ChatGPT Introduces Lower-Priced Subscription Tier, Ads Coming Soon

[fatTribble]

I tried it. I wanted to like or maybe even love it.
For me, there is great potential but just a parlor trick currently.

 

[Zwhaler]

"Says they won't sell user data to advertisers".
"Has over a trillion dollars in spending commitments with no discernable way to pay for them".

Hmmm

 

[abowlby]

Remember, if it's free, ad-supported, or below cost, you're the product.

This is why America doesn't have universal healthcare. The illusion of absolute autonomy.

 

[User 6502]

Remember, if it's free, ad-supported, or below cost, you're the product.

And with Apple it's above cost but you are still the product, as proven by the fact they're putting ads in all their services.

 

[rog]

As always, since users are the product, they should be paying us!

 

[johnsawyercjs]

Forgot HAL 9000.

For that it's "Don't ask, unless you really know what you're in for."

 

[DrJR]

You’re the product for the Pro plan as well by the way. Do you think because you’re paying more they suddenly stop stealing all your information and data?

Nobody cares about privacy. They would sign away all liberty if only given new apple devices each year.

 

[VisceralRealist]

Let’s not forget the fourth tier, which is completely FREE if you don’t use it at all.

As a satisfied non-ChatGPT user, I can't recommend not using it enough.

 

[ijordano]

"OpenAI also promised there will always be at least one paid ChatGPT subscription tier available that is ad-free"

In two years that will be the $200/month tier 😂

 

[tCdemon]

ChatGPT Go has been available in India?...great! Scammers gonna get more creative now.

 

[titanium69]

Ensh ittification is the term you’re looking for.
Why does that word get ****ed out? i guess it’s a sensitive word in the american tech world

 

[Gummiwise]

Does anyone feel like there are so many AI tools at this point that maybe there is no need for the average person to subscribe to any of them at this point in time? If I run into a usage limit with one, I just use another. I’m still taking a wait and see approach to see where this is all heading. I don’t yet feel comfortable relying on anything AI spits out unless I do my own crosscheck. Of course, I could be totally wrong in my approach.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Does anyone feel like there are so many AI tools at this point that maybe there is no need for the average person to subscribe to any of them at this point in time?

I feel there is no need for the average person to use any of them at all.

 

[capamac]

I suspect most people might be willing to use the LLMs for free, but not for any fee, not even a dime a month. That is to say: the percieved value of LLMs is low. And there are alternative sources of information aside from the LLMs. The LLM companies are probably overoptimistic about the value of what they provide.

And many people use adblockers, thus no revenue source there for the LLM companies.

 

[newmacxc]

In India, we get ChatGPT Go free for a year and Google AI Pro with 2 TB of Google Cloud storage free for 18 months.

 

[zenmacx]

I am in the minority in that AI has not appealed to me from the get go (due the the cognitive, emotional, social and environmental implications) and I have not willingly used it. I am hoping that this (predictable) move at least begins to make it unappealing to more people.

I have taken a wait and see approach, as presently I am not interested in using AI. Instead I've chosen to study it closely for my own education.

Unfortunately, because the majority don't have enough of an understanding of capitalism and the way it is wedded with tech to draw a line in the sand with this stuff (or, they don't care, or they embrace capitalism etc.)

The trajectory is not in the hands of the consumer, and for those who are in charge, they cannot afford to just let small use cases trickle in through the cracks, they need to open the floodgates. And of course, we open the gates for them.

My observations leave me believing that a large number of consumers are quick to embrace "free" and are loathe to spend time reading terms and conditions. Are also quick to discard any thoughts, concerns or healthy skepticism regarding privacy.

For me, the few conveniences that AI could bring to my life do not outweigh the cons that the march of technology are unleashing on the environment, society and individuals. Further, and more importantly, I would argue whether they are conveniences in the long run, I am not a proponent of "cognitive offloading" of small tasks, which I think are beneficial to our learning and psyche, building new pathways of thinking, building various psychological resiliences and opening room for meditative time in your day to day life.

Well said, I agree.

There are the affects on society at large, the affects on the environment and the affects on the individual. I only have control over one of those, and it is equally as important to me as the other two, so I am at least exercising that control. I agree about staying in the know as well, but my method is to do so as an observer, not a consumer.

Indeed, these "affects" on society cause great concern. All to often caught up in the day to day rush and eager to stay current, many people jump in with little thought about the near or even long term consequences.

However, as with anything in my life, I feel it healthy to take a stance against something that I don't want to support, despite knowing that I won't change the affects of it.

This is a primary value of mine.

Besides, I see these technologies at odds with the life I want to live which is one in pursuit of quiet, calmness, simplicity, frugality and closer to the outdoors, other humans, and analog pursuits.

Days spent working in tech, cause me to appreciate my personal time spent focusing on family, friends, outdoor activities and the beauty of all things analog. Pen and paper come to mind.

I would posit that these technologies in general are just further steps in the destruction of nature and human agency and decency.

Yes, and herein lies my concern. Yet it is what it is and I celebrate the awareness I have to focus on the big picture, enjoy my freedom of choice, and remain a vigilant observer.

I've enjoyed your posts.

 

[@Brett]

Amen. My current objective is to reduce my subscription expenditures... not add yet another one.

(And that's entirely apart from my continuing complaint about AI as a misleading marketing term.)

I am doing the same. Ditched a heap last year. Only have about 3 subs currently. Use gift cards for the streaming services when we want to watch something. Then ditch them.

 

[svish]

Took some time for availability to be global. Happy to see that it is now available everywhere. With subscription prices increasing, good to have a lower price plan. However having ads is not a good move.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

I understand that they need to finally make profit, but it’s going to become very trashy and spammy.

 

[DrRadon]

With the amount of loans these companies are taking you know this is just the beginning.

 

[fatTribble]

For me, the few conveniences that AI could bring to my life do not outweigh the cons that the march of technology are unleashing on the environment, society and individuals. Further, and more importantly, I would argue whether they are conveniences in the long run, I am not a proponent of "cognitive offloading" of small tasks, which I think are beneficial to our learning and psyche, building new pathways of thinking, building various psychological resiliences and opening room for meditative time in your day to day life.

I don't use any of it and have drawn my line with technology. At this point, with the experiences, perspective and knowledge that I have now, I wish I had drawn that line when the smartphone came out, and then again when social media started taking the shape of Facebook and then Instagram. Won't make the same mistake again with this next wave of "innovation", none of which has the best interests of people or the planet in mind, only capital. A life intertwined with capitalism, consumerism and warped views of "productivity" is one I would prefer to distance myself from.

You’ve posted so many excellent points that I’m not sure where to jump in.
I’ve enjoyed reading your viewpoints. I also try to look at technology in the larger context.

I think George Will made a point on a news program at least 20 years ago basically saying how interesting it is that people have so much time-saving technology but the real question is what will they do with that time.

I had my first computer in 1978 and now enjoy my Vision Pro. Needless to say, I love this stuff.

Many of my friends and I are all software engineers. We all love technology.

One friend in particular is of the opinion that life would be better if he didn’t have to do anything that interferes with what he enjoys doing. Even though I love technology, I feel like we are wired to do things for ourselves. I remember Bill Gates once saying he does washes dishes by hand just to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and the simplicity of the chore. I enjoy detailing my car. I don’t mind cleaning the house. Both give me time to think about things and just relax.

With AI I’ve noticed a break with several of my tech friends. They seem to embrace it whereas I’m pretty cool to all of it. I find it hard to trust answers when hallucinations is a known issue. I hope there are no people who post what a chat bot told them as facts. My grammar is decent enough that I don’t feel the need to check it. I don’t want to summarize a text or email from a friend or anyone else frankly. What if the summary misses the key point? With all that in mind, data centers are now ubiquitous and growing just to support the technology.

When I see people obsess about what someone said on social media while scrolling endlessly on their screen, it gives me pause. It’s not the technology I imagined as a kid. I see a sharp contrast with things like social media and chat bots with older technology like GPS, microwave ovens and yes cell phones. For me, much of the technology was a clear win. It made something better. It had a defined purpose. I just see some of the recent technology as having larger and more obvious downsides.

I’m still optimistic. But where I used to look at technology as the answer, I now feel like reverting to older ways in a targeted manner would be an improvement. I make a point of calling friends or better yet meeting them for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. To me this is much more satisfying than looking at their trip photos on Facebook. I still write and read my own emails to friends. I don’t use any Meta products.

Apologies for conflating ChatGPT with other more recent technology. I just see the chat bots and AI in general as yet another technology with so many problems and not a clear benefit.

 

[iCyprus]

Ads are the new cancer man really

 

[Student of Life]

I suspect most people might be willing to use the LLMs for free, but not for any fee, not even a dime a month. That is to say: the percieved value of LLMs is low. And there are alternative sources of information aside from the LLMs. The LLM companies are probably overoptimistic about the value of what they provide.

And many people use adblockers, thus no revenue source there for the LLM companies.

This is where DeepSeek thrives, it’s free, open source. Sure its not perfect and its not an image/video creator but its more than good enough and its free.

 

[1037]

I'm gonna need more Ai Cat videos....

 

[1037]

This is where DeepSeek thrives, it’s free, open source. Sure its not perfect and its not an image/video creator but its more than good enough and its free.

Isn't that the Chinese one?