How ChatGPT has evolved in 2024: Productivity upgrades, media partnerships
What's the story
Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT, the revolutionary AI chatbot from OpenAI, has been making waves.
Originally intended to enhance productivity by helping with tasks like essay writing and coding via short text prompts, it has now turned into an essential tool for over 92% of Fortune 500 companies.
This swift adoption has catapulted OpenAI's status in the tech industry.
Here's a timeline of ChatGPT updates this year.
Latest update
OpenAI's $200 ChatGPT Pro plan
OpenAI recently introduced a $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription as part of its 12 Days of OpenAI event.
This plan offers unlimited access to all OpenAI models, including the complete version of its o1 reasoning model, which was previewed in September.
The updated o1 can now process image uploads and has been optimized for faster, more concise responses.
ChatGPT Pro also comes with exclusive o1 pro mode, which "uses more compute for the best answers to the hardest questions," says OpenAI.
User count
ChatGPT hits 300M weekly active users
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed at the New York Times' Dealbook Summit that ChatGPT has surpassed 300 million weekly active users.
This marks a significant growth from the 200 million users reported in August 2024 and just over a year since the chatbot reached 100 million in November 2023.
The rapid increase highlights the growing popularity and widespread adoption of the AI-powered tool, solidifying its place as a major player in the tech landscape.
Ad-revenue plan
OpenAI considering ads for ChatGPT, but no immediate plans
OpenAI is exploring the possibility of introducing ads into ChatGPT, company's CFO Sarah Friar told Financial Times.
While she emphasized that there are no active plans to pursue advertising, the company is considering a thoughtful approach to where and when ads might appear.
This move comes after Altman previously described ads as a "last resort," raising questions about the company's future direction as it weighs monetization strategies for its AI tools.
Election query response
ChatGPT directed 2M users to other sources for election-related news
OpenAI revealed that ChatGPT advised around two million users to seek their 2024 US presidential election news from reliable outlets like Reuters and the Associated Press.
In a blog post, the company explained that it directed about one million users to CanIVote.org for voting information and declined approximately 250,000 requests for images of candidates.
This move reflects OpenAI's commitment to promoting trustworthy sources and preventing misinformation during the election period.
Domain acquisition
OpenAI acquired 'Chat.com' domain
OpenAI recently acquired the domain Chat.com, which now redirects to ChatGPT.
The high-profile domain was previously purchased by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah for $15.5 million, marking it as one of the top two highest publicly reported domain sales.
However, OpenAI has not disclosed the amount it paid for the domain. The acquisition adds to the company's portfolio of valuable assets as it continues to expand its presence in the AI space.
Strategic alliance
Partnership with Apple for ChatGPT
OpenAI's partnership with Apple on its generative AI product, Apple Intelligence, made the company even more formidable in the cutthroat AI race.
iOS 18.1 introduced some Apple Intelligence features powered by ChatGPT.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple is now integrating an option to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus within the Settings app, as seen in the iOS 18.2 beta update.
This feature provides Apple users with a direct path to subscribe to OpenAI's premium plan, which costs $20 per month.
Search engine
ChatGPT Search — A direct rival to Google Search
OpenAI launched ChatGPT Search, an advanced version of its SearchGPT prototype from this summer.
This marks OpenAI's latest effort to challenge traditional search engines like Google Search with its AI-powered alternatives.
Powered by a fine-tuned GPT-4o model, ChatGPT Search provides users with information, images, and web links, offering a new approach to online searches.
Users can further refine their queries by asking follow-up questions, making it a more interactive search experience.
New interface
'Canvas' interface for writing and coding projects
OpenAI launched "Canvas," an interface for ChatGPT that allows users to generate and refine writing or code.
This update aims to enhance productivity and collaboration for writing and coding projects within ChatGPT.
The Canvas workspace lets users highlight sections of their work for the model to edit, streamlining the creative process.
Currently available in beta for ChatGPT Plus and Teams, Canvas will be rolled out to Enterprise and Education tier users next week.
Safeguard violation
ChatGPT was tricked into providing bomb-making instructions
A hacker managed to jailbreak ChatGPT, prompting the AI to provide instructions on creating powerful explosives, a request the chatbot typically rejects.
The instructions, reviewed by an explosives expert, were deemed capable of producing a detonatable device and were considered too sensitive to be publicly released.
This incident highlighted potential vulnerabilities in AI systems, raising concerns about misuse and the need for stronger safeguards.
More partnerships
Volkswagen introduced ChatGPT assistant in US
Volkswagen expanded its ChatGPT voice assistant to US vehicles, integrating it into the 2025 Jetta and Jetta GLI models.
The assistant, powered by Cerence's Chat Pro and OpenAI's large language model, offers a more interactive and advanced AI experience for drivers.
In another move, OpenAI partnered with Condé Nast, agreeing to take content from publications like Financial Times, TIME, Vogue and WIRED in ChatGPT and SearchGPT.
OpenAI also formed partnership with Reddit, bringing the social media platform's content to ChatGPT.
Hurdles
OpenAI faces challenges amid ChatGPT's success
Despite ChatGPT's success, OpenAI faced multiple challenges. The company recently suspended one of its voices, Sky, from GPT-4o after being accused of imitating Scarlett Johansson's voice from "Her."
Co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever also left the company as it disbanded its Superalignment team.
OpenAI has also been facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers, including the New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, and The Denver Post.