Calvin Wankhede/Android Authority
ChatGPT has received a number of small and incremental updates since its release, but none compare to the latest: GPT-4. It introduces a number of under-the-hood improvements to chatbot features, as well as support for image input.
Up to this point, ChatGPT was based on GPT-3.5, which itself is an offshoot of the 2020 OpenAI language model. So what is different about GPT-4 and how does it affect your ChatGPT experience? Here’s everything you need to know, including using GPT-4 in your own chats.
GPT 4 brings image input to ChatGPT for the first time, allowing you to submit visual prompts such as a drawing, chart, or infographic. It’s also smarter and more creative than its predecessor. GPT-4 is available through ChatGPT and Bing Chat, read on to learn more.
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What is GPT 4?
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
If you are unfamiliar with ChatGPT’s underlying technology, here is a brief introduction: GPT refers to Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. Each word in this acronym says something about the machine learning technologies that went into the development of the chatbot. For example, it is based on Google’s Transformer architecture and has been pre-trained with a large dataset of text samples. Finally, generative means that it can write brand new lyrics.
GPT-4 is OpenAI’s latest language model, which is smarter, more secure, and more accurate.
As the name suggests, GPT-4 refers to the latest version of the language model. It replaces GPT-3 and GPT-3.5, the latter of which has supported ChatGPT since its November 2022 release. In the future, you can now switch to an optional one GPT 4 mode within ChatGPT — more on that in a moment.
GPT-4 vs GPT-3.5: What’s the difference?
GPT-4 can take on different personalities
According to OpenAI, GPT-4 improves GPT-3 in the following ways:
- performance and reliability: In a simulated test, GPT-4 scored in the top 10% of test takers despite the model not receiving any special training. In the same scenario, GPT-3.5 ended up in the bottom 10%.
- image inputs: You can present GPT-4 with images, graphs and infographics instead of typing a prompt.
- Larger input size: GPT-4 can handle 25,000 words of input text, which means it can analyze complex topics and respond to prompts with more context. This is a big step up from the existing ChatGPT limit of 4,096 characters, which includes both the prompt and the chatbot’s response.
- Logical thinking: According to OpenAI, GPT-4 provides 40% more factual answers than its predecessor. In addition, the model is less prone to hallucinations (where it self-consciously responds with fake or fictitious information).
- Improved Creativity: GPT-4 can assume different roles and keep its character. For example, it can predict being a pirate or a tutor, the latter of which is shown in the screenshot above.
These changes may seem minor at first, but they all add up to make GPT-4 incredibly powerful.
Take the larger input size as an example. You can provide GPT-4 with a link to any Wikipedia page and ask follow-up questions based on that. This is invaluable for niche topics that ChatGPT probably doesn’t know much about – we know it has a limited understanding of many philosophical and scientific concepts.
GPT-4 can accept web links thanks to its longer input limit
You could also feed it documentation for a specific programming language or library and ask ChatGPT to write code snippets. The possibilities are nearly unlimited.
How can I use GPT-4 in ChatGPT?
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
GPT-4 is available and ready to use immediately with no waiting list required. The only caveat is that you need an active ChatGPT Plus subscription, which costs $20 per month. Without the latter, you can only access legacy chatGPT mode or GPT-3.5. Here’s how to switch to GPT-4 if you’re currently on a free plan:
- Visit ChatGPT and log in to your account.
- Look for the in the bottom left corner of your screen upgrade plan button and click on it.
- Follow the instructions to update your account.
- Once you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus you will have access to a new drop down menu on the chat screen. Expand it and select the GPT-4 model.
OpenAI says it will offer limited GPT 4 access for free users in the future, but that may take a few more weeks. In the meantime, scroll down to the next section for a possible workaround.
Accessing GPT-4 in ChatGPT costs $20 per month, but there’s a free workaround for now.
If you’re looking for a guide on how to use GPT-4’s image input feature, you’ll have to wait a little longer. OpenAI is working with third parties to enable the feature and at least hasn’t integrated it into ChatGPT yet. The first partner be my eyesuses GPT-4 to assist the visually impaired by converting images to text.
GPT-4 free: Microsoft’s Bing Chat
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Since it’s still brand new, GPT-4 will likely require more computing resources to run compared to older models. That’s probably a big reason why OpenAI locked its use behind a paid subscription. But if you don’t want to pay for ChatGPT Plus or try out the new model’s capabilities first, you’re in luck. ChatGPT is not the only way to access it.
Around the time of the GPT-4 release date, Microsoft announced that its Bing Chat AI chatbot was secretly using the new language model at its core.
Microsoft’s Bing Chat uses GPT-4 under the hood and you can use it for free.
Although heavily customized to the needs of the search engine, it is still based on the same foundation as the GPT-4 mode in ChatGPT. Check out our Bing Chat vs ChatGPT guide to understand how the two chatbots differ in other aspects.
Bing Chat and ChatGPT Plus have hourly or daily limits on GPT 4 usage, even if you pay for the latter. You just have to make do with that quota and avoid hitting what is probably GPT-4’s biggest limitation right now.
GPT-4 in apps: PowerPoint, Duolingo, Khan Academy and more
GPT-4 is a multimodal model, meaning it can handle more than one type of input. Of course, this makes it ideal for a range of use cases, from education to customer service. To that end, we’re starting to see the technology being adopted into existing apps and services. Here’s a short list of the integrations we’re currently aware of:
- Microsoft Office 365: Shortly after the release of GPT-4, Microsoft announced that it would soon integrate the technology into its Office suite. The new feature, called Copilot, creates a complete PowerPoint presentation with a single text input or summarizes long documents in Word. Notably, Microsoft also offers one of the best ChatGPT alternatives for coding with GitHub Copilot.
- Duolingo Max: If you’re struggling to learn a new language without someone to practice with, Duolingo has a new subscription plan to help. It uses GPT-4 to simulate conversations with another person, with the first prompt based on your current language skills. Your answers will be evaluated and the chatbot will make suggestions for improvement.
- stripes: Payment processor Stripe has developed up to 14 prototypes based on GPT-4. It hopes to use the language model to aid in software development, business analysis, and big data processing. While none of this is currently user-centric, Stripe is working with OpenAI to process payments, so we could see deeper integration in the future.
- Khan Academy: Non-profit educational website Khan Academy will use GPT-4 in a chatbot called Khanmigo. But what does it bring to the table? After all, ChatGPT can already write essays. according to a blog entryKhanmigo will provide back-and-forth story ideation, provide vocabulary training, and step in as debate opponents.
Many more GPT 4 apps are likely to appear in the coming weeks and months. However, it remains to be seen if they will require a monthly subscription. Besides Microsoft’s Bing Chat, all of the above apps offer GPT-4 as a premium add-on.
OpenAI has launched GPT-4, the latest language model that replaces GPT-3 and GPT-3.5. It offers a plethora of new features that aim to improve its chatbot’s language generation abilities, including the ability to use image prompts and handle larger input sizes. GPT-4 is integrated into ChatGPT and Bing Chat, and a range of other popular apps, including PPT and Khan Academy, are relying on this NLP model to process data. While some functionalities of GPT-4 require a monthly subscription, Microsoft’s Bing Chat allows users to try out the new model for free.