Latest news with #ChatGPTPlus
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
OpenAI just gave ChatGPT a search boost — and it's coming for Google
OpenAI just rolled out a major upgrade to ChatGPT Search, and it's a bold step closer toward dethroning traditional search engines. Now available, the new version of ChatGPT Search can interpret more complex questions, run multiple search queries at once and even handle visual inputs like screenshots. Combined with better memory and voice tools in GPT-4o, it's starting to look a lot like the kind of all-purpose search assistant Google's been trying to build, but in chatbot form. Feature ChatGPT Search (GPT-4o) Google AI Search / AI Overviews Query Style Conversational, multi-turn Traditional search input, evolving toward AI summaries Source Transparency Links shown under citations (but limited detail) Inline links with mixed source visibility Live Web Access Yes (with browsing enabled on) Yes, but not always clear when results are real-time Image Understanding Accepts images + screenshots for context-aware responses Limited visual interpretation (outside of Lens) Tone & Use Cases Personalized, assistant-style responses Factual, one-shot summaries for faster results Ad Integration None (currently) Google Ads + Shopping baked into some queries Memory & Context Can recall past prompts and preferences (in GPT-4o) No long-term memory, personalization only if enabled Primary Strength Deep context + synthesis across multiple domains Quick facts, maps, and shopping results ChatGPT Search and Google AI Overviews take different approaches to answering queries. Google AI Overviews pull from existing web content to generate summarized answers at the top of search results, often quoting or paraphrasing websites. In contrast, ChatGPT Search blends AI-generated responses with live web results from trusted sources, offering a more conversational experience. While Google favors brevity and directness, ChatGPT provides more context, personalization and reasoning. ChatGPT also allows follow-up questions in a chat format, making it feel more interactive. Google is still a traditional search engine with AI layered on top — ChatGPT is search reimagined through conversation. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The upgraded ChatGPT Search now offers: So far, I've also noticed cleaner answers, fewer hallucinations and faster response time. As a power user with ChatGPT Plus, I've noticed a major shift because GPT-4o is enabled by default. With every prompt, responses feel sharper and more confident, with less of the filler or second-guessing I used to get. It's like the model knows what I'm asking before I finish typing, which is without a doubt the upgraded memory in ChatGPT Plus. ChatGPT Search is free for everyone, but Plus, Team and Pro users may experience even more of a streamlined search than those using the free tier. Google Search still dominates traditional queries, especially for quick facts, maps, shopping, or local recommendations. Environmentally, it uses less energy, which is why it might be the better option for short queries. But if you want any of the following, ChatGPT Search just got a lot more competitive: And while OpenAI says it's not trying to "kill Google," CEO Sam Altman admitted earlier this year that he doesn't use Google anymore. In this not-so-subtle statement, the CEO has made it clear that search habits are shifting. ChatGPT Search has become a legit search companion. More than a chatbot with search capabilities, the AI has the ability to understand what you're really asking and how best to answer. While Google is still the default for millions, this recent update from OpenAI shows that the tech giant is aiming higher and getting closer to Google. Do you use ChatGPT or Google for your searches? What is your deciding factor? Let us know in the comments!
CNET
5 days ago
- CNET
ChatGPT Free Review: Incredible Horsepower With Programmed Limits
CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 8.0 / 10 SCORE ChatGPT Free Review Pros Free Image generation Largely accurate Quick response times Document and image analysis Cons Low token limit Especially for images About 15 messages per a 3-hour window (according to OpenAI) Condensed responses Voice mode in preview only at the moment Remembers limited info from previous sessions ChatGPT Free Review 8/10 CNET Score Imagine you're texting someone and they stop responding for 3 hours. That's sometimes what it's like to use the free version of ChatGPT as of June 2025, running on the GPT-4o model. It's handy until it suddenly stops working. I understand the play by OpenAI, creators of ChatGPT. Ultimately, the company wants you to pay $20 a month for the ChatGPT Plus subscription. It entices you with higher token limits on Plus, meaning you can ask more questions and get larger outputs, as well as access to more advanced "reasoning" models, a fully interactive voice mode and the ability to create custom GPTs. For casual users, the free version of ChatGPT will suffice. In April, OpenAI retired GPT-4, the model that had been powering the ChatGPT free for the past year in favor of the more advanced GPT-4o. The 4o model is multimodal, meaning it can take multiple inputs, from text, to audio to images. The caveat is that for free users, when traffic is high, ChatGPT will downgrade to the GPT-4o-mini model. This model, as the name implies, is lighter but it's not as advanced, meaning it can get information wrong and not understand your intent as clearly. For very occasional use, ChatGPT Free is fine. It's possible to supplement the free version of ChatGPT with other AI chatbots, like Google Gemini and Claude. But if you find yourself quickly running into rate limits and don't like the idea of switching between chatbots -- or if you plan to do a lot of image generation -- it's probably worth upgrading. How CNET reviews AI models To test ChatGPT Free, I took a different approach from last year. Because the models have gotten more advanced, simply asking for recipes or travel itineraries won't push the models, especially now that it can cross-reference the open internet for up-to-date information. Instead, I tried to take a more experiential approach. Rather than running every model we test this year through the exact same round of questioning, I wanted to live with the models, just like everyone else. This included asking for shopping advice, generating diagrams, chatting with the experimental voice mode and asking ChatGPT about my personal life. How accurate is ChatGPT free? With 500 million active users, ChatGPT is quickly growing in popularity, and competing directly against Google Search. Where Google gives you 10 blue links requiring you to sift through articles to find the right answer, ChatGPT can synthesize information for you right away. Of course, AI chatbots can make mistakes, known as hallucinations. In these instances, it can be hard to tell if AI is giving you the best answer because it'll give an incorrect answer with confidence. A good AI chatbot will be accurate enough that you're not always second guessing it. The tricky thing about the free version of ChatGPT is that it'll switch between the GPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini model at any time, without ever informing you. So, one session you might be getting thorough and creative output. And in other sessions, it might feel a bit barebones, with responses being shorter and less detailed. Either way, in my experience, I found the free version of ChatGPT to be accurate for my research queries. But note that, unlike the more advanced o3 model, the free version of ChatGPT won't recursively check over its answers to make sure it's giving you an accurate output. There should be some skepticism when using ChatGPT for research and be prepared to double-check claims in the sources provided or via Google. How quickly do you run into rate limits for general questions? Unlike Google, which lets you search till you can't type anymore, AI chatbots require a lot more processing, and therefore, companies tend to put limits so that servers aren't getting overloaded. For those who pay, they have much higher rate limits. So, the rate limits on the free version of ChatGPT must be dramatically less, correct? It depends. For research, I tried my absolute hardest to push ChatGPT to time out, but found it challenging. When I asked it about the legality of using Nintendo-owned IP for esports competition, it exhausted my line of questioning and I began having to ask ChatGPT for more suggestions on what to ask. To me, it felt unlimited. Output was also quick, suggesting that processing wasn't as taxing as more creative queries. Generally, I've noticed more creative questions, where you need ChatGPT to brainstorm or help you write something bespoke, takes more time, suggesting it's using more processing power. It's these types of queries that'll most likely make you reach your limit faster. Don't ask for too many images Yes, it's possible for free ChatGPT users to create AI-generated images. Don't expect to be filling photobooks in a single session, though. This is where I finally felt the free plan's rate limits. Because ChatGPT Free has rather stringent token limits, and because images eat up a lot of processing power, you're often limited to one or just a handful of images in a single session. If you hit your limit, ChatGPT will make you wait for around three hours to take another crack at it. What's worse, however, is that if you reach your limit because you were generating too many images, you can't use ChatGPT for anything, even basic questions. At the very least, generated images in ChatGPT Free are good. For example, here's an image of a hippo and a zebra enjoying a cup of coffee at a ski resort with two lions fighting it out in the background. AI image generated by ChatGPT Free, Imad Khan/CNET Generate an image of two anthroponomic animals, one hippo and one zebra, drinking hot cups of coffee on a ski resort. Their style should be artistic and hand drawn with a painterly aesthetic. In the background, as skiers are skiing, there should be two lions fighting in the background. While the image isn't perfect, as noted by the wonky skiers in the background, overall, ChatGPT Free did a splendid job of mixing painterly art with anthropomorphic animals. Image generation on ChatGPT Free does take time, however. This image took 10 to 15 minutes to generate. I immediately hit my token cap and had to wait a few hours to be able to try again. Major shopping improvements ChatGPT has always been a great tool for helping find which products to buy. And earlier this year OpenAI pushed out an update to make shopping even better. For free users, the main benefit is direct linking within ChatGPT to related products so you don't have to search separately via Google. When I was researching jeans, ChatGPT Free was able to cross-reference material online and help me narrow down the wide swath of opinions regarding denim from Muji and Uniqlo. It was also able to show me alternative brands in that specific price range. I've also been hunting down a pair of now sold out denim jeans from the Canadian brand, Naked and Famous. When asked where I could find a pair in the aftermarket, ChatGPT Free recommended sites like eBay and Grailed where they might appear, but admitted it'd be difficult to find. Still, ChatGPT was able to link to similar products at that more premium price range. Document analysis As companies use machine learning systems to weed out resumes, job applicants are having to tune their resumes to AI models rather than to potential hiring managers in an attempt to out-AI the AIs. Thankfully, the free version of ChatGPT lets you upload documents for analysis. When I uploaded my resume, ChatGPT complimented me on things I got right and also gave me areas on which to improve. For example, it suggested adding a summary section and removing certain redundancies. Weirdly, when I asked it to analyze a document from a recent federal court ruling against Google, ChatGPT got it horribly wrong. Instead of analyzing the uploaded 115-page PDF, it ended up pulling US v. El Shafee Elsheikh, an appeal to a ruling against an ISIS member. When I pointed this out to ChatGPT, that's when it actually took the time to read the PDF and give a thorough breakdown. This breakdown, while not heavily detailed, was accurate. Privacy Like with all AI chatbots, especially ones available for free, be careful with what information you tell it or the data you upload. Would it be easier to have a chatbot do your taxes or parse through your medical documentation? Sure. Would you want that information in the hands of a private company? Probably not. Don't upload personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers, license numbers or addresses. Medical information or lab results shouldn't be given, either. Other data points that shouldn't be uploaded include credit card numbers, account numbers, login credentials, business data, client information or trade secrets. More information can be found at OpenAI's privacy policy page. For those that are concerned about their data, it's possible to opt out of model training. All you have to do is go into ChatGPT settings, click on Data Controls and disable "improve model for everyone," which is a sly way of making the use of your data sound like an act of altruism. It's also possible to use ChatGPT in a sort-of private mode via the Temporary Chats function. Here, in the top-right corner of a new chat, you can click on a dotted-line chat icon so that your chat data won't be stored or used for training purposes. It's also possible to delete chat history, which, after 30 days, will be taken off of OpenAI's servers. Of course, OpenAI will still gather some of your data. This includes your name, date of birth or other details you shared when opening your account. OpenAI will also know your IP address, web browser and other device information. Should you upgrade to ChatGPT Plus? OpenAI is offering a tremendous product for free. ChatGPT Free can do a significant amount of research and data processing before it starts asking you to fork over cash. In some instances, I tried hard to push the model far beyond its normal use case to get it to limit me. Sometimes, it would let me keep going and going. In one session, I was able to have it break down how a specific online company worked, develop a business plan for an idea I had, look at denim reviews, analyze documents and verbally talk to it about my hypothetical relationship problems. I didn't hit my rate limit, surprisingly. That's impressive. It's image generation and photo analysis that taxes ChatGPT Free's system quickly. Apart from occasional use, it's best to use the paid version of ChatGPT for images. I've spoken to other people who are avid users of the free version of ChatGPT and get annoyed by its rate limits. A friend of mine is juggling multiple accounts to get the most out of it without having to pay. Another friend found it frustrating when writing play scripts. In these instances, she'd ask ChatGPT Free to rewrite a script without specific words only for it to apologize and make the exact same error, again. Variability is what makes reviewing AI chatbots tricky. Every person will have a different experience. In my use, however, I found ChatGPT Free to be more than adequate and think it delivers an incredibly powerful product for those using it semi-casually. If you're the type to casually use ChatGPT when a Google Search isn't giving you what you want, stick to the free version for now. If, however, you constantly hit rate limit walls and are finding the general output of ChatGPT Free to be lackluster, then it's time to pull out your credit card.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ChatGPT o3-pro is only available on $200+ plans – here's what you're missing
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. OpenAI just released a new ChatGPT model that's better and more reliable than its best reasoning models to date. ChatGPT o3-pro joins the list of AI chatbot options in the app, replacing the o1-pro model. As exciting as the new model is, however, most ChatGPT users don't have access to it… even if they pay for the Plus plan. If you're on ChatGPT Free or ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), you won't get access to OpenAI's new reasoning AI. ChatGPT o3-pro is coming to the $200/month ChatGPT Plus tier. ChatGPT Team users also have access to o3-pro, and Enterprise and Edu users will get the upgrade soon. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 There's some good news for ChatGPT Plus users, too. OpenAI has significantly reduced the costs for o3. As someone who chats with ChatGPT o3 almost exclusively, I definitely appreciate the improved efficiencies. It's not like I worried too often about running out of ChatGPT o3 chats, but it did happen. It's good to see OpenAI bring down costs for its frontier models. That means Plus users are getting better rate limits than before. OpenAI explained in its release notes that 'like o1-pro, o3-pro is a version of our most intelligent model, o3, designed to think longer and provide the most reliable responses.' o3-pro will excel in the same areas as o1-pro, including math, science, and coding. Like o3, o3-pro has access to various tools available in ChatGPT, including online search, file support, reasoning with visual prompts, coding (Python), and memory. It's not quite on par with o3, though. ChatGPT o3-pro doesn't have temporary chats for now, and it can't use the 4o image generation tool or the Canvas feature. What really matters here are the performance improvements, and o3-pro excels in all benchmarks OpenAI conducted. That's not surprising for a new frontier model. OpenAI wouldn't add the 'pro' suffix without ensuring o3-pro outperforms o3. The company also says that o3-pro is routinely favored by reviewers: In expert evaluations, reviewers consistently prefer o3-pro over o3 in every tested category and especially in key domains like science, education, programming, business, and writing help. Reviewers also rated o3-pro consistently higher for clarity, comprehensiveness, instruction-following, and accuracy. OpenAI's tests show an average win rate of 64% in favor of o3-pro when compared to o3. As I said before, I'm a ChatGPT Plus user who's quite happy with what I get for that monthly $20 fee. I can't justify going Pro, just as I can't downgrade to ChatGPT Free. I've been using o3 more and more lately, even if I have to fight with the AI sometimes. Naturally, I wondered whether I really needed the slightly better o3-pro performance and the reduced hallucination rate (aka improved accuracy). I don't think I'll miss much for now, and this o3-pro review that Sam Altman retweeted does a great job explaining where o3-pro shines and why ChatGPT Plus users might not need it. Here's a longer snippet that includes the detail Altman cited: The weekly limit for ChatGPT o3 chats sits at 100 messages for ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users. Developers will appreciate the price drop the most. ChatGPT o3 input/output is priced at $2/$8 per 1 million tokens, down from $10/$40. But then I took a different approach. My co-founder Alexis and I took the time to assemble a history of all our past planning meetings at Raindrop, all our goals, even recorded voice memos, and then asked o3-pro to come up with a plan. We were blown away. It spit out the exact kind of concrete plan and analysis I've always wanted an LLM to create, complete with target metrics, timelines, priorities, and strict instructions on what to cut. The plan o3 gave us was plausible, reasonable. But the plan o3-pro gave us was specific and grounded enough that it actually changed how we're thinking about our future. This is hard to capture in an eval. That sounds amazing, but it's also something I don't need right now. I recommend reading the entire review to see the differences between o3 and o3-pro and decide for yourself. While I won't get o3-pro anytime soon, I'm glad to hear that operating costs for ChatGPT o3 queries have dropped significantly. Altman said on X that OpenAI has reduced the price of o3 by 80%. OpenAI's Kevin Weil tweeted that the company has doubled the rate limits for o3 in the Plus tier. That might not match the 80% drop in costs, but it's still a big improvement. The weekly limit for ChatGPT o3 chats remains at 100 messages for ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users. Developers will appreciate the price drop the most. ChatGPT o3 input/output is now priced at $2/$8 per 1 million tokens, down from $10/$40. More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Tom's Guide
13-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
OpenAI just made 5 major moves — what it means for you and ChatGPT
OpenAI has had a whirlwind week, from unveiling a new top-tier model to forming a surprising partnership with Mattel. Whether you're a power user of ChatGPT or just trying to keep up with the AI arms race, here are the 5 biggest OpenAI updates you need to know. On June 10, OpenAI quietly rolled out o3-pro, a new version of its o3 series focused on high-performance reasoning. Mostly for serious developers and power users, the upgraded model is now available to ChatGPT Pro and Team users, with Enterprise and Education accounts getting access next week. It's also live via the API — but with premium, token-based pricing. So, what's the big deal? Early feedback and benchmarks suggest o3-pro is significantly better at logic-heavy tasks, such as math, programming and long-context analysis. Think of it this way, if GPT-4o was built for fast, real-time interaction, o3-pro appears tuned for deeper thinking. While casual ChatGPT users may not have a use for this now, as these models continue to evolve, I have no doubt that this model will eventually become available to lower-tier users, such as ChatGPT Plus. OpenAI had promised to release its first open-weights model in June — essentially, a version of its technology that developers can inspect, use and even host themselves. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This would have marked a significant shift from OpenAI's traditional closed model approach and offered an alternative to rivals like Meta's LLaMA or Mistral. However, this week, CEO Sam Altman confirmed that the open-weight launch is delayed until later this summer, tweeting that the team had discovered something 'unexpected and quite amazing.' What that means is anyone's guess, but the delay signals a possible upgrade or strategic change to the planned release. What are open weights, anyway?Open-weight models are AI systems whose internal parameters are made public. That means developers can run, fine-tune or study them, offering more transparency and customization compared to closed models like GPT-4o. OpenAI's upcoming release could be a complete game-changer for users focused on using the chatbot primarily for research. OpenAI continues to push ChatGPT beyond simple chat. This week, the Projects feature received a major upgrade, with enhanced tools for research, planning and organization. Users can now build long-term projects within ChatGPT using memory, voice input, and file uploads. A new mobile model selector also lets you switch between GPT-4o and other models on the fly. It's part of OpenAI's broader vision to turn ChatGPT into your always-on productivity assistant. In an unexpected twist, OpenAI signed a cloud computing deal with Google, one of its biggest rivals in AI. This move follows OpenAI's existing partnerships with Microsoft and Amazon, suggesting a growing need for diverse infrastructure to power its future ambitions. In a move no one saw coming, OpenAI is teaming up with Mattel to bring AI to iconic brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels. The goal seems to be AI-powered toys that are smart, interactive and age-appropriate. The first products of this kind are expected before the end of the year. Both companies have emphasized a focus on privacy, security, and safety, and the announcement hints at OpenAI's growing interest in consumer-facing hardware and taking ChatGPT beyond the screen. ChatGPT experienced a widespread global outage on June 10, lasting several hours and affecting users across platforms. The service has since recovered, but the incident highlighted how dependent users have become on OpenAI's tools and the risks of relying on a single assistant. If you are a ChatGPT user and haven't made the leap to other chatbots, now might be the time to try the best ChatGPT alternatives. OpenAI is moving at breakneck speed as it fine-tunes its smartest models, enhancing productivity features, striking unexpected partnerships and preparing for a massive funding round. Whether you're a casual ChatGPT user or a developer tracking AI's evolution, the message is clear that this is only the beginning of what's to come.
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
OpenAI launches O3-Pro to tackle complex questions: Here's how it works
OpenAI has announced a new version of its language model called O3-Pro. This model is made to better handle complex questions and follow instructions more carefully. It is now available to ChatGPT Plus users, as well as to business and API users. O3-Pro is the first release under OpenAI's new naming system, which replaces version numbers with a monthly format. The 'O' marks it as the June 2025 release. This change supports more regular updates. The model is part of the GPT-4 group and focuses on improving reasoning, maintaining context, and producing more consistent responses. Earlier versions sometimes struggled with multi-step logic or unclear instructions. O3-Pro addresses these issues by responding more accurately to detailed prompts. It is now the default for ChatGPT Plus users and requires no special setup. Future updates will follow the same release approach, providing the latest version automatically. Those who have used the model note improvements in how it handles longer conversations. It seems to better understand the intent behind complex questions, helping reduce confusion and follow up corrections. For example, O3-Pro is better at following step-by-step instructions, such as legal queries that unfold over multiple parts, without losing track of earlier details. Previous models often required users to repeat or rephrase inputs in such scenarios. According to OpenAI, O3-Pro was built to 'handle more complex reasoning with better consistency,' with training focused on reducing errors and improving clarity across a broader range of topics. These updates are particularly useful in fields like research, law, and technical writing, where accuracy and deeper understanding are important. O3-Pro can support a range of tasks, including writing, coding, reports, and data analysis. OpenAI notes that it now handles more types of input with fewer mistakes, which may help teams working with technical or structured content. Despite improvements, OpenAI acknowledges that O3-Pro can still produce incorrect or unclear answers, especially with recent or fast changing information. Human review remains important in such cases. The release comes at a time when other companies are also launching AI models, some with features like memory or access to live data. OpenAI continues to focus on improving general purpose tools through regular updates. How O3-Pro performs in everyday use may influence what users expect from AI tools in the future.
