Improved Web Browsing Functionality in ChatGPT

ChatGPT has proven itself to be a versatile chatbot, capable of assisting users with various tasks such as writing, programming, research, and vacation planning. However, it has always had a major flaw since its launch, and now this flaw has finally been fixed.

In late September, OpenAI announced through a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that its chatbot can now access the internet in real-time and provide direct links to its sources through a web browsing feature. ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise customers also have access to additional features, although they are currently in the testing phase.

This means that when paying customers switch ChatGPT to testing mode, they are no longer limited to information prior to 2021, unlocking new functionalities and improving the reliability of the chatbot.

In a recent announcement by OpenAI, the browsing feature has exited the testing phase, making customers' lives easier by allowing them to use the browsing feature without toggling the testing switch.

According to the instructions, all customers must now select "Use Bing Browsing" from the GPT-4 model selector.

ChatGPT can access the internet through Microsoft's Bing browser. This Bing-powered browsing feature was introduced in a Microsoft release in May and made available to ChatGPT Plus users. However, it was later removed by OpenAI as users were using this feature to bypass paywalls.

In the September announcement, OpenAI shared that since its initial release in May, the company has received valuable feedback from users, which has been incorporated into new updates, including "following robots.txt" and "identifying user agents." This allows websites to control how ChatGPT interacts with them.

A ChatGPT Plus subscription costs $20 per month; however, for users who require up-to-date information, the additional accuracy and reliability may be worth the investment.

For all other users who wish to use this feature, OpenAI shared in the original announcement that it plans to expand it to all users soon. In the meantime, Bing Chat is a good option as it is supported by GPT-4, has internet access, provides sources, and is free.