OpenAI Launches 1-800-CHATGPT Hotline to Speak with AI

OpenAI is bringing ChatGPT to an unexpected platform: landline telephones. Starting Wednesday, users in the U.S. can dial 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478) to access a real-time AI conversational experience (via TechCrunch).

In a livestream announcement, OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil emphasized the company’s commitment to accessibility. “Our mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,” said Weil. “Making it accessible to as many people as possible is a key part of that mission, and today, we’re taking a significant step by bringing ChatGPT to your telephone.”

Users can call the toll-free number and interact with ChatGPT in a conversational format. While the phone service doesn’t include multimodal capabilities like image interpretation, it can handle a variety of tasks, such as answering general questions, offering language translations, and providing assistance with everyday queries.

To encourage adoption, OpenAI is offering 15 minutes of free calls for U.S. users, although standard carrier fees may still apply.

In addition to its phone service, ChatGPT is now available for texting via WhatsApp. Users can have straightforward, back-and-forth text conversations with the assistant, offering a seamless option for those already using the messaging platform.

Simply add 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478) as a contact in WhatsApp from anywhere in the world to start useing ChatGPT.

The WhatsApp integration doesn’t require an OpenAI account, but it does come with a daily usage limit. When users approach this limit, they’ll receive a notification encouraging them to continue their conversations through the official ChatGPT app or on a desktop browser.

Though the current WhatsApp experience is basic, OpenAI plans to roll out more features, including web search capabilities and image analysis. However, a timeline for these updates has not been revealed.