OpenAI has released a paid API for ChatGPT. Developers can integrate both ChatGPT and speech recognition algorithm Whisper into their own products. The API is part of the AI company’s future revenue model.
Developers can always use the most recent version of ChatGPT via the API, OpenAI writes , but they are on version gpt-3.5-turbo by default. If new versions come out in the future, developers can choose to implement those new models. Developers always end up with only a stable release. For Whisper, they can use version large-v2.
OpenAI charges $0.002 for every thousand tokens sent to the API. This makes the API much cheaper than the GPT-3.5 model API, which cost $0.02 for the same tokens. OpenAI does not charge money per call to the API, but has its own token model. Text and metadata are converted to a format that is then converted to tokens.
Together with the API, OpenAI also makes it possible for developers to reserve a dedicated instance on Azure so that they have more control. Normally, ChatGPT still runs on shared instances on Azure where all users pay individually per token, but with the new API it is possible to reserve a specific instance. In that case, developers can do load balancing , set limits and take snapshots. According to OpenAI, this is especially interesting for developers who use more than 450 million tokens per day.
With the introduction of the paid API, OpenAI also changes part of the policy. For example, data extracted from the API is no longer used to train the model. The retention period for API data is also shortened to thirty days and OpenAI no longer conducts a review before a company puts the API into practice.
OpenAI has been working for several months with companies that could test the API, whether in beta or not. The company cites Snapchat as an example of a service where the API works; Snapchat announced earlier this week that it would be coming up with its own AI function. OpenAI probably sees the API as one of the most important revenue models for the future; currently, the company is receiving a lot of money from investors and has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Microsoft. A paid API can mean a more sustainable revenue model.
