ChatGPT runs on ancient Windows 3.1 PCs thanks to WinGPT
Oh, Bill, what could have been? Introducing WinGPT, an AI assistant for Windows 3.1.
WinGPT is an ambitious project that brings ChatGPT to the classic Windows 3.1 operating system, offering satirical features such as research, entertainment, and productivity assistance.
Built in C using the Open Watcom v2 compiler, WinGPT connects natively to the OpenAI API server using TLS 1.3. Built primarily in C, the user interface required manual construction of components and resizing logic. The tool has memory limitations, so it only gives short responses, and the developer doesn't send the text of previous turns in the API calls, so the bot can't use previous conversation context, making it a bit forgetful.
WinGPT gives helpful life advice and tells you jokes to your
heart's content. Embrace a world of multimedia entertainment right on your desktop, as long as it's text-based!
dialup.net
It is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL) v2. Although not completely reliable, WinGPT demonstrates a creative application of AI technology to older systems.
Bonus hype: The logo was created with Microsoft Paint. Program icons in Windows 3.1 are 32x32, and show up in the Program Manager as well as in the task switcher.
The source code, binaries, and modified WolfSSL source code can be found bundled together on the creator's website. Please note that this project is satirical and should not be relied upon for accurate information. More information and download options can be found on the project page. An OpenAI API key is required.
AI News Without the Hype – Curated by Humans
As a THE DECODER subscriber, you get ad-free reading, our weekly AI newsletter, the exclusive "AI Radar" Frontier Report 6× per year, access to comments, and our complete archive.
Subscribe nowAI news without the hype
Curated by humans.
- Over 20 percent launch discount.
- Read without distractions – no Google ads.
- Access to comments and community discussions.
- Weekly AI newsletter.
- 6 times a year: “AI Radar” – deep dives on key AI topics.
- Up to 25 % off on KI Pro online events.
- Access to our full ten-year archive.
- Get the latest AI news from The Decoder.