The new OpenAI hotline: chat with ChatGPT anytime, anywhere

For the tenth day of OpenAIAt the “12 Days of Shipmas” event, the company decided to go a little old school by launching a phone number for people to call and talk to ChatGPT.

US users can call 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478) on any device that can make calls, including a rotary phone, as OpenAI demonstrated in its livestream. If you have an international number, you can send messages to ChatGPT using WhatsApp.

It may seem strange that ChatGPT, which has a web version, mobile apps on iOS and Android, and desktop apps for MacOS and Windows, needs a phone number to ask ChatGPT a question. But OpenAI explained that the feature is ideal for those who don’t have consistent data connections.

Implement AI where possible

OpenAI said the feature allows broader access to ChatGPT. After all, calling a phone number is usually free and accessible to people who may not have unlimited data or are not near a Wi-Fi connection.

However, anyone who wants to call ChatGPT will only be able to do so for 15 minutes per month.

This isn’t the first time a tech company has used calling or texting to expand its user base. In countries like the Philippines, Facebook offers a way for people to use SMS to post on social media platform. This turned out to be a big help in expanding Facebook’s reach in the Philippines, where most people have a cell phone, although not necessarily a smartphone. Filipinos are now some of the biggest users of the social network.

It’s not that ChatGPT is harming users. It remains one of the most used AI platforms, even with more competition in the market. OpenAI said its commercial offerings alone, ChatGPT Enterprise, Team and Edu, registered more than 1 million users in September. A month earlier, ChatGPT reached 200 million users.

OpenAI offers ChatGPT for free, but offers its most advanced models and other powerful features to Plus, Teams, Pro, Enterprise, and Edu tier subscribers.

“This is an experimental way of talking to ChatGPT, so availability and limits may change,” the company said. “For a fuller experience with more tools, higher limits, and more customization, existing users should continue using ChatGPT directly through their accounts.”

The drawbacks

Calling ChatGPT is like using OpenAI voice and advanced voice model. I called ChatGPT and asked for ideas on what to do during a layover in Tokyo. As expected, he gave me some suggestions.

However, the difference is that I didn’t get a reading of my conversation with ChatGPT. If I use advanced voice mode, everything we discuss is transposed into a written chat that I can consult when I log in to my account.

I also highly doubt any developer would call ChatGPT and ask it to code something.

But the feature is interesting and it works. Not bad for something the OpenAI developers created just a few weeks ago for Hack Week.