OpenAI temporarily disables ChatGPT's ‘Browse with Bing’ feature for content accuracy and rights protection
OpenAI identified an unintended behavior with the ChatGPT Browse feature, specifically when it displayed information in a manner that deviated from their intentions.
Highlights
- This feature was designed to offer access to the latest information on the internet
- ChatGPT's knowledge base remained limited to data gathered up until 2021
- Certain users discovered a method to bypass paywalls using ChatGPT's Bing integration
In recent news, OpenAI made an announcement regarding a new feature in their AI chatbot app, ChatGPT. This feature, called ‘ChatGPT Browse with Bing,’ provided users with the ability to search the internet using Bing and obtain up-to-date answers to their queries.
However, OpenAI has temporarily disabled this feature due to an issue that needs to be addressed. ChatGPT Browse with Bing was exclusively available to subscribers of ChatGPT Plus, a paid version of the chatbot.
The feature was designed to offer access to the latest information on the internet, even beyond the model's original training data. By utilising Bing's search engine, ChatGPT could retrieve information on current events and other relevant topics.
OpenAI clarified that this feature was in its beta stage and was intended to assist users with questions benefiting from recent information.
OpenAI takes action to address unintended behavior and respect content owner’s rights
OpenAI identified an unintended behavior with the ChatGPT Browse feature, specifically when it displayed information in a manner that deviated from their intentions. For example, when users requested the full text of a website link, the chatbot might present the entire text, which was not the intended behavior.
In order to rectify this issue and uphold the rights of content owners, OpenAI made the decision to disable the feature on 3 July, 2023. They are actively working on resolving the problem and plan to reintroduce the beta feature as soon as possible. OpenAI expressed gratitude for users understanding during this period.
The Browsing with Bing feature was valuable as it enabled ChatGPT to access more recent and accurate information. Without this feature, ChatGPT's knowledge base remained limited to data gathered up until 2021.
Consequently, if users posed questions about events occurring after 2021, such as the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ChatGPT would not be able to provide the correct answer.
It is worth noting that certain users discovered a method to bypass paywalls using ChatGPT's Bing integration. This allowed them to access content that typically required payment without incurring any charges.
OpenAI aimed to prevent this unauthorised access and opted to temporarily disable the feature while they work on resolving the issue.
