OpenAI announced a new way for users to interact with ChatGPT: through phone calls and text messages. By dialing 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478) or messaging via WhatsApp, users can now access the AI chatbot without the need for a smartphone app or desktop interface. This initiative, unveiled on Wednesday, is part of OpenAI's broader strategy to make artificial intelligence more accessible.
Kevin Weil, OpenAI's chief product officer, highlighted the company's mission during a livestream. "[Our mission at] OpenAI is to make artificial general intelligence beneficial to all of humanity, and part of that is making it as accessible as possible to as many people as we can," he said. "Today, we're taking the next step and bringing ChatGPT to your telephone."
The new service allows U.S. users to interact with ChatGPT for up to 15 minutes free each month. Calls end once the time limit is reached, and users may incur standard carrier fees. For text-based interactions via WhatsApp, there's a daily usage limit, after which users are encouraged to continue conversations using the ChatGPT app or desktop platform.
OpenAI emphasized that the phone and WhatsApp services were developed rapidly. "This came out of a hack week project," Weil revealed. "The team built this just a few weeks ago, and we loved it, and they hustled really hard to ship it."
The phone-based ChatGPT experience mirrors the functionality of the Advanced Voice Mode available in the ChatGPT app, enabling real-time conversational exchanges. Users can ask questions, receive responses, and even request language translations. The WhatsApp integration, while currently limited to text exchanges, offers a seamless, conversational interaction with the chatbot.
OpenAI plans to enhance the WhatsApp integration further, with potential features like image analysis and web search in the pipeline. However, the company has not disclosed a timeline for these updates.
This launch follows a series of high-profile updates from OpenAI as part of a 12-day release campaign. Earlier announcements included the official rollout of Sora, the company's highly anticipated AI video-generation tool. The new services also signal OpenAI's aggressive expansion in the generative AI market, where it competes with major players like Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon.
OpenAI's recent moves underscore its ambitions to dominate the rapidly growing generative AI sector, projected to surpass $1 trillion in revenue within a decade. In October, the company closed a funding round at a valuation of $157 billion and secured a $4 billion revolving line of credit, boosting its total liquidity to over $10 billion.
This push for accessibility comes on the heels of other developments aimed at broadening ChatGPT's reach. In October, OpenAI introduced a search feature within ChatGPT, positioning it as a competitor to search engines like Google and Bing. The company also recently appointed its first chief marketing officer, signaling plans to ramp up advertising and grow its user base.
