If we are to trust what reported by redditorsthe users of one of the most populated and influential communities on the internet, where illustrious personalities and protagonists of innovation often give themselves away to answer “any question” (the last OR prominent, “ask me anything”was by Bill Gates), OpenAI in recent days he would have unveiled a pro version of ChatGpt for 42 dollars a month.
Right on Reddit – but actually also on Twitter – screenshots have circulated that would show the offer, with graphics perfectly in line with the ‘official’ one used by OpenAI. The new plan promises: access to ChatGpt at any time, even when usage demand is high; greater speed in processing and writing responses; priority access to new features.
Anyone who does not intend to pay $42 a month will still be able to continue using – it has not been specified how long – the free version of ChatGptknowing however that there will be a risk of be cut off at peak timesthat the responsiveness of the AI will be modest and that it will be able to count on a ‘modest’ update regarding any new functions.
We have known for some time now that OpenAI is working on a premium version of its generative artificial intelligence. The president and co-founder of OpenAI, Greg Brockmanhe had mentioned last January 11, by posting a form on Twitter for those interested in registering for one “waiting list”. In this form there were at least four questions related to the monthly price you are willing to pay to use ChatGpt.
Yet the sudden pop-up that offered ChatGpt Pro for $42 a month has generated some confusion, and even some doubts: it appeared on the ChatGpt account of some users and then, after a few hours, disappeared without a trace. Enough to question the veracity of the announcement.
Was it a mistake or a rash experiment? Or OpenAI has nothing to do with the screenshots that have been circulating? Is it possible that someone else, using identical graphics, has tried to scam some users? There is no certain answer yet, but the fact that OpenAI, through its official channels, has not denied what has been circulating in the last few hours.
The suspicion that the offer is wrong, and that it shouldn’t be taken into great consideration, for now, is linked to its price. Not so much because it is considered “too high”, as several users have written, and because in some areas of the world such a cost would be practically impossible to bear.
For many it is just the number, that 42, which does not arouse suspicion. by itself, it’s a really strange price: Different from the x.99 dollars we are used to paying for the most popular streaming services. But it’s not just this. Some have noticed, almost immediately, that 42 is one of the most used numbers among those who produce and consume memethat is to say those viral contents – often composed of a photo and a caption – which usually convey the sharpest humor on the web.
The number 42, in fact, in pop culture is often described as “the answer to life, the universe and everything else” following the extraordinary success achieved by the writer and humorist Douglas Adams in 1978 with his radio series – which later became a book – entitled “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.
“The ‘pro’ offer appeared to me yesterday. Then it disappeared after a few minutes – wrote a Reddit user – All this, combined with the memes with the number 42, makes me think that the OpenAI business is not managed by true professionals”.
Yet, still on Reddit, there are those who claim to have already paid the amount requested by OpenAI, as demonstrated by the graphics testifying to the successful transition, in which the Pro version is defined as the plan in use (“Your current plan”) . But such haste could hide some pitfalls. If in doubt, the ideal would be to wait for an official communication from OpenAI.