Want access to OpenAI’s new GPT-4? Here’s how to get it

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OpenAI recently announced its latest and most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model, GPT-4.

Although it may not appear as groundbreaking as its predecessor, ChatGPT, the company has made significant improvements under the hood.

However, access to GPT-4 is currently limited. Microsoft’s chat-enabled Bing is among the few places users can try it out.

Additionally, a small number of private companies like Stripe, Duolingo, and the Be My Eyes app, are conducting one-on-one tests with OpenAI to explore the model’s potential, but again, that’s more of an invite-only type of situation.

So, what about you? How do casuals like us get to take GPT-4 for a spin around the block? To get you on your way, I’ll show you how.

What you’ll need to access GPT-4

Alright, first things first: GPT-4 is currently available only for premium ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

Plus is a $20 monthly subscription that gives users front-of-the-line privileges to new features, faster responses, and more.

If you’re using the free version of ChatGPT, bad news, you won’t be able to access GPT-4 just yet.

But you can change that – for starters, you’ll just need $20, a debit or credit card, and naturally, an internet connection.

How to get access to GPT-4

If you’re ready to get your hands on GPT-4, here’s what you need to do:

Go to OpenAI’s GPT-4 announcement page. You’ll find a link to this page in the article or you can do a quick on-page search.

If you are a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, a notification screen will appear, indicating that GPT-4 is now available, and will ask if you would like to try it.

If you’re using ChatGPT’s free version, you’ll need to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus. To do this, click the “Upgrade to Plus” button in the left menu.

You’ll see a popup informing you about the benefits of ChatGPT plus. Click the green “Upgrade Plan” button to proceed.

You’ll be taken to a standard e-commerce sales page, where you’ll need to input your information and pay $20 per month for the premium version.

Once OpenAI gets your money, you can access GPT-4 by starting a new chat in ChatGPT+. A pulldown menu will give you the option to choose GPT-4 or one of the older models.

That’s it; you’re ready to use GPT-4 in your chats. If you’re already using ChatGPT, you might be prompted to switch to GPT-4 during your conversation.

Outputs generated by GPT-4 will feature a new black logo, while those generated by GPT-3 will have the old green logo.

In summary, to access GPT-4, you’ll need to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus. It’s not yet available for free users.

How to get GPT-4 for free

Technically, you can try it for free. And technically, you may have already used it without even knowing. Can you take a guess? Here, we’ll answer it for you: Microsoft Bing.

Microsoft themselves have confirmed that GPT-4 is the genius behind these users’ chatbot interactions.

And while it’s already powering Bing’s chatbot interactions – it’s also being used by clients such as Khan Academy, Stripe, Morgan Stanley, and the government of Iceland.

So if you don’t want to pay for the Plus subscription, see if any of those companies (or government) will let you hang out for the day and give you access. We hear Iceland is lovely this time of year.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.