Problem

As the demand for conversational AI increased, OpenAI identified a need for a chatbot that could refine and steer conversations towards desired outcomes. However, existing chatbots were limited in their capabilities and lacked the ability to adapt to different contexts.

OpenAI's solution was ChatGPT, a chatbot based on a large language model that could use prompt engineering to consider successive prompts and replies at each conversation stage as context.

Click here to learn more about how ChatGPT works.

Solution

To develop ChatGPT, OpenAI used either GPT-3.5 or GPT-4, both members of OpenAI's proprietary series of generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) models. The transformer architecture developed by Google formed the basis of these models.

The team fine-tuned ChatGPT for conversational applications using a combination of supervised learning and reinforcement learning. They released it as a freely available research preview but later operated it on a freemium model due to its popularity. The free tier allowed access to the GPT-3.5-based version while paid subscribers received priority access to newer features under the commercial name "ChatGPT Plus."

Impact

Gained over 100 million users within two months of launch
Contributed to OpenAI's valuation growth from $15 billion in 2021 to $29 billion in January 2023
Started the AI boom, leading to rapid and unprecedented development in the field of artificial intelligence

"ChatGPT's release spurred the development of competing products, including Bard, Ernie Bot, LLaMA, Claude, and Grok."

Team

Team Member #1 - Lead Developer
Developed and fine-tuned ChatGPT for conversational applications using supervised learning and reinforcement learning.
- Oversaw the creation and implementation of the platform
- Managed a team of developers working on ChatGPT
Team Member #2 - UX Designer
Designed an intuitive user interface that enabled users to refine and steer conversations towards desired outcomes.
- Created wireframes and prototypes for ChatGPT's user interface
- Conducted user research to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in existing chatbots

OpenAI's ChatGPT Boosts AI Boom, Hits 100M Users