ChatGPT could soon get a paid Premium version with faster responses

OpenAI shared waitlist for a paid version of the chatbot called "ChatGPT Professional" with a few notable perks over the free version.

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ChatGPT, the viral AI that’s capable of mimicking human responses, may soon be going the paywall route. While the chatbot right now is available for all to use at full capacity for free, a new “premium” version alongside the current one could charge users for some perks.

In its official Discord handle, OpenAI shared a waitlist for a paid version of the chatbot called “ChatGPT Professional,” as spotted by TechCrunch. It comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from something with “Professional” in its name, including no blackout windows, faster responses without throttling, and at least double the daily number of answers over the free version.

To sign up, you’d have to complete a Google form asking various questions about what you’d expect from the premium version, mostly revolving around the pricing. One of the questions goes: “At what price (per month) would you consider ChatGPT to be a bargain—a great buy for the money?” It’s possible that ChatGPT could arrive at a price for the subscription based on user feedback.

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OpenAI also clearly states that if you’re selected, it will “reach out to you to set up a payment process and a pilot.” Currently, there are no plans to make the premium version available to the general public.

A recent analysis had shown how OpenAI could be spending at least $100K per day or $3 million per month on running costs, so this move isn’t very surprising. The company’s other hugely popular product – Dall-E – already charges for additional credits after the very limited free amount runs out, so a monetised ChatGPT was only inevitable.

OpenAI hasn’t yet specified what ChatGPT Professional may cost and when it will be made available.