ChatGPT: Difference between revisions

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|ArticleType=Product

|Category=Software, Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Large Language Models

|Website=https://~~chat.openai~~.com/

|Website=https://chatgpt.com/

|Description=ChatGPT data has been mishandled in the past, and is worsening with court-ordered data retention and integrated advertising.

|Logo=OpenAI logo (symbol).svg

}}

'''ChatGPT''' (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a generative artificial intelligence application developed and marketed by [[OpenAI]]. It was released on November 30th, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-30 |title=Introducing ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260219054935/https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/ |archive-date=19 Feb 2026|access-date=2026-01-26 |website=OpenAI}}</ref> It is a large language model (LLM) specialized in dialog that can perform human-like conversations. Various iterations of ChatGPT include GPT-3, GPT-4, GPT-4o, and previews of OpenAI-o1, OpenAI-o1 mini and GPT-5.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-09 |title=ChatGPT version history: Evolution timeline |url=https://nexos.ai/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217071448/https://nexos.ai/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |archive-date=17 Feb 2026|access-date=2026-01-26 |website=nexos.ai}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayat |first=Usman |date=2025-08-22 |title=ChatGPT Version History List, Changelog & Latest Releases |url=https://wpexperts.io/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251023153623/https://wpexperts.io/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |archive-date=23 Oct 2025|access-date=2026-01-26 |website=WPExperts.io}}</ref>

==Consumer-impact summary==

===User Freedom===

Users who are not logged in can use ChatGPT, but their access is limited (for example, they can only have one conversation at a time and cannot save chat history).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ChatGPT home page |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=OpenAI Help Center |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260214024602/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |archive-date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref> After GPT-5’s release, manual model selection is not available to all users: OpenAI limits the ChatGPT “model picker” to paid tiers, while other users may be routed automatically (e.g., via “Auto,” which can switch between model variants).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Model Release Notes |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251230143058/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |archive-date=30 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu - Models & Limits |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211113140/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref>

===~~=Misleading advertising====~~

===User Privacy===

ChatGPT terms of service say it should not be used to make decisions about people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terms of Use {{!}} OpenAI |url=https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123055141/https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |archive-date=2026-01-23 |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref> However, their advertising claims it is "PhD level" and makes other claims that seem to imply it is reliable. Many people use ChatGPT as if its output were meaningful, reliable, or a substitute for interaction with a person, with some cases involving "relationships" with the AI. [[ChatGPT-4o]] was one of their models known for inducing a lot of vulnerable users into AI psychosis.

~~====Billing and moderation====~~

Credits (money) expire automatically with no notification, and the credit balance interface makes this process confusing. You must maintain a positive account balance, and you are auto-billed a fixed amount if it goes negative. Accounts can be banned and credits confiscated for typing the wrong things in chat, with no recourse.{{Citation needed}}

~~====~~Privacy====

A mobile phone number in a friendly country is required to better track your identity.{{Citation needed}}

~~====User freedom====~~

Users who are not logged in can use ChatGPT, but their access is limited (for example, they can only have one conversation at a time and cannot save chat history).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ChatGPT home page |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=OpenAI Help Center |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260214024602/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |archive-date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref> After GPT-5’s release, manual model selection is not available to all users: OpenAI limits the ChatGPT “model picker” to paid tiers, while other users may be routed automatically (e.g., via “Auto,” which can switch between model variants).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Model Release Notes |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251230143058/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |archive-date=30 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu - Models & Limits |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211113140/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref>

====Data policy====

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{{Quote|We share content with a select group of trusted service providers that help us provide our services. We share the minimum amount of content we need in order to accomplish this purpose and our service providers are subject to strict confidentiality and security obligations. We do not use or share user content for marketing or advertising purposes.}}

The wording does not detail the extent of conversations shared with OpenAI's trusted service providers.

====Misleading advertising====

ChatGPT terms of service say it should not be used to make decisions about people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terms of Use {{!}} OpenAI |url=https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123055141/https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |archive-date=2026-01-23 |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref> However, their advertising claims it is "PhD level" and makes other claims that seem to imply it is reliable. Many people use ChatGPT as if its output were meaningful, reliable, or a substitute for interaction with a person, with some cases involving "relationships" with the AI. [[ChatGPT-4o]] was one of their models known for inducing a lot of vulnerable users into AI psychosis.

===Billing and moderation===

Credits (money) expire automatically with no notification, and the credit balance interface makes this process confusing. You must maintain a positive account balance, and you are auto-billed a fixed amount if it goes negative. The interface of users from the United States that have no subscription (Free tier) or are in the Go subscription tier shows integrated ads that appear inside the chats.

Accounts can be banned and credits confiscated for typing the wrong things in chat, with no recourse.{{Citation needed}}

===Market Control===

Global market share data shows ChatGPT is the most used chatbot in the world (79.98% as of February 2026)<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=StatCounter |date=Feb 2026 |title=AI Chatbot Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/ai-chatbot-market-share |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/stjr5 |archive-date=2026-03-09 |access-date=9 Mar 2026 |website=statcounter.com}}</ref>. However, adoption has been declined since 2025 due to recent incidents, controversial decisions and comparable competitors, such as [[Google Gemini]] and [[Claude]]. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolan |first=Beatrice |date=5 Feb 2026 |title=ChatGPT’s market share is slipping as Google and rivals close the gap, app-tracker data shows |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chatgpt-market-share-slipping-google-155419736.html |url-status=live |access-date=9 Mar 2026 |website=Yahoo Finance}}</ref>

==Incidents==

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On August 7, 2025, OpenAI released their newest model, GPT-5. The next day, several users complained in social media about the performance of the model, claiming it was underwhelming and was "dumber" than the previous model. Users also realised OpenAI's platform was most of the time setting the lowest-performance GPT-5 models and discovered they can make the platform to set the better-performance models by adding "think harder" in prompts. Sam Altman claimed that a "malfunction" of the autoswitcher was the reason behind GPT-5 performance.

<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=11 Aug 2025 |title=The GPT-5 rollout has been a big mess |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/the-gpt-5-rollout-has-been-a-big-mess/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260109001515/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/the-gpt-5-rollout-has-been-a-big-mess/ |archive-date=9 Jan 2026|access-date=5 Feb 2026 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Franzen |first=Carl |date=8 Aug 2025 |title=OpenAI returns old models to ChatGPT as Sam Altman admits ‘bumpy’ GPT-5 rollout |url=https://venturebeat.com/business/openai-returns-old-models-to-chatgpt-as-sam-altman-admits-bumpy-gpt-5-rollout |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/hunUK |archive-date=2026-02-05 |access-date=5 Feb 2026 |website=VentureBeat}}</ref>

===Age verification (2026)===

With a justification to "help teens have an age-appropriate experience on ChatGPT", the platform will be implementing globally an age verification system to detect if a user is over 18 to allow them to access to mature content. OpenAI will scan and analyze the user's account, their conversations and their behavior - including the times of a day they use ChatGPT - to estimate their age. If this system detects a user as underage, it will use third-party tools provided by [[Persona]] to estimate their age, asking the user to upload a selfie or their government ID. If the user refuses to send a selfie or their ID, the platform will limit ChatGPT's generated content.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Jan 2026 |title=Age prediction in ChatGPT |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260119032400/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |archive-date=19 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref>

With a justification to "help teens have an age-appropriate experience on ChatGPT", the platform will be implementing globally an [[age verification]] system to detect if a user is over 18 to allow them to access to mature content. OpenAI will scan and analyze the user's account, their conversations and their behavior - including the times of a day they use ChatGPT - to estimate their age. If this system detects a user as underage, it will use third-party tools provided by [[Persona]] to estimate their age, asking the user to upload a selfie or their government ID. If the user refuses to send a selfie or their ID, the platform will limit ChatGPT's generated content.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Jan 2026 |title=Age prediction in ChatGPT |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260119032400/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |archive-date=19 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref>

===Integrated ads (February 2026)===

On January 16, 2026, OpenAI announced that they will be implementing ads for "testing purposes"~~. Users reacted to this announcement mostly negatively~~. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Simo |first=Fidgi |date=16 Jan 2026 |title=Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260118192220/https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |archive-date=18 Jan 2026|access-date=25 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cirello |first=Rafaelle F |last2=Backholer |first2=Kathryn |date=23 Jan 2026 |title=OpenAI will put ads in ChatGPT. This opens a new door for dangerous influence |url=https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260125175609/https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |archive-date=25 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> On February 9, 2026, ads rolled out ~~and are currently~~ affecting users from the US ~~that~~ are ~~over 18 and belong to~~ Free and Go tiers. Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers are exempt from this. ~~They~~ appear at the bottom of ChatGPT's messages. OpenAI stated the ads that appear are based on current conversations, ads that user has engaged with, and past chats and ChatGPT's memories. OpenAI also claims the data provided to show ads "it's not shared with advertisers". It is possible to opt-out for getting personalized ads and delete ads data.  <ref>https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2020936703763153010 </ref> <ref> {{Cite web |~~author~~=~~OpenAI~~ |date=~~9 Feb~~ 2026 |title=~~Testing~~ ads in ChatGPT |url=https://~~openai~~.~~com~~/~~index~~/testing-ads-in-chatgpt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=~~http~~://web.archive.~~org~~/web/~~20260218012302~~/https://~~openai~~.com/~~index~~/~~testing~~-ads-in-~~chatgpt~~/ |archive-date=~~18 Feb~~ 2026|access-date=~~13 Feb~~ 2026 |website=~~OpenAI~~}}</ref>

On January 16, 2026, OpenAI announced that they will be implementing ads for "testing purposes". <ref>{{Cite web |last=Simo |first=Fidgi |date=16 Jan 2026 |title=Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260118192220/https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |archive-date=18 Jan 2026|access-date=25 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cirello |first=Rafaelle F |last2=Backholer |first2=Kathryn |date=23 Jan 2026 |title=OpenAI will put ads in ChatGPT. This opens a new door for dangerous influence |url=https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260125175609/https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |archive-date=25 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> On February 9, 2026, ads rolled out, affecting users over 18 from the US who are in Free and Go subscription tiers. Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers are exempt from this. These ads are [[Personalized Ads|personalized ads]] that appear at the bottom of ChatGPT's messages, showing the sponsored site name next to a "Sponsored" text, and below it, links to the sponsored site. OpenAI stated the ads that appear are based on current conversations, ads that user has engaged with, and past chats and ChatGPT's memories. OpenAI also claims the data provided to show ads "it's not shared with advertisers". It is possible to opt-out for getting personalized ads and delete ads data.  <ref>https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2020936703763153010 - Archived: https://megalodon.jp/2026-0304-0444-55/https://x.com:443/OpenAI/status/2020936703763153010</ref> The announcement and release of this patch has raised several concerns about privacy <ref>{{Cite web |last=Werthmuller |first=Digby |date=1 Mar 2026 |title=Privacy fears as OpenAI trials ads in its ChatGPT chatbot in the US |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-02/open-ai-testing-ads-in-chatgpt-in-us-plans-to-rollout-globally/106377798 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/OEdhY |archive-date=2026-03-02 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=ABC.net}}</ref>, data usage, ad experience potentially becoming worse <ref>{{Cite web |last=Serazio |first=Michael |date=3 Mar 2026 |title=AI Is Going to Revolutionize Advertising in the Worst Imaginable Way |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/207106/chatgpt-ads-open-ai-revolutionize-advertising-worst-imaginable-way |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/w2bJw |archive-date=2026-03-03 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=The New Republic}}</ref>, and the AI usage to manipulate users. After the ad release in the US, users have experienced that ads can appear on a new conversation by just sending the first prompt, something that was considered as aggresive advertising. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Adegbola |first=Anu |date=19 Feb 2026 |title=ChatGPT ads spotted and they are quite aggressive |url=https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-ads-spotted-and-they-are-quite-aggressive-469651 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/V5bRc |archive-date=2026-03-03 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=Search Engine Land}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Kasanmascheff |first=Markus|date=21 Feb 2026 |title=ChatGPT Ads Now Hit on Your Very First Message |url=https://winbuzzer.com/2026/02/21/chatgpt-ads-now-appearing-first-prompt-free-users-openai-xcxwbn/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/K1l8s |archive-date=2026-03-03 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=WinBuzzer}}</ref>

==See also==

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |ArticleType=Product
 |Category=Software, Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Large Language Models
-|Website=https://chat.openai.com/
+|Website=https://chatgpt.com/
 |Description=ChatGPT data has been mishandled in the past, and is worsening with court-ordered data retention and integrated advertising.
 |Logo=OpenAI logo (symbol).svg
 }}
 '''ChatGPT''' (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a generative artificial intelligence application developed and marketed by [[OpenAI]]. It was released on November 30th, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-30 |title=Introducing ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260219054935/https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/ |archive-date=19 Feb 2026|access-date=2026-01-26 |website=OpenAI}}</ref> It is a large language model (LLM) specialized in dialog that can perform human-like conversations. Various iterations of ChatGPT include GPT-3, GPT-4, GPT-4o, and previews of OpenAI-o1, OpenAI-o1 mini and GPT-5.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-09 |title=ChatGPT version history: Evolution timeline |url=https://nexos.ai/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217071448/https://nexos.ai/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |archive-date=17 Feb 2026|access-date=2026-01-26 |website=nexos.ai}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayat |first=Usman |date=2025-08-22 |title=ChatGPT Version History List, Changelog & Latest Releases |url=https://wpexperts.io/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251023153623/https://wpexperts.io/blog/chatgpt-version-history/ |archive-date=23 Oct 2025|access-date=2026-01-26 |website=WPExperts.io}}</ref>
 ==Consumer-impact summary==
+===User Freedom===
+Users who are not logged in can use ChatGPT, but their access is limited (for example, they can only have one conversation at a time and cannot save chat history).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ChatGPT home page |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=OpenAI Help Center |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260214024602/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |archive-date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref> After GPT-5’s release, manual model selection is not available to all users: OpenAI limits the ChatGPT “model picker” to paid tiers, while other users may be routed automatically (e.g., via “Auto,” which can switch between model variants).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Model Release Notes |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251230143058/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |archive-date=30 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu - Models & Limits |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211113140/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref>
-====Misleading advertising====
+===User Privacy===
-ChatGPT terms of service say it should not be used to make decisions about people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terms of Use {{!}} OpenAI |url=https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123055141/https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |archive-date=2026-01-23 |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref> However, their advertising claims it is "PhD level" and makes other claims that seem to imply it is reliable. Many people use ChatGPT as if its output were meaningful, reliable, or a substitute for interaction with a person, with some cases involving "relationships" with the AI. [[ChatGPT-4o]] was one of their models known for inducing a lot of vulnerable users into AI psychosis.
-====Billing and moderation====
-Credits (money) expire automatically with no notification, and the credit balance interface makes this process confusing. You must maintain a positive account balance, and you are auto-billed a fixed amount if it goes negative. Accounts can be banned and credits confiscated for typing the wrong things in chat, with no recourse.{{Citation needed}}
-====Privacy====
 A mobile phone number in a friendly country is required to better track your identity.{{Citation needed}}
-====User freedom====
-Users who are not logged in can use ChatGPT, but their access is limited (for example, they can only have one conversation at a time and cannot save chat history).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ChatGPT home page |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=OpenAI Help Center |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260214024602/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9125172-the-chatgpt-home-page |archive-date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref> After GPT-5’s release, manual model selection is not available to all users: OpenAI limits the ChatGPT “model picker” to paid tiers, while other users may be routed automatically (e.g., via “Auto,” which can switch between model variants).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Model Release Notes |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251230143058/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9624314-model-release-notes |archive-date=30 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu - Models & Limits |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |website=OpenAI Help Center |access-date=2026-02-19 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251211113140/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11165333-chatgpt-enterprise-and-edu-models-limits |archive-date=11 Dec 2025}}</ref>
 ====Data policy====
@@ Line 30: / Line 24: @@
 {{Quote|We share content with a select group of trusted service providers that help us provide our services. We share the minimum amount of content we need in order to accomplish this purpose and our service providers are subject to strict confidentiality and security obligations. We do not use or share user content for marketing or advertising purposes.}}
 The wording does not detail the extent of conversations shared with OpenAI's trusted service providers.<!-- (still) Placeholder. -->
+====Misleading advertising====
+ChatGPT terms of service say it should not be used to make decisions about people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terms of Use {{!}} OpenAI |url=https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123055141/https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/ |archive-date=2026-01-23 |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref> However, their advertising claims it is "PhD level" and makes other claims that seem to imply it is reliable. Many people use ChatGPT as if its output were meaningful, reliable, or a substitute for interaction with a person, with some cases involving "relationships" with the AI. [[ChatGPT-4o]] was one of their models known for inducing a lot of vulnerable users into AI psychosis.
+===Billing and moderation===
+Credits (money) expire automatically with no notification, and the credit balance interface makes this process confusing. You must maintain a positive account balance, and you are auto-billed a fixed amount if it goes negative. The interface of users from the United States that have no subscription (Free tier) or are in the Go subscription tier shows integrated ads that appear inside the chats.
+Accounts can be banned and credits confiscated for typing the wrong things in chat, with no recourse.{{Citation needed}}
+===Market Control===
+Global market share data shows ChatGPT is the most used chatbot in the world (79.98% as of February 2026)<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=StatCounter |date=Feb 2026 |title=AI Chatbot Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/ai-chatbot-market-share |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/stjr5 |archive-date=2026-03-09 |access-date=9 Mar 2026 |website=statcounter.com}}</ref>. However, adoption has been declined since 2025 due to recent incidents, controversial decisions and comparable competitors, such as [[Google Gemini]] and [[Claude]]. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolan |first=Beatrice |date=5 Feb 2026 |title=ChatGPT’s market share is slipping as Google and rivals close the gap, app-tracker data shows |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chatgpt-market-share-slipping-google-155419736.html |url-status=live |access-date=9 Mar 2026 |website=Yahoo Finance}}</ref>
 ==Incidents==
@@ Line 47: / Line 50: @@
 On August 7, 2025, OpenAI released their newest model, GPT-5. The next day, several users complained in social media about the performance of the model, claiming it was underwhelming and was "dumber" than the previous model. Users also realised OpenAI's platform was most of the time setting the lowest-performance GPT-5 models and discovered they can make the platform to set the better-performance models by adding "think harder" in prompts. Sam Altman claimed that a "malfunction" of the autoswitcher was the reason behind GPT-5 performance.
 <ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=11 Aug 2025 |title=The GPT-5 rollout has been a big mess |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/the-gpt-5-rollout-has-been-a-big-mess/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260109001515/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/the-gpt-5-rollout-has-been-a-big-mess/ |archive-date=9 Jan 2026|access-date=5 Feb 2026 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Franzen |first=Carl |date=8 Aug 2025 |title=OpenAI returns old models to ChatGPT as Sam Altman admits ‘bumpy’ GPT-5 rollout |url=https://venturebeat.com/business/openai-returns-old-models-to-chatgpt-as-sam-altman-admits-bumpy-gpt-5-rollout |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/hunUK |archive-date=2026-02-05 |access-date=5 Feb 2026 |website=VentureBeat}}</ref>
 ===Age verification (2026)===
-With a justification to "help teens have an age-appropriate experience on ChatGPT", the platform will be implementing globally an age verification system to detect if a user is over 18 to allow them to access to mature content. OpenAI will scan and analyze the user's account, their conversations and their behavior - including the times of a day they use ChatGPT - to estimate their age. If this system detects a user as underage, it will use third-party tools provided by [[Persona]] to estimate their age, asking the user to upload a selfie or their government ID. If the user refuses to send a selfie or their ID, the platform will limit ChatGPT's generated content.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Jan 2026 |title=Age prediction in ChatGPT |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260119032400/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |archive-date=19 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref>
+With a justification to "help teens have an age-appropriate experience on ChatGPT", the platform will be implementing globally an [[age verification]] system to detect if a user is over 18 to allow them to access to mature content. OpenAI will scan and analyze the user's account, their conversations and their behavior - including the times of a day they use ChatGPT - to estimate their age. If this system detects a user as underage, it will use third-party tools provided by [[Persona]] to estimate their age, asking the user to upload a selfie or their government ID. If the user refuses to send a selfie or their ID, the platform will limit ChatGPT's generated content.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Jan 2026 |title=Age prediction in ChatGPT |url=https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260119032400/https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12652064-age-prediction-in-chatgpt |archive-date=19 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref>
 ===Integrated ads (February 2026)===
-On January 16, 2026, OpenAI announced that they will be implementing ads for "testing purposes". Users reacted to this announcement mostly negatively. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Simo |first=Fidgi |date=16 Jan 2026 |title=Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260118192220/https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |archive-date=18 Jan 2026|access-date=25 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cirello |first=Rafaelle F |last2=Backholer |first2=Kathryn |date=23 Jan 2026 |title=OpenAI will put ads in ChatGPT. This opens a new door for dangerous influence |url=https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260125175609/https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |archive-date=25 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> On February 9, 2026, ads rolled out and are currently affecting users from the US that are over 18 and belong to Free and Go tiers. Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers are exempt from this. They appear at the bottom of ChatGPT's messages. OpenAI stated the ads that appear are based on current conversations, ads that user has engaged with, and past chats and ChatGPT's memories. OpenAI also claims the data provided to show ads "it's not shared with advertisers". It is possible to opt-out for getting personalized ads and delete ads data. <!-- (If you're from the US and have access to ads in ChatGPT please check if personalized ads is active by default and if something from here is wrong. If so, please add that info on this entry) -->  <ref>https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2020936703763153010 </ref> <ref> {{Cite web |author=OpenAI |date=9 Feb 2026 |title=Testing ads in ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/testing-ads-in-chatgpt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260218012302/https://openai.com/index/testing-ads-in-chatgpt/ |archive-date=18 Feb 2026|access-date=13 Feb 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref>
+On January 16, 2026, OpenAI announced that they will be implementing ads for "testing purposes". <ref>{{Cite web |last=Simo |first=Fidgi |date=16 Jan 2026 |title=Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT |url=https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260118192220/https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ |archive-date=18 Jan 2026|access-date=25 Jan 2026 |website=OpenAI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cirello |first=Rafaelle F |last2=Backholer |first2=Kathryn |date=23 Jan 2026 |title=OpenAI will put ads in ChatGPT. This opens a new door for dangerous influence |url=https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260125175609/https://theconversation.com/openai-will-put-ads-in-chatgpt-this-opens-a-new-door-for-dangerous-influence-273806 |archive-date=25 Jan 2026|access-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> On February 9, 2026, ads rolled out, affecting users over 18 from the US who are in Free and Go subscription tiers. Pro, Business and Enterprise tiers are exempt from this. These ads are [[Personalized Ads|personalized ads]] that appear at the bottom of ChatGPT's messages, showing the sponsored site name next to a "Sponsored" text, and below it, links to the sponsored site. OpenAI stated the ads that appear are based on current conversations, ads that user has engaged with, and past chats and ChatGPT's memories. OpenAI also claims the data provided to show ads "it's not shared with advertisers". It is possible to opt-out for getting personalized ads and delete ads data. <!-- (If you're from the US and have access to ads in ChatGPT please check if personalized ads is active by default and if something from here is wrong. If so, please add that info on this entry) -->  <ref>https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2020936703763153010 - Archived: https://megalodon.jp/2026-0304-0444-55/https://x.com:443/OpenAI/status/2020936703763153010</ref> The announcement and release of this patch has raised several concerns about privacy <ref>{{Cite web |last=Werthmuller |first=Digby |date=1 Mar 2026 |title=Privacy fears as OpenAI trials ads in its ChatGPT chatbot in the US |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-02/open-ai-testing-ads-in-chatgpt-in-us-plans-to-rollout-globally/106377798 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/OEdhY |archive-date=2026-03-02 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=ABC.net}}</ref>, data usage, ad experience potentially becoming worse <ref>{{Cite web |last=Serazio |first=Michael |date=3 Mar 2026 |title=AI Is Going to Revolutionize Advertising in the Worst Imaginable Way |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/207106/chatgpt-ads-open-ai-revolutionize-advertising-worst-imaginable-way |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/w2bJw |archive-date=2026-03-03 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=The New Republic}}</ref>, and the AI usage to manipulate users. After the ad release in the US, users have experienced that ads can appear on a new conversation by just sending the first prompt, something that was considered as aggresive advertising. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Adegbola |first=Anu |date=19 Feb 2026 |title=ChatGPT ads spotted and they are quite aggressive |url=https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-ads-spotted-and-they-are-quite-aggressive-469651 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/V5bRc |archive-date=2026-03-03 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=Search Engine Land}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |last=Kasanmascheff |first=Markus|date=21 Feb 2026 |title=ChatGPT Ads Now Hit on Your Very First Message |url=https://winbuzzer.com/2026/02/21/chatgpt-ads-now-appearing-first-prompt-free-users-openai-xcxwbn/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/K1l8s |archive-date=2026-03-03 |access-date=3 Mar 2026 |website=WinBuzzer}}</ref>
 ==See also==