OpenAI May Introduce A Paid Pro Version Of ChatGPT

OpenAI has announced on its Discord server that it is considering the introduction of a paid pro version of its popular AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT.

According to the announcement, the pro version of ChatGPT will offer faster and more reliable responses.

The benefits of ChatGPT Professional are said to include the following:

• No blackout periods
• Faster responses to prompts
• At least twice the regular daily limit of messages

Monetizing ChatGPT with a pro version is a way for OpenAI to generate revenue to support its ongoing development and upkeep.

However, it is important to note that this announcement is not an official confirmation of ChatGPT Professional. Further details, including pricing, are yet to be revealed.

Here is all the information shared by OpenAI on Discord.

OpenAI Announces Possible Monetization Of ChatGPT

OpenAI announces that it is considering ways to monetize ChatGPT.

Though no official plans are in progress, one option OpenAI is considering is a version of ChatGPT geared towards professionals.

The announcement reads:

“We are starting to think about how to monetize ChatGPT (early thinking, nothing official to share yet). Our goal is to continue improving and maintaining the service, and monetization is one way we are considering to ensure its long-term viability. We are interested in chatting with some folks for about 15 minutes to get some early feedback. If you are interested in chatting, please fill out this form (takes about 10 minutes to fill out).”

OpenAI’s announcement links to a waitlist where you can sign up for a pilot version of ChatGPT Professional.

If interested, you must fill out a form asking questions such as how you use ChatGPT and how much you would be willing to pay.

The form states that those selected for the pilot will be notified individually:

“If you are selected, we will reach out to you to set up a payment process and a pilot. Please keep in mind that this is an early experimental program that is subject to change, and we are not making paid pro access generally available at this time.”

Though the waitlist is available to everyone, only select individuals will be admitted.

Will Regular ChatGPT Remain Free?

Regardless of whether OpenAI proceeds with ChatGPT Professional, the company does not guarantee that there will always be a free version.

The current version of ChatGPT is a free research preview.

In other words, we are all beta testers for what will eventually become a paid product.

OpenAI Founder Sam Altman has acknowledged the need to monetize ChatGPT due to computing costs:

"We will have to monetize it somehow at some point; the compute costs are significant."— Sam Altman (@sama) December 5, 2022

Investor funding enables OpenAI to cover the cost of running ChatGPT, but investors expect a return.

With powerful corporate backers like Microsoft, there is significant pressure on OpenAI to turn a profit.

As Microsoft plans to invest an additional $10 billion, the discussion about monetizing ChatGPT may ramp up.

We will continue to monitor the discussion around ChatGPT Professional on Discord and keep you informed of any new details as they emerge.