OpenAI, the company that developed the popular ChatGPT, announced today the expansion of its app’s availability to users in 11 additional countries. Among the chosen nations, Nigeria stands out as the first African country to have access to the ChatGPT app. This move marks a milestone for both OpenAI and the African continent, as the innovative chatbot makes its way to a diverse range of global users.
OpenAI initially launched the ChatGPT mobile app exclusively on iOS and within the United States just a week ago. However, with the latest expansion, users in Albania, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Korea, New Zealand, Nicaragua, and the UK; will now have the opportunity to download the app directly from the App Store.
The ChatGPT app offers users a seamless and ad-free experience. Those already familiar with ChatGPT will feel right at home, as the app serves as a convenient platform to interact with the chatbot and access its capabilities effortlessly.
According to a recent report by Innovation Village, the app currently provides users with five key features, with plans to release an Android version in the near future. Upon launching the app, users are greeted with a text box at the bottom of the screen, resembling messaging apps’ familiar interface. They can type their queries or leverage Apple’s built-in speech recognition feature or OpenAI’s Whisper speech recognition system for voice input.
Once a request is submitted, OpenAI processes the query and promptly generates an AI-generated response. Users can continue the conversation, provide additional information, or request a different answer. The app supports code blocks, allowing users to conveniently copy and paste answers as needed.
By default, ChatGPT retains the chat history for model training purposes. With this enabled, users can access their conversations on desktop as well. It’s important to note that disabling data sharing would also disable chat history functionality.
For ChatGPT Plus subscribers, the mobile app provides access to GPT-4’s advanced capabilities. Plus members will experience faster response times, making their interactions with the chatbot even more efficient. The ChatGPT Plus subscription is available at a cost of $20 per month on desktop, with an option to make in-app purchases in local currencies (such as €22.99 per month in Europe and £19.99 in the UK).
Originally launched as a web version in November last year, ChatGPT has rapidly gained popularity, surpassing the growth rates of prominent platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Within just two months of its public release, it reached an astounding 100 million users. While accessible via smartphones through its web version, OpenAI responded to the growing demand by introducing the iOS app in the United States.
The ChatGPT app delivers the same high-performance capabilities as its web counterpart, providing conversational responses to complex queries. It serves as a valuable tool for tasks such as editing lengthy articles, reviewing app codes, and solving math problems. Plus members can now enjoy these features seamlessly on the iOS app, including plugin support, instant replies, and zero waiting time.
The expansion of the ChatGPT app to these 11 new countries, with Nigeria as the sole African representative, comes at an interesting time. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, recently met with stakeholders in the tech ecosystem during an event at Muson Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. The move signifies OpenAI’s commitment to engaging with the African tech community and expanding access to AI technologies across the continent.
The availability of the ChatGPT app in these new countries holds great promise, providing users with convenient on-the-go access to information. Supporting multiple languages such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, the chatbot caters to a diverse global audience.
