ChatGPT Plus is the new premium subscription service from OpenAI, the AI development company. The subscription includes access to a new language model, GPT-4, which offers increased accuracy and response times. The upgrade has been heralded as superior in terms of quality and ease of use. While the payment may be an issue to some, there are still many pros and cons to switching to the Plus version.
First and foremost, the GPT-4 model is the real highlight. It is powered by over one trillion parameters, allowing it to recognize complex patterns in data and respond to questions posed to it in a much more sophisticated way. We tested the GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models by asking them both to explain quantum mechanics to someone unfamiliar with the topic. GPT-3.5 provided a summarized introduction, while GPT-4 went a step further, presenting a numbered list and using simple analogies to explain each point. Moreover, GPT-4 is trained to take visual inputs, is more creative and provides more factually sound responses.
Subscribing to ChatGPT Plus also provides access to features faster before they become available to the free version. Currently, there is a browser plugin, allowing ChatGPT to access web sources and improve its results. On top of that, users have access to priority chatbot servers, meaning there are fewer waiting times and fewer limitations when compared to the free version.
Finally, ChatGPT Plus does come at a cost. Every three hours, a subscriber can only send 25 prompts and more longer texts, as the GPT-4 model has a hard cap of 25,000 words per response. Microsoft’s Bing Chat is a powerful and free alternative, even if it quickly feels limited. The traditional ChatGPT is still a viable choice as well, as long as one uses the right prompting techniques.
No matter your choice, OpenAI is a technology company focused on developing artificial intelligence solutions. It was founded in December 2015 with the vision of democratizing AI research, making applications more advanced and accessible, and work with governments and industries worldwide. OpenAI’s founding team includes Elon Musk, the popular entrepreneur, and Sam Altman, the president of Y Combinator. As of 2017, their team has grown to around 90 members and they continue to develop cutting edge AI solutions.
