OpenAI has temporarily disabled the "Browse with Bing" feature in its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, following user reports of paywall bypassing. The feature – introduced to enhance the search experience beyond the limitations of the GPT-4 model – inadvertently allowed users to access premium content without a subscription.
The issue came to light when users in the r/ChatGPT Reddit community shared their ability to use the feature to bypass paywalls. In response, OpenAI suspended the feature on July 3, 2023, to address the misuse and uphold content ownership rights. The company is currently working on modifications to prevent such misuse in the future. The timeline for the reintroduction of the feature remains unclear.
I was only a marginal fan of the "Browse with Bing" plugin; I mostly use the "Link Reader" plugin when my ChatGPT Plus sessions need information from the public internet. That said, access to the web is an essential feature for consumer-facing conversational AI, so I hope they get this fixed quickly.
If you want to learn more about ChatGPT plugins, how they work and how to use them, sign up for our free online course, Generative AI for Execs. -s.
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 technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.
