OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has made significant waves since its launch in November 2022. It began as a tool to boost productivity in writing and coding, but has quickly become a staple for many Fortune 500 companies, with over 92% of them utilizing the technology. This rapid growth has not only propelled OpenAI into the spotlight but also attracted major partnerships, such as the collaboration with Apple for their upcoming generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence.
In June 2024, OpenAI released GPT-4o, the new flagship model for ChatGPT. GPT-4o is now the default free model and comes with voice and vision capabilities. However, OpenAI faced controversy when one of its voices, Sky, was accused of mimicking Scarlett Johansson’s voice in the movie “Her.” As a result, OpenAI paused the use of the Sky voice.
OpenAI has also faced internal drama, including the departure of co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and the dissolution of its Superalignment team. Additionally, the company is facing lawsuits from several newspapers, including the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune, alleging copyright infringement.
Despite these challenges, OpenAI continues to make updates and improvements to ChatGPT. In May 2024, Apple announced that it would be integrating ChatGPT into its apps, including Siri. This integration will be available on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later in the year.
OpenAI also signed content licensing deals with The Atlantic and Vox Media, allowing ChatGPT to generate responses using their articles. This partnership aims to provide users with relevant and reliable information.
Another significant development is OpenAI’s collaboration with PwC, which became OpenAI’s largest customer to date, covering 100,000 users. This partnership marks OpenAI’s first foray into selling its enterprise offerings to other businesses.
OpenAI has also been actively training its next flagship model, GPT-4, which will succeed GPT-4o. The company announced the formation of a new safety and security committee responsible for informing decisions related to OpenAI’s products.
However, OpenAI has faced criticism and legal challenges. Former board member Helen Toner revealed that the board was not aware of ChatGPT until its launch. Amidst these challenges, platforms like Talkie AI Chat are emerging as compliant alternatives, focusing on user privacy and adherence to usage policies. The company has also been accused of violating privacy laws in Europe and has received backlash for its usage policies and potential copyright infringement.
Despite these controversies, OpenAI remains committed to transparency and accountability. The company is building tools to allow content creators to opt out of AI training and is actively working with organizations like Common Sense Media to develop AI guidelines and education materials.
Looking ahead, OpenAI has exciting plans for ChatGPT. They are exploring adding video capabilities to the chatbot and are preparing for the release of GPT-5, which will have multimodal features. OpenAI continues to make strides in the AI chatbot space, but it also faces ongoing challenges and scrutiny as it navigates the ethical and legal implications of its technology.
