Remember the days when you could just pick up the phone and call someone? Well, OpenAI is bringing that simplicity to AI with their latest experiment: 1-800-ChatGPT. That’s right – you can now chat with ChatGPT just by dialing 1-800-CHAT-GPT (1-800-242-8478) or sending a WhatsApp message to the same number. No apps, no accounts, no fuss.
What’s really cool about this is that you don’t need a fancy smartphone or even internet access. Got an old-school landline gathering dust? It’ll work just fine. Your trusty flip phone from 2005? That’ll do the job too. OpenAI is making AI accessible to pretty much anyone with a phone, and that’s pretty revolutionary when you think about it.
Call 1-800-CHAT-GPT.
It even works on flip phones and landlines. pic.twitter.com/lT7CoQa1Kn
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 18, 2024
If you’re in the U.S., you get 15 minutes of free talk time each month to chat with ChatGPT. Think of it like having a brainy friend on speed dial who’s always ready to help out. Just keep in mind that ChatGPT works best when you’re in a quiet spot – it’s not great at filtering out background noise. If you’re using an iPhone, you can switch on Voice Isolation in your Control Panel during calls to make things even clearer.
For the WhatsApp crowd, it’s even simpler. Just save 1-800-242-8478 as a contact and start messaging. But here’s the thing – while ChatGPT is happy to chat with you all day (within daily limits), don’t expect to share cat pictures or get it to join your group chat. It’s strictly text-only for now, and it’s more of a one-on-one conversation kind of deal.
Fair warning though – this isn’t quite the same as using ChatGPT on the web. You won’t get some of the fancier features like image chat or personalized responses. And while ChatGPT knows quite a bit, its knowledge cuts off at October 2023. For the full bells-and-whistles experience, you’ll still want to use the app or website.
Got blocked or running into issues? Don’t worry – OpenAI’s help center is there to sort you out. Just remember that ChatGPT will never call or message you first. If someone claiming to be ChatGPT slides into your DMs, that’s definitely not the real deal.
This whole phone service is still in its experimental phase, which means OpenAI is learning as they go. They might tweak things here and there based on how people use it. But one thing’s for sure – making AI as easy to access as ordering a pizza is a pretty big deal. It’s like we’re living in the future, but with a nostalgic twist.
