OpenAI has announced the temporary suspension of the Browse with Bing beta tool in its ChatGPT service. The decision comes after users reportedly exploited the feature to bypass paywalls and access content for free.
Browse with Bing allowed ChatGPT to retrieve information from recently published sources, enabling it to answer time-sensitive questions. However, the capability of the tool to bypass paywalls was underestimated by the company’s developers. When a user specifically requested the full text of a URL, the AI fulfilled the request, including displaying content from paywalled articles. OpenAI acknowledged this issue and stated its commitment to addressing it in order to respect the rights of content owners. The tool will be reintroduced at an unspecified time in the future.
The mechanism by which ChatGPT bypassed paywalls remains unknown, although speculation on the ChatGPT subreddit suggests that the AI may have been able to access the text by reading the underlying code rendering the article.
The announcement of the Browse with Bing suspension has generated a negative response from ChatGPT Plus subscribers, who expressed their dissatisfaction on OpenAI’s Community forums. Some subscribers highlighted that Browse with Bing was the primary reason for their purchase of ChatGPT Plus, enabling them to access content from various sources. They voiced concerns about the value for money without this feature.
While the discontent among subscribers is understandable, OpenAI’s decision to disable the tool is motivated by the need to avoid potential legal issues. The company has faced multiple lawsuits recently, including allegations of copyright violation and privacy infringement. Given the ongoing legal challenges, OpenAI has taken a cautious approach to protect itself from further legal action.
Navigating through these legal difficulties is a significant challenge for OpenAI at the moment. In order to avoid additional lawsuits, the temporary suspension of the Browse with Bing feature is a preventive measure aimed at ensuring the company’s compliance with copyright and privacy laws.
