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ChatGPT's browsing plugin fixes a shortcoming that has existed since its release: the outdated information in the training material. Now, ChatGPT can surf the web and perform many new tasks.

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OpenAI has significantly extended the functionality of ChatGPT with plugins. Meanwhile, the waiting list has been lifted, so all Plus customers will gradually get access to the plugins at no additional cost. Browsing mode must first be enabled in the settings, and then selected in chat with GPT-4.

With the browsing plugin, OpenAI solves the problem of ChatGPT's training material being limited to outdated information, as it can retrieve up-to-date information from the Internet. We take a look at the most interesting use cases.

ChatGPT as a news aggregator

For news or other content after 2021, ChatGPT was not usable without the browsing plugin. Combined with the ability to use Markdown as well as plain text, ChatGPT now becomes a handy news aggregator, collecting and linking to the latest news on any topic.

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Use ChatGPT to summarize web pages or scrape links

ChatGPT also accepts URLs if the browsing plugin is enabled. This is useful, for example, to summarize an article or a newsletter. Even URLs that are linked on these web pages can be retrieved by ChatGPT, e.g. to create a list of links.

Check reviews with ChatGPT

If you like to check out other users' reviews before visiting a café, restaurant, or any other place, ChatGPT and the browsing plugin will help you save a lot of time. The same goes for reading product reviews before making a new purchase.

ChatGPT with the browsing plugin quotes real sources

Although ChatGPT, even in its basic form, has been popular with students in recent months for its ability to help them write essays, it lacked the essential ability to properly cite sources. Although the AI seemed to generate a supposed bibliography on request, the titles of the cited works were mostly fictitious. The browsing plugin closes this gap by providing URLs to the generated information.

Analyze social media trends with ChatGPT

The ability to visit URLs is not limited to static websites. The browsing plugin can also access social media content if it is available without a login. For example, it can analyze the top posts of a particular subreddit forum or Twitter timeline.

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Summary
  • ChatGPT gets many additional features through plugins, beyond just text generation.
  • The browsing plugin is one of the most interesting, as it allows access to web pages.
  • We take a look at the possibilities that OpenAI opens up with it.
Jonathan works as a technology journalist who focuses primarily on how easily AI can already be used today and how it can support daily life.
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