ChatGPT hype encourages fake apps trying to cash in: Here’s what to keep in mind

The app was charging a fee of up to $49.99 for ad-free usage, so it’s fair to assume that its developer did manage to make some money for the short duration during which it was up.

There are a bunch of “ChatGPT” apps in the appstore.

One is “ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3” (🤔), a fake ChatGPT (doesn’t follow context, many mistakes) and probably build off GPT3 or even a simpler LLM.

Currently brings more than $30K/day pic.twitter.com/Kl6b0nrPal

— Andrey Zagoruiko 🇺🇦 (@andreyzagoruiko) January 6, 2023

Still, Apple seems to be handling the fake apps situation a lot better than Google, since the Play Store looks like it’s absolutely plagued with those. Searching “ChatGPT” on Google Play Store returns a flurry of applications with that keyword in their name, each trying to squeeze their way to the top.

Meanwhile on Google Play…fake chatGPT 1star app with >100k downloads. pic.twitter.com/5fj5SEITwp

— nisten (@nisten) January 6, 2023

There’s no telling what these apps might have in store, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. In the best-case scenario, you’d be bombarded with ads every time you input a query. The worst among these apps could be designed to steal your data.

Obviously, not all are fake, but many of them do dishonestly claim that they are based on ChatGPT. At the moment, there is no official API (Application Programming Interface) for ChatGPT, so technically it’s impossible for an app to be based on the chatbot.

Why there’s no legit “ChatGPT app” right now

The only official interface for ChatGPT currently is the website which you can access by heading over to chat.openai.com. As stated above, an official API for ChatGPT is not a thing right now, so developers can’t directly create apps based on the chatbot.

But if you’d rather not go through the hassle of navigating into the ChatGPT website every time you have a query and would rather have an app, then there’s a workaround you can use:

1. Open chat.openai.com on Chrome on your phone

2. Login to your OpenAI account

3. When you see the ChatGPT interface, tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner

4. Hit “Add to Home screen” to create a shortcut

One key advantage to using the official ChatGPT interface is that it does not throw ads at you at all. It’s just you, your curiosity, and the know-all bot’s finesse without a bother in the world.

What to do when you spot a fake

If you spot a fake or malicious “ChatGPT” app on the Google Play Store, head to its listing page, tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right, then tap “Flag as inappropriate.” Here you’ll be asked to select the reason you find the app objectionable. “Copycat or impersonation” will be the most appropriate response.

If you spot a fake or malicious “ChatGPT” app on the Apple App Store, head to its listing page, scroll down to “Report a problem,” tap it, and then tap “Report a scam or fraud.”