For the past few months, OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot has been taking the world by storm, with its AI-powered ability to write essays, emails, poems and even computer code. Now, OpenAI has announced that it’s “starting to think about how to monetize ChatGPT” with a new version called ChatGPT Professional, and it’s looking to get feedback from potential users on pricing.
ChatGPT Professional will offer a range of benefits, including no “blackout” windows, no throttling, and an unlimited number of messages with ChatGPT. OpenAI has created a waitlist form to collect feedback on payments, and select applicants may be able to pilot ChatGPT Professional.
The chatbot has already attracted some major media attention and investors, with Ryan Reynolds enlisting it to write an ad for Mint Mobile, and Microsoft reportedly incorporating the AI behind ChatGPT into its Office suite and Bing. With over a million users, ChatGPT’s operating expenses are “eye-watering,” and OpenAI is under pressure to turn a profit on the tool ahead of a rumored $10 billion investment from Microsoft.
As OpenAI looks to monetize ChatGPT, it’s important to note that the company operates under a “capped-profit” model which limits backers’ returns to 100 times their investment — or possibly even less in the future. For now, OpenAI is keeping ChatGPT Professional in the experimental stage and won’t be making it widely available “at this time.”