At its Spring Update event, OpenAI finally addressed one of ChatGPT’s biggest pain points—its knowledge cutoff. Now, both paid and free users can have ChatGPT pull their answers from the web through its Browse feature, giving the chatbot the most up-to-date information.
Real-time information access
One of the Browse feature’s biggest perks is that ChatGPT can reference the web to provide answers about current events, which the free version was previously unable to do. For example, if you ask the chatbot a timely question like, “What is the weather in NYC?” ChatGPT will find the answer by visiting multiple websites, ensuring accurate and current responses.
Verified sources and reduced hallucinations
Another major benefit, highlighted in the update, is that when ChatGPT uses Browse, it includes links to the websites from which it pulled its answers. This is particularly important for users who want to verify the information, especially since generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are prone to hallucinations.
Easy activation process
Getting started with the Browse feature is straightforward, but it can be a bit confusing for first-time users as no obvious Browse is setting to toggle on. Follow these simple steps to get started in seconds:
- Log into ChatGPT Although OpenAI allows you to access ChatGPT without logging in, to utilize certain perks—such as GPT-4 and all of its advanced features including Browse, Vision, data analysis, file uploads, and GPTs—you need to sign in to your account. Creating an account is easy, with two options: create an OpenAI account from the sign-in page or log in with your existing Google or Microsoft account. The latter is often the easiest option.
- Ask a question on current events To activate the Browse feature, you don’t need to turn on a specific setting. It’s much easier than that! All you have to do, in OpenAI’s words, is “ask a question in the chat that requires the use of the Browse feature.” In practice, this means that whenever you ask the chatbot anything about current events, Browse will turn on automatically. For example, when asked, “Who is currently the President of the United States?” ChatGPT automatically activates the Browse feature to index the web for the answer.
That’s it! With these simple steps, you can now enjoy the enhanced capabilities of ChatGPT, ensuring you receive the most up-to-date and accurate information.
