ChatGPT can now access internet to fetch real-time information

ChatGPT no longer relies solely on data predating September 2021

Users need to activate 'Browse with Bing' within the GPT-4 interface

ChatGPT has transcended its previous limitation of being constrained by a knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, thanks to OpenAI’s recent announcement on September 27.

In this development, ChatGPT is now empowered to access the internet to fetch real-time and authoritative information, liberating it from relying solely on data predating September 2021.

ChatGPT, now adheres to robots.txt protocols and accurately identifies user agents, thus enhancing its interaction with websites.

With this new upgrade, ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users will be the first to experience the benefits, while others can look forward to its availability in the near future. To access this cutting-edge feature, users will need to activate ‘Browse with Bing’ within the GPT-4 interface.

Previously, ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff date of September 2021 meant that it lacked awareness of crucial global events that transpired in 2022 and 2023, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Rishi Sunak becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Consequently, queries related to events post-2021 often yielded responses that were either incomplete or incorrect due to this constraint.

OpenAI underscored the significance of browsing for tasks necessitating current information, such as assisting with technical research, aiding in the selection of a bicycle, or facilitating vacation planning, as expressed in their announcement on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Earlier in the same week, OpenAI also unveiled that ChatGPT has acquired the capability to “see, hear, and speak,” enabling voice-based interactions with users and integration of images into conversations.