We ask ChatGPT: What URL can private users use to access ChatGPT? What is free and what has to be paid for?

ChatGPT: Private users can access ChatGPT via the website. chat.openai.com There is both a free and a paid version (ChatGPT Plus).

The free version offers access to GPT-3.5 and regular model updates. Users can use ChatGPT on the web, iOS and Android.

ChatGPT Plus, which costs £18 per month, offers additional benefits such as access to GPT-4 (the most powerful model), the ability to create images with DALL·E, and the use and creation of custom GPTs. Plus subscribers also get general access to ChatGPT, even during peak hours, as well as the ability to test new features as soon as they are released.

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It's quite simple. Start with the free version by downloading the link Click and register for free. At the bottom of the page, you will find a dialogue box. Enter your question and receive an immediate response. This applies to all questions and tasks you submit to ChatGPT. Always enter your query in this dialogue box.

You can ask any question you can think of – and get the right answers in no time. Have you always wanted to know how many rivets the Eiffel Tower has? Just ask. Or how to keep homemade hollandaise sauce warm without it separating? In a few seconds, you'll learn five ways to keep hollandaise warm. Or have a text translated into English. Be as precise as possible in your question. The more precise you are, the better and more helpful the answer will be.

Question: What can the free version of ChatGPT do for users?

ChatGPT: The free version of ChatGPT offers a range of useful features and capabilities for users. Key features include:

1. Information request: ChatGPT can answer questions on a wide range of topics, from general knowledge to specific technical questions.
2. Entertainment and creativity: AI can generate creative texts such as stories, poems or jokes.
3. Education and learning: ChatGPT can serve as a learning aid by explaining topics, providing examples, and generating learning materials.
4. Language processing: Translating texts, rephrasing sentences, correcting grammar and spelling – ChatGPT can assist with all of this.
5. Programming help: AI can help solve programming problems, generate code examples, and provide troubleshooting tips.
6. Planning and organisation: ChatGPT can assist with planning events or organising tasks.
7. Consulting: Although it is not a substitute for professional advice, ChatGPT can provide basic advice and recommendations on topics such as cooking, fitness, travel and more.
8. Customer support: ChatGPT can answer frequently asked questions and handle basic customer enquiries.

It is important to note that the free version of ChatGPT may have limitations, such as a limit on the number of queries, limited accessibility during high user traffic, or restricted features compared to premium versions. Nevertheless, it offers a broad insight into the possibilities that AI-based chatbots can offer today.

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Since ChatGPT can be accessed worldwide, it is possible that the servers may be overloaded at times and ChatGPT may not respond. In this case, simply try again later. In our experience, the best time is in the morning and early afternoon German time.

One might now ask how to recognise a text that has been generated by AI. This is of interest to teachers, for example, who are already receiving AI-generated texts from their students as homework assignments. Let's ask ChatGPT!

Question: Please write a text explaining how to recognise that a text has been generated by AI. Please limit your text to a maximum of 300 words.

ChatGPT: Recognising texts generated by artificial intelligence (AI) can be challenging, as modern AI systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Nevertheless, there are some signs that may indicate that a text is AI-generated:

1. Excessive neutrality and generalityAI-generated texts tend to be overly neutral and vague. AI often avoids strong opinions or specific, detailed examples in order to avoid mistakes.
2. Repetitions and redundanciesAlthough AI texts may be grammatically correct, they tend to be repetitive or contain redundant information. This can manifest itself in recurring phrases, ideas or unnecessarily detailed explanations.
3. Lack of deep understanding or contextAI systems can have difficulty grasping complex relationships or specific specialist knowledge. This can result in superficial or inaccurate representations of complex topics.
4. Unusual word choice and sentence structureAI can sometimes use unusual word combinations or sentence structures that are atypical for human authors.
5. Incomplete or inconsistent informationTexts created by AI may contain inconsistent or incomplete information, as AI may not be able to fully understand or correctly link all aspects of a topic.
6. Lack of personal perspective or experienceAI-generated texts rarely contain authentic personal experiences or opinions, as AI systems do not have their own experiences.
7. Excessive correctnessAI texts often avoid grammatical or spelling errors, which paradoxically can result in unnaturally perfect text.

It is important to note that none of these characteristics are conclusive on their own and that some sophisticated AI systems are capable of overcoming many of these weaknesses. Recognising AI-generated text therefore often requires careful analysis and sometimes contextual knowledge.

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You can counteract „exposure“ by using AI-generated texts as a basis and supplementing them with your own experiences, examples or stories. Experiment diligently and „pepper“ ChatGPT with everything you've always wanted to know. And remember: the more precise your question is, the more accurate the answer will be.

In the next episode, we will look at what ChatGPT Plus, the paid version, can do that the free version cannot.