OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, has announced that they are opening up access to their AI-powered chatbot platform through an application programming interface (API) for other companies to integrate into their own applications.
This move allows developers to access the programming interface and integrate chatbot functionalities and responses into their platforms.
According to the company, applications such as Instacart, Snap, and the tutoring app Quizlet are among the early partners experimenting with adding ChatGPT.
This move comes three months after the surprising release of ChatGPT, which wowed many users with its ability to generate original essays, stories, and song lyrics in response to user requests.
The companies in the early batch entering OpenAI’s API have slightly different visions on how to integrate ChatGPT.
Overall, this service can test how useful AI chatbots are in everyday life and how much people want to interact with them for customer service or other uses in their favorite applications.
The company behind Snapchat, Snap, plans to offer a chatbot that offers recommendations, helps users plan, or even writes haiku in seconds.
Meanwhile, the online learning platform Quizlet, which has more than 60 million student users, implements a feature that asks questions based on course material to help students prepare for exams.
Consumer applications Shopify, Shop, and Instacart all launched chatbots that can help inform customer shopping decisions.
Instacart plans to use this tool to allow users to ask questions like “How to make delicious fish tacos?” or “What is a healthy lunch for my kids?”
In addition, the online dating site OkCupid has also experimented with using ChatGPT to write matching questions.
Other companies like Fanatics have previously expressed interest in using similar technology to power customer service chatbots.
“With the level of interest and usage from users, companies don’t want to be left behind, so there is a basic incentive to embrace new technology to stay competitive,” said Michael Inouye, an analyst at ABI Research.
Inouye explained that if users are more engaged with the chatbot service, it means more data for advertising, and marketing of goods and services, which potentially strengthens customer relationships.
However, there are some risks. Despite its appeal, ChatGPT raises some concerns, including its potential to perpetuate bias and spread misinformation.
Some school systems, such as those in New York and Seattle, have banned the use of ChatGPT in classrooms over concerns that students may cheat.
