OpenAI, the leading artificial intelligence (AI) company, has made a significant change to its widely used generative AI tool, ChatGPT3.5. Starting from April 1, users will no longer be required to create an account in order to access the tool. OpenAI aims to make it easier for people to experience the potential of AI. However, users without accounts will not be able to store their previous interactions.
This feature will be gradually rolled out for all countries, beginning with the United States. While many people have celebrated the democratization of AI, there are concerns about potential misuse. Simon Willison, co-creator of the Python-based web framework Django, has questioned OpenAI’s ability to prevent data scrapers from abusing the free ChatGPT-3.5 API.
AI developers view the removal of the sign-up requirement as a catalyst for the development of newer large language models (LLMs). However, there are also concerns about the various use cases surrounding ChatGPT. OpenAI estimates that ChatGPT has a weekly active user base of over 100 million people worldwide. This number is expected to increase as individuals who were previously hesitant to share personal information with a corporation like OpenAI can now use ChatGPT with relative anonymity.
While ChatGPT-3.5 is not currently the most powerful “free” generative AI tool available, BuzzFeed data scientist Max Woolf believes that OpenAI’s decision is an attempt to deter users from using competing tools. According to data from Hugging Face, ChatGPT-3.5 is ranked 16th globally in terms of its capabilities. Other free generative AI tools that perform better include Anthropic’s Claude S and Gemini Pro by Google DeepMind.
In other AI news, a generative AI robot named Iris has recently secured a teaching position at a school in Kerala, India. Developed in partnership with e-learning provider Makerlabs as part of the Atal Tinkering Lab project by NITI Aayog, an Indian government agency, Iris can speak three languages and respond to complex questions. The company claims that Iris empowers educators to deliver engaging and effective lessons by adapting to each student’s needs and preferences.
As the AI industry continues to evolve, there are ongoing discussions about creating “good” artificial general intelligence (AGI) that prioritizes safety and doesn’t pose a threat to humanity. This has led to the formation of Crypto’s Artificial Superintelligence Alliance, which aims to ensure the responsible development of AGI.