ChatGPT: OpenAI opens up AI chatbot without necessitating account signup

Now, users can directly get into a conversation with ChatGPT without having to go through the login process

OpenAI has announced that it will no longer ask users to create an account to use its AI-powered chatbot – ChatGPT. Ever since the launch of the service in 2022, the company necessitated signing into an account using either e-mail, Google Account, Microsoft Account, or Apple ID. However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI said that it is rolling out the ability to start using ChatGPT, without needing to sign-up. The company said that this is aimed at making “AI accessible to anyone curious about its capabilities”.

ChatGPT: What is new

OpenAI in a press note stated that the ability to use ChatGPT without requiring an account will be beneficial for those who have been curious about its potential but did not want to go through the steps to set-up an account.

Previously, upon opening the ChatGPT’s website, users were greeted with a sign-in page asking them to create an account or log-into an existing one. However, with the new update, the website opens up directly on to the conversation with the chat bot. Users can directly enter the prompt into the text bar at the bottom of the screen to start generating responses. There is a new section towards the left of the textbox where users can choose to sign-up or log-in.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT: Logged in vs Guest mode

If the user wants to start a new conversation from scratch and clicks on the New Chat button, the existing chats clears up and is no longer accessible from the chats section on the left side. Saving existing chats and holding multiple conversations about different topics in different chats is still only possible if the user creates an account. Additionally, services such as GPT-4 model and DALL-E model for image generation require logging into an account as these are accessible in the paid-tier.

OpenAI said that it has introduced additional content safeguards for using ChatGPT without signing-up, such as blocking prompts and generations in a wider range of categories. However, the company did not specify these categories. Additionally, OpenAI will still collect data from conversations which it said will be used to improve its AI model. However, the ability to turn this off is available through settings, irrespective of whether the user creates an account or not.