OpenAI’s ChatGPT has become more popular than ice cream on a hot summer day, but getting the most out of it can be challenging. Luckily, OpenAI has added plugins to the paid version of the service, ChatGPT Plus, making it easier than ever to get useful information out of ChatGPT-4. These AI chatbot enhancements augment what it can do, and the vast majority are written by third-party developers. All of the ChatGPT plugins are designed to work with GPT-4; they can’t work with the free ChatGPT-3.5 system. Today, there are 263 plugins, with more being added daily.
These plugins offer many services, including helping users write superior ChatGPT prompts, assisting in making restaurant reservations, providing financial advice, and delivering timely links to AI-enabled astrology forecasts. For now, all the plugins are free, but that will change in the future. It’s important to note that ChatGPT plugins and ChatGPT extensions are not the same thing. The ChatGPT Chrome extensions, such as WebChatGPT and Compose AI, make it easier to use any version of ChatGPT with the Chrome web browser.
Plugins add more search capabilities to the chatbot and integrate it with third-party services. Extensions, like any Chrome extensions, are just added via the Chrome Web Store. Plugins are trickier. To install ChatGPT-4 plugins, you’ll need a ChatGPT Plus account, a computer, and an internet connection. After subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, you’ll get immediate access to your new features. Beta features are switched off by default. To turn them on, click the three dots next to your username in the bottom left corner and select Settings. Click the Beta features tab in the Settings menu. Click the slider buttons next to Browse with Bing and plugins to enable access to ChatGPT’s Browse with Bing and plugin features.
ChatGPT Browse with Bing and ChatGPT plugins are separate features. The Browse with Bing feature is useful when you have a question or query that requires recent information or data. Instead of being limited to data from September 2021 and earlier in ChatGPT, you can access current information. To use it, start a new chat in ChatGPT and select the GPT-4 model. Hover over the GPT-4 button, and the browsing beta option will appear. Click it to select it. Use ChatGPT as usual. Behind the scenes, ChatGPT does the browsing for you, providing accurate, relevant, timely, and cited information. Click on each citation number to be transported to the webpage where ChatGPT found its information.
To get started with third-party plugins, start a new chat and hover over the GPT-4 option at the top. Click on the plugins option. Click the drop-down arrow under the GPT-4 button. A button will appear to access the plugin store. Here you can browse through a list of ChatGPT plugins. If you find one you want to try, click the green Install button next to it. After it’s installed, you can access it whenever you want from the same menu. Browse and test the plugins to find out which ones are best for your needs. If you don’t like something, it’s as simple as a quick uninstall. New plugins are added each day, so check back at the plugin store regularly.
It’s essential to keep in mind that ChatGPT-4 plugins are still in beta, so there may be some errors. There’s currently a hard limit on how many plugins you can have active at once. You can switch them out, but at any given time, only up to three can work. For now, you can only browse the web or use a plugin. You can’t do both at the same time. Some of the plugins duplicate web access in their functionality, so that’s not as big a deal as it might first appear. Before starting your session, be very clear about what you’re trying to achieve. Once you pass the threshold of ChatGPT-4’s 25 queries every three hours, you’re dumped back to ChatGPT 3.5.
It’s important to note that OpenAI states no plugin can be used for malware, scams, or spreading misinformation. Neither can it be used to circumvent or interfere with OpenAI’s safety systems. However, this doesn’t mean that this couldn’t happen, so users should beware.
In conclusion, OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus with plugins is an excellent tool for getting useful information. With 263 plugins and more being added daily, there are plenty of options to choose from. While the plugins are still in beta, they provide many services and are easy to install. Users should keep in mind the limitations and be clear about what they want to achieve before starting a session. With the right approach, ChatGPT Plus with plugins can be a valuable asset for anyone looking to get the most out of OpenAI’s chatbot.
