OpenAI plans ChatGPT Android launch in bid to extend market share from rivals

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Pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) firm OpenAI has announced plans to roll out an Android application for its generative AI platform, ChatGPT.

The company disclosed via Twitter that Android users will be able to access ChatGPT via their mobile devices without the need for an internet browser. Per the announcement, the Android app will be made available in a week, with prospective users urged to pre-order from the Google Play Store (NASDAQ: GOOGL).

OpenAI had previously launched a mobile app for IOS users in May, and given the success of the offering, the company opted to extend its reach to Android users. Similar to the IOS, the Android version is expected to allow users to sync their history across multiple devices and will be free to download.

The company noted the mobile application will be fitted with advanced privacy protections beyond the offering on the web version. Early reports indicate that ChatGPT Plus will have access to advanced functionalities, including faster response times and priority access to new features.

Experts say the release of a ChatGPT Android version will increase the number of active monthly users of the platform. Since surpassing 100 million users barely a month after its release, ChatGPT has seen slowing adoption rates following the release of similar platforms from its competitors.

The planned launch on Android will lead to a faceoff between OpenAI and Microsoft’s Bing Chat (NASDAQ: MSFT) as they both jostle for a larger user base without relying on an internet browser. Since its debut in late 2022, ChatGPT has faced stiff competition in the form of Google’s Bard (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Anthropic’s Claude 2.

Meta (NASDAQ: META) has indicated an interest in joining the generative AI race with the commercial release of its Llama 2 platform. Pundits say that Meta’s offering can catch up with ChatGPT despite its late release given its free and open-source nature, poised to attract AI developers.

“Meta realized they were behind on the current AI hype cycle, and this gives them a way to open up the ecosystem and seem like they are doing the right thing, being charitable and giving back to the community,” said a Financial Times source.

Forging ahead despite challenges

In the wake of trouble with global regulators, OpenAI shows no signs of slowing down its AI developments. Months after the release of ChatGPT, Italian regulators moved to ban the platform while it juggled a class-action privacy lawsuit in the United States.

Authorities pointed at the threat posed by ChatGPT to several sectors, including electioneering, mass media, finance, security, and Web3, for their preemptive action against the offering.

Amid the regulatory turmoil, OpenAI CEO is keen on expanding the frontiers by opening high-level discussions with a string of global regulators across three continents. In the quest to ensure safe AI usage, the company announced the creation of a new team to combat the threat of AI superintelligence while rolling out a cybersecurity AI fund.

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