I could be totally wrong here, but if I recall correctly, we used to have a number in Ireland that answered every and any question. It was 11811 or 11850. You’d call up and ask for a business’s phone number, or you could just ask some sort of question and get an answer. It was wildly expensive to do so too. What a business model.
Anyway, this is in my mind because OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has launched a phone number connected to ChatGPT. This means people in eligible regions can now send a WhatsApp message to ChatGPT and ask it a question.
In the U.S. and Canada, there is also a free phone number which allows people to speak directly with ChatGPT. This is currently limited to 15 minutes, but OpenAI said this may change in future.
I’ve already tested this and it does work. You simply save the ChatGPT phone number (+1-800-242-8478) or (001-800-242-8478) into your phone book and the contact will then appear in your WhatsApp contacts, ready to answer your questions.
While the WhatsApp messaging obviously requires a phone which supports the WhatsApp app itself, the new call function will work from anywhere. This is an exciting removal of the cost barrier to experiencing what “AI” services have to offer.
Given the time of year, I can see ChatGPT being a hit around many Christmas tables this year, both starting and ending a few arguments.
