Remember when long distance calls were a big deal? Uncle Stan from California would ring, and the whole house would scramble: “Hurry up! It’s long distance!” Calls cost money – especially beyond your area code.
Then, in 1967, AT&T flipped the script with toll-free “800” numbers. Businesses could foot the bill for your call, no matter where you were dialing from. It changed business communication forever.
Fast forward to today: OpenAI just launched 1-800-ChatGPT. Yes, you can now chat with an AI over the phone, toll-free. In the U.S. and Canada, dial 1-800-242-8478 for up to 15 minutes of free AI conversation per month. Internationally? Hit up the same number on WhatsApp with no limits.
Sadly, 1-800-ChatGPT’s knowledge cuts off at January 2022. Ask about anything post-2022, and it’s like talking to someone who’s been off the grid. Users are scratching their heads, wondering about its usefulness.
OpenAI calls this an experiment, nudging those seeking more up-to-date info to use the main ChatGPT service. Don’t worry: your calls won’t be used to train future AI models.
As OpenAI wraps up its “12 days of Shipmas,” it’s clear: what’s old is new again. This has really been fun.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.