ChatGPT now lets you chat without limits on the free plan: what changes and what doesn’t
Good news for the millions of people who use ChatGPT without paying. The company behind it, OpenAI, has announced that those who use the free version will be able to have unlimited text conversations. That is, you will no longer have to stop when your question quota runs out. But there is an important nuance worth understanding before celebrating.
If you have ever used ChatGPT, you know it is a program you can talk to as if it were a person. You ask it anything: from how to prepare a recipe to helping you draft an email. Until now, the free version had a limit: there came a moment when it asked you to wait because you had run out of answers. It is a feeling similar to when you run out of mobile data in the middle of the month. Well, that barrier disappears for text.
What is the new Luna model
OpenAI has presented a new version of its program, called Luna. Think of artificial intelligence models as if they were car engines: there are more powerful, faster or cheaper versions. Luna is the simplest and the cheapest of the three the company has launched this year. And now it is the one that those who do not pay will use by default.
According to the company itself, this version makes fewer mistakes than the previous one. In fact, in its tests they claim that answers with some wrong data are reduced quite a lot. This is important, because one of the problems with these tools is that they sometimes invent information. Making fewer mistakes is good news for everyone.
The detail worth knowing
Here is the interesting part, and also the one worth understanding well. The unlimited conversation is text only. That means you can write and ask as much as you want without holding back. But there are other features that remain limited in the free plan, such as uploading files or generating images. It is a bit like when they give you paper and pencil for free, but the colors and special tools are paid for separately.
Why does the company do this? There is no magic here. Talking with text is cheap for them. On the other hand, generating images or handling files costs them much more money. So they give away what is cheap for them, and keep the expensive stuff for those who pay. It is a commercial strategy: give you a good part for free so that, if you want more, you end up paying for the full subscription.
Who benefits
This change mainly affects two groups. On one hand, those who use ChatGPT without paying anything. On the other, those who pay for the most basic plan, called Go, which is a kind of intermediate step. If you are in either of these two groups, you will be able to chat without limits starting this week.
In addition, the company introduces a button called «Think» in the free version. It is used so that, when you ask it a difficult question, the program takes a little more time before answering. It is useful for complicated calculations or for drafting long texts. In the paid plans, that control is done with a bar that you adjust yourself.
The figure behind the news
To understand the magnitude: OpenAI claims that more than a billion people use ChatGPT every week. Of all of them, the vast majority do not pay anything. This decision seems designed to keep that huge community happy and, in passing, to try to get some to make the jump and pay. In the end, giving away conversation for free is a way of showing what the tool can do, hoping that you want more.
In any case, for the average user this is, above all, good news. If you use ChatGPT from time to time, you will be able to ask it everything you need without being cut off halfway. That said, remember: the text is unlimited, but it is always a good idea to double-check what it tells you, because no tool is perfect. And if someday you want the more powerful features, that is where the company hopes you will be willing to pay.
