OpenAI Brings ChatGPT to Landline Phones

ChatGPT Now Accessible via Traditional Phone Lines

ChatGPT is now extending its reach beyond digital devices. It is becoming available on landline phones, not just smartphones. Users can interact with OpenAI’s AI assistant by calling 1-800-242-8478 (1-800-CHATGPT), starting Wednesday afternoon.

Expanding Accessibility

According to Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s chief product officer, the company’s core goal is to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits everyone. A key component of this mission is maximizing accessibility for a broad audience. Bringing ChatGPT to the telephone represents the next step in achieving this objective.

The telephone experience closely mirrors the functionality of Advanced Voice Mode within ChatGPT. This includes real-time conversational capabilities, though without the multimodal features.

Usage Details and Limitations

ChatGPT can respond to spoken questions and perform tasks like language translation when contacted via phone. U.S. users are initially offered 15 minutes of free calling time. After this period, the call will automatically terminate.

It’s important to note that standard carrier fees may apply during the call.

ChatGPT on WhatsApp

Alongside phone access, ChatGPT is also launching on WhatsApp. This allows users to text with the AI assistant in a simple, conversational manner.

• The WhatsApp experience offers a basic exchange.
• It lacks the extensive customization options found in the official ChatGPT application.

Similar to the phone access, a WhatsApp account is not required. However, a daily usage limit is in place.

Users will receive a notification as they approach the daily limit. They can then continue the conversation by downloading the ChatGPT app or accessing it on a desktop computer.

Future Enhancements

OpenAI is actively developing additional features for the WhatsApp integration. These include functionalities like image analysis and web search. However, a specific release timeline for these enhancements has not yet been announced.

A Rapid Development

Weil revealed that this expansion originated as a project during a company “hack week.” The team completed the development in just a few weeks. This rapid deployment demonstrates OpenAI’s commitment to increasing ChatGPT’s accessibility.

The company views this as just the beginning of its efforts to make ChatGPT available to a wider range of users.