OpenAI has launched a paid subscription plan for their popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT — ChatGPT Plus.
ChatGPT Plus is a $20 per month subscription that provides perks such as priority access, faster response times, and early access to new features and upgrades.
According to OpenAI, the experimental paid subscription plan is a way to secure funding for ChatGPT’s continued free-to-use. The company also stated that user feedback would be used to develop and grow the ChatGPT service.
ChatGPT Plus is currently only available to users in the United States. Still, OpenAI intends to extend to other countries soon and is considering offering a lower-priced plan for companies and data pack options. Some ChatGPT members were allowed access to the professional tier for $42 per month a few weeks ago, but it is now accessible for $20 per month.
ChatGPT has had over 1 million users since early December and has been experiencing record growth. The service, however, is believed to be expensive to operate, with operating costs of several cents per chat.
OpenAI, which has received billions of dollars in Microsoft funding, is under pressure to turn a profit on products such as ChatGPT. In 2023, the company anticipates a profit of $200 million. Overall, the launch of ChatGPT Plus is an important step toward monetizing ChatGPT and assuring its long-term growth and development.
