Arr! ChatGPT be cuttin' ties with Bing, mateys! Scallywags be usin' it to dodge paywalls. Walk the plank, ye sneaky dogs!
2023-07-05
Arrr, in a measly attempt to dodge the jaws of the law, OpenAI be puttin' a screechy halt to ChatGPT's gallivantin' with Bing. Aye, they be takin' a wee break, all to keep 'emselves outta trouble. Wise move, me hearties!
OpenAI has temporarily disabled the Browse with Bing beta tool for ChatGPT Plus subscribers due to people using it to bypass paywalls and consume content for free. The tool allowed ChatGPT to pull information from recently published sources and answer time-sensitive questions. However, developers underestimated the feature's capabilities, and users discovered they could request a URL's full text and access paywalled articles. OpenAI is fixing this issue to protect content owners, but the exact return date is unknown.Speculation on the ChatGPT subreddit suggests that the AI was able to bypass paywalls by reading the code rendering the text of articles. The response to the announcement has been negative, with subscribers expressing their disappointment on OpenAI's Community forums. Some users stated that Browse with Bing was the main reason they purchased ChatGPT Plus, as it allowed them to read repositories on GitHub or forum posts in other languages. Others feel that without this feature, they are not getting their money's worth.
While users are angry, it's understandable why OpenAI disabled the tool. The company is currently facing multiple lawsuits, including allegations of copyright violation and privacy infringement from the Clarkson Law Firm. Authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad have also claimed that OpenAI used their books without attribution to train the AI. Furthermore, Georgia radio host Mark Walters has sued OpenAI for defamation after ChatGPT made false claims about him embezzling funds.
Given these legal challenges, OpenAI is being cautious and avoiding further trouble. The company is already navigating rough waters and does not need additional lawsuits. Overall, disabling Browse with Bing is a precautionary measure to protect OpenAI's interests.
For those interested, TechRadar has compiled a list of the best ChatGPT extensions for Chrome that everyone should use.