ChatGPT’s “Browse with Bing” feature has been temporarily suspended by OpenAI

Priya Walia

Microsoft patners with OpenAI logo

As a precautionary measure to safeguard against potential misuse of their AI model, OpenAI has decided to temporarily deactivate the “Browse with Bing” functionality in ChatGPT.

As of July 3, 2023, we’ve disabled the Browse with Bing beta feature out of an abundance of caution while we fix this in order to do right by content owners. We are working to bring the beta back as quickly as possible, and appreciate your understanding

the company said in a Help Center update.

The conversational AI, highly acclaimed for its natural and human-like dialogue capabilities, offers a more dynamic response system by allowing ChatGPT Plus subscribers to access the internet for real-time information. However, concerns have emerged regarding the potential misuse of this feature for circumventing paywalls on exclusive content.

The incorporation of the Bing browsing feature into ChatGPT has provided users with the capability to request the complete text of specific URLs, some of which may contain paid content. As a result, a multitude of ethical and legal inquiries have arisen regarding the appropriate utilization of AI technology.

OpenAI has promptly responded to these concerns through an update in their Help Center. Authored by Michael Schade, the article acknowledges that ChatGPT Browse with Bing is currently in its beta phase, offering the capacity to explore the internet and provide answers that benefit from up-to-date information. However, the company states that there have been instances where the ChatGPT Browse beta has exhibited content in ways that do not align with their expectations.

The “Browse with Bing” beta feature enables ChatGPT to retrieve real-time information from the internet, enhancing its response capabilities with a more dynamic and up-to-date knowledge base. Lastly, the good news is that the company has communicated its intention to promptly reinstate the functionality, following the thorough examination and resolution of any potential vulnerability, as per the update.

Via Windows Central