding access, so if you don’t see the option yet, check back later.
OpenAI says it has added additional security measures for users without an account, including blocking prompts and image generation in more categories than for logged-in users. When asked for more information about which new categories it blocks, an OpenAI spokesperson told me that when developing the feature, it took into account that logged-out GPT-3.5 users could potentially introduce new threats.
The spokesperson added that the teams responsible for detecting and stopping abuse of its AI models were involved in the creation of the new feature and will make adjustments accordingly if unexpected threats arise. Of course, it still blocks everything it does for logged in users moderation API.
If you are not logged in, you can opt out of data training for your requests. To do this, click on the small question mark to the right of the text box, then select Settings and turn off the “Upgrade model for everyone” switch.
OpenAI says more than 100 million people in 185 countries use ChatGPT weekly. That’s amazing numbers for 18 months of service from a company many people hadn’t even heard of two years ago. Today’s move encourages those hesitant to create an account to get one the chatbot that changed the world for a spin, it increases the numbers even more.
