We Dialed 1-800-ChatGPT. Here’s What Happened

OpenAI’s conversational chatbot ChatGPT has become one of the fastest-growing platforms within a matter of weeks after its official launch. It became mega-popular relatively quickly, faster than platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

ChatGPT has 100 million+ monthly active users, but it still isn’t accessible to many people. Hence, OpenAI announced the release of 1-800-ChatGPT for greater accessibility. It is an experiential new launch that lets people talk to ChatGPT via phone call or a message on Whatsapp. If you’re curious about this latest launch, read the article until the end for full information.

What is 1-800-ChatGPT?

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1-800-ChatGPT is a new experiential launch by OpenAI that facilitates wider accessibility. It is beneficial for people with limited access to high-speed internet. People with valid U.S. or Canadian numbers can call or message 1-800-ChatGPT to discuss wide-ranging topics, get instant guidance, etc.

You can initiate a call by dialing 1-800-242-8478. The same number can be used to message 1-800-ChatGPT on WhatsApp. The best part about this launch is it doesn’t require anyone to download an app for interruption-free usage.  

‘Talking’ to ChatGPT

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A CNN journalist called 1-800-ChatGPT to check what it’s capable of doing. The journalist was greeted with a female voice on the other side during the call.

While 1-800-ChatGPT talked on a wide range of topics, from sharing chocolate chip cookie recipes to summarizing the Civil War, it wasn’t open to engaging in personal conversations. 

1-800-ChatGPT Earned Mixed Reviews

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Several users were quick to try 1-800-ChatGPT, and the results were mixed. When a user asked 1-800-ChatGPT about San Francisco’s weather, they received a prompt response followed by a request to use an app with up-to-date information as 1-800-ChatGPT lacked real-time access to weather data. Virtual voice-enabled AI assistants like Siri and Alexa do a better job in this regard than 1-800-ChatGPT. 

While it failed to give real-time weather information, 1-800-ChatGPT shared accurate responses to other questions, like what year the Eiffel Tower was built. It even went ahead and answered correctly whether advance ticket booking is needed to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower. 

Limitations of 1-800-ChatGPT

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While 1-800-ChatGPT is good for basic queries, it cannot help you with the latest information. Its knowledge cutoff is October 2023, making it irrelevant to obtain any latest news. You cannot add it to group chats if you’re interacting with 1-800-ChatGPT on WhatsApp.

Additionally, you cannot use features like chatting with images, ChatGPT search, and other personalization features generally available in ChatGPT’s web-version platform. 

Download the official iOS or Android app and log in to your account to access these features. You can also log in to the web portal at chatgpt.com to log in and access all features. Another limitation of 1-800-ChatGPT is its usage limit. Users only get 15 minutes per month of free usage. Daily message limits on WhatsApp messages also apply. 

Preventing Interruptions During Call

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If you plan to dial 1-800-ChatGPT, ensure you do it in a silent environment. 1-800-ChatGPT can misinterpret background noise as prompts, wasting free minutes.

You can enable a noise isolation feature on your mobile device to avoid similar unintentional interruptions. iPhone users can enable voice isolation mic mode to prevent interruptions from background noise. People are advised to use headphones or earphones for seamless conversations with 1-800-ChatGPT. 

Avoiding Potential Scams

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Since scammers can use AI to create a replica of 1-800-ChatGPT for WhatsApp conversations, ensure you check the authenticity of the account before initiating any conversation.

OpenAI’s authentic 1-800-ChatGPT account will feature a WhatsApp-verified badge in the chat. You can also double check the number appearing on chat to ensure you’re talking to real 1-800-ChatGPT. The number must be 1-800-242-8478. For safety purposes, avoid conversing if any digit is missing from the displayed number. 

Privacy Concerns

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While 1-800-ChatGPT can be helpful, it raises serious privacy concerns for its users. OpenAI reserves the right to store and review your conversations.

It can obtain the transcripts of your calls and WhatsApp messages for safety and abuse prevention purposes. A limited number of human reviewers can view your conversations, so ensure you don’t share sensitive information with 1-800-ChatGPT or discuss any information you don’t want any other person to see.  

Unresponsiveness to Specific Prompts

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1-800-ChatGPT may not respond to some prompts for various reasons. If you share a prompt that violates its fair usage terms or abuses its capabilities in any manner, it may refuse to answer your query. Bugs and other technical issues can also be potential reasons behind 1-800-ChatGPT’s unresponsiveness.

Sometimes, 1-800-ChatGPT becomes unresponsive to specific prompts due to OpenAI’s safety measures.   

Exporting or Deleting Conversation Data 

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Once you’ve talked to 1-800-ChatGPT via direct call or WhatsApp, you can access or request deletion of the data after reviewing their privacy policy.

OpenAI also lets users restrict ways in which the company processes users’ data, withdraw consent, transfer the stored data to a reliable third party, raise objections to how OpenAI processes personal data, etc. You can make a privacy request or contact OpenAI’s data protection officer at privacy@openai.com. If you’ve used WhatsApp to talk to 1-800-ChatGPT, you’ll also have to raise an export and deletion request to WhatsApp. 

Unable to Call 1-800-ChatGPT

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Some numbers may be blocked from calling 1-800-ChatGPT for several reasons. For instance, you cannot call 1-800-ChatGPT from unsupported locations. Currently, calls can only be made from valid U.S. and Canadian numbers. OpenAI may also block some numbers if it believes your usage violates their Terms of Use.

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