With Large Language Models and ChatGPT taking the tech world by storm, all the other segments and industries have started to wonder, is this real value or just buzz? With the recent introduction of ChatGPT plugins, one may get easily confused – but not with our guide!
“(iPhone) is nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks. In terms of its impact on the industry, the iPhone is less relevant,” wrote Matthew Lynn from Bloomberg just days after the device was announced by Steve Jobs in 2007.
And his opinion was not exceptional, with tech journalists from the Associated Press and New York Times also showing skepticism. Also, internet users were not impressed, often adding that the “touchscreen is a bad idea.”
Steve Ballmer, then CEO of Microsoft, added to the overall skepticism regarding the device:
It took 74 days to sell one million iPhones. Considering the initial skepticism, this result is indeed impressive. Reaching the threshold of one million users has become a way to measure the speed of adopting new technologies and their disruptive powers. Despite initial skepticism and reluctance among decision-makers and journalists, the iPhone has proven to be a world-changing force.
For ChatGPT, it took a matter of five days to reach one million users.
ChatGPT stats and user base
The first million users were far from the end of its expansion cycle. Technology has proven to be an unstoppable force, surprising not only ordinary users but also its creators. And the impact of the technology on society is only getting bigger:
- By the end of February 2023, ChatGPT had over 100 million users.
- In February, nearly half of the US population had heard about ChatGPT – including seniors and children!
- Only one-third (33%) of US citizens with postgraduate degrees have never heard of chat GPT.
- More than half (56%) of 18-29-year-olds have heard about this technology.
- Over half (52%) of people who NEVER use AI tools say they will be bad for society, compared to the 19% who use AI tools often.
As the list above shows, the transformation is ongoing now, with younger people being less afraid of the new technology, more willing to adopt it, and less concerned about a future paired with AI. Early adopters are the clients of tomorrow or even today.
But what exactly is it that interests them in ChatGPT?
What is ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an internet service launched by OpenAI, where users from all around the world can access a chat-based interface to interact with a Larga Language Model-based service. The model is free to use (after registration), and users are invited to experiment and interact with the system however they want.
More details about using the tool and its possibilities for businesses and individuals can be found in our What is ChatGPT and how to use ChatGPT in a business blog post.
Yet this service has severe limitations. With a lack of access to the internet and the services available, there stand at the top. The system delivers answers as accurately as possible. Yet sometimes, it can respond honestly with no information about people and events that happened after 2022.
Also, the system is limited in how it interacts with external systems. Some ChatGPT-powered services and plugins connect the system with an external app via API. Yet these limits are used to access ChatGPT from external services, with little to no way to give ChatGPT access to external data in its natural, conversation-based environment.
That’s where ChatGPT plugins come into play.
What are Chat GPT plugins?
ChatGPT plugins are basically the reverse approach to accessing the system’s power from an external app using API. A third-party plugin allows the conversational environment of the chat to access external data and services, for example, to browse CMS entries or the offers of an online store. Everything is delivered in a convenient, natural-language-based environment.
How to access chat GPT plugins?
Plugins need to be published in a ChatGPT plugin store, comparable to Google Play or the App Store and can be enabled, disabled, or combined to deliver better results. With plugins on board, one can do all the conversational stuff with ChatGPT and later just grab the service he or she needs – for example, to import external data from a CRM or browse a shop offer of interest.
This brings us one (huge) step closer to the natural language capabilities seen in Star Trek computers which we all expected to be available on starships, not in our pockets.
Now nearly any company can hop on this train.
When will chat plugins be available?
There is already a small yet expanding number of plugins available, including Kayak, Wolfram Alpha, and Zapier, among others. The full list is available on the OpenAI website.
How to add plugins to ChatGPT
There is a Chat GPT Plugin waitlist where developers can enroll. Companies or individuals wanting to know how to create a ChatGPT extension can also read the documentation.
Reasons your company needs a ChatGPT Plugin
The question of why a company should have a ChatGPT plugin can be seen as a mirror to the same question from the iPhone market entrance. Back then, one would often wonder why it would be necessary to have a mobile app. Now, having one is as obvious as having a website or social media presence.
But to be more specific, the reasons are as follows:
New interface to everything
A Starfleet officer would be confused at best if asked to operate the antiquated technology of a keyboard and mouse when one can just have a chat with a computer. Natural Language will become the interface to everything, and the revolution is starting now.
Introducing ChatGPT into mobile devices gives it access to all the features of the device, including the microphone, camera, GPS data, and more. Having that is immensely powerful by itself, allowing ChatGPT to enter a new level of personalization and customization.
Companies that ignore this new trend may find themselves in a position comparable to not having a website in late 2000 or not having a social media presence after the explosion of Facebook.
Parallel to mobile apps
By introducing plugins, ChatGPT has transformed itself into a new meeting place for external developers comparable to Android with apps in Google Play. This creates an immense opportunity for early adopters.
For example – Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, has built its base as a simple yet entertaining game, impossible to compare with the complexity of desktop-based games. Yet, it was one of the trailblazers, and it benefited from its early entrance. In fact, it was one of the first apps featured in Google Play (the Android Market back then).
This is a truly “empty field” opportunity for companies that are determined enough to fight for it.
Explore new market
ChatGPT is a platform like none other. In fact, it can be the ultimate inbound experience, delivering precise services in the context they may be necessary, omitting the research and consideration phase.
Or at least – it can be, so long as the company has its own ChatGPT addon implemented.
Find yourself in a precise context
One of the key use cases for ChatGPT is to solve particular problems – or at least to brainstorm solutions and find cyber-support for implementing them. The system can be used to plan a trip, a marketing campaign, or any other project. As with every project, it requires resources and preparation.
And that’s where the ChatGPT 4 plugin comes in, delivering information about the available resources right at one’s fingertips. This may include a selection of information from a company ERP system, an offer from popular shops (with instant price comparison), or anything else the plugin delivers at the moment the user needs it, with no need to switch to a search engine or other system.
Ride the Lightning
On the other hand, apart from delivering customer excellence and being right where the customer is, a company can leverage having a Chat GPT 4 plugin as a PR and marketing asset. Generative AI (with ChatGPT) is one of the hottest topics of the last few months, with no apparent sign of world focus switching to something else.
Riding this lightning is a relatively easy way to position your brand as a technological game changer in nearly any industry.
Deliver better experiences
A plugin for Chat GPT is the new way users can do basically anything – starting from personal training to gathering information, boosting productivity, and even including psychotherapy support. Including your brand in the ChatGPT experience is a great opportunity to remodel the way the customer interacts with your brand.
This can be compared to implementing barcodes or magnetic strips into the credit card. Challenging the “old ways” of business and adopting new trends is one of the ways to keep afloat in a volatile and uncertain reality.
Deliver complimentary service
It is safe to assume that both business and private users are already using ChatGPT. Delivering access to these services will build another complementary way to infuse AI into the workforce and bring better results. It is improbable that one would have to be trained on how to use chat GPT plugins – as people are already doing so with no hassle.
ChatGPT is an excellent example of grassroots revolution – the tool was thrown into the wilderness of the internet, and users spontaneously came up with ways to use it. Surfing that wave further enhances the great experiences with your brand and makes users’ lives easier.
Why your company doesn’t need a ChatGPT plugin
The arguments shown above may build the impression that no company would fail to benefit from delivering a ChatGPT plugin. Indeed, this is a powerful business opportunity. Yet, in some cases, the plugin is not the best way to proceed.
Your company is not scalable enough
Entering the ChatGPT reality is a leap of faith into the unknown and may require an unprecedented dose of flexibility. Entering this field may result in traffic and interest skyrocketing, with additional resources required to work with the new business.
On the other hand, the spike of interest may not be so high, so the company requires flexibility in order to not overpay for new resources where they are not necessary.
But…
If scalability is the issue, isn’t this the high time to tackle the challenge?
Your company delivers purely offline experiences
Super luxury restaurants, carpenters, delivery companies, and multiple other businesses provide purely offline experiences and services. These are hard to provide via ChatGPT, and entering this channel may not be as effective as expected.
But…
Every business consists of multiple streams and segments, with some of them being more or less suitable for digitization. For example, nearly every company needs customer service or accounting, and boosting these with a ChatGPT plugin may be a great idea to deliver automation and savings.
There is extreme customizability
Multiple companies sell services or products that are highly customizable – for example, a designer who sells tailored kitchens. The number of variables that influence decisions, the design, and the final effect, is so great that the ChatGPT may be useless.
But…
A ChatGPT extension can be of use if the company wishes to infuse the work of internal specialists with the natural language processing capabilities of this technology. For example, it can browse through internal resources and databases to deliver desired outcomes and support experts’ work.
Summary
The future is now, and the revolution has started. A step toward the computers known from sci-fi movies, able to have natural conversations as a tireless and diligent assistant, has been made. With this speed of development, it is only a matter of months before we see great changes in how people interact with machines.
The time to hop on this train, explore the possibilities, and be in the vanguard of change is now. So how to go about getting a ChatGPT plugin for your company? If you wish to talk more about how ChatGPT and Generative AI services may influence and boost your business, don’t hesitate to contact us now!
