OpenAI has expanded the capabilities of its ChatGPT chatbot on WhatsApp, offering AI image generation tools to all users free of charge.
The feature allows users to create images simply by sending prompts through the WhatsApp chatbot, placing ChatGPT in direct competition with Meta AI, which also provides image generation on the platform by default.
OpenAI has confirmed that the image generation tool available on WhatsApp is identical to the one used on the ChatGPT web and mobile apps.
This move enhances the chatbot’s accessibility and functionality, especially as it comes at no cost to the user.
The feature’s major draw is its free availability, a notable advantage over other services that often require subscriptions for advanced capabilities.
OpenAI first introduced ChatGPT on WhatsApp in December, accessible via the number 1-1800-242-8478.
Users can add this number to their contacts and start interacting with the chatbot directly through WhatsApp.
To generate images, users simply need to send a descriptive text prompt such as ‘create an image of a dog flying in space’ and ChatGPT will return a generated image based on the request.
Despite the powerful new feature, the ChatGPT WhatsApp bot still has certain limitations.
Currently, it supports only text-based interactions, and group chats are not yet compatible. However, OpenAI plans to introduce more advanced features soon, including:
These enhancements will bring WhatsApp users closer to the full ChatGPT experience currently offered in the standalone app and web platforms.
ChatGPT continues to dominate the AI space, receiving billions of queries every day.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that each query consumes approximately 0.34 watt-hours of energy, roughly equivalent to keeping a light bulb on for a few minutes.
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While the energy use per query is minimal, the cumulative demand poses significant environmental implications.
Altman also noted that each AI-generated response uses about a teaspoon of water, seemingly negligible per instance, but highly impactful at scale.
Earlier this month, ChatGPT experienced a major global outage, affecting users across India and the United States.
In India alone, 82% of reported complaints were related to the chatbot’s failure to respond.
The outage also revealed technical vulnerabilities in the mobile app and API integration, with 14% of complaints citing mobile issues and 4% reporting API disruptions.
With AI image generation now rolling out on WhatsApp for free, OpenAI is taking a significant step in mainstreaming its chatbot’s creative capabilities.
As more features continue to roll out, ChatGPT is set to further reshape how users engage with AI on everyday platforms like WhatsApp.
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