OpenAI is updating ChatGPT for all users with an “Intelligent UI” that’s more visual—generating interactive elements as part of the chatbot’s outputs. It’s a clever trick, but don’t expect it to fundamentally change how you use the chatbot.
The new UI, which OpenAI announced today, adds buttons, dropdowns, and other interactive elements to ChatGPT’s responses. For example, if you ask ChatGPT to help you plan a trip, it might generate a table with different flight options, each with a button to book the flight. Or, if you ask it to create a to-do list, it might generate a list with checkboxes you can click to mark items as complete.
“We’re introducing a new, more visual way to interact with ChatGPT,” says OpenAI’s Lilian Weng, in a blog post. “With the new UI, you can interact with ChatGPT in a more natural and intuitive way.”
But don’t get too excited. The “Intelligent UI” is more of a cosmetic change than a fundamental one. The chatbot is still generating text, and the interactive elements are just a way to present that text in a more visually appealing way. The chatbot isn’t actually “understanding” what you’re asking it to do, or making decisions on your behalf.
“It’s important to remember that ChatGPT is still a language model,” says Weng. “It’s not a thinking machine.”
The new UI is available to all ChatGPT users starting today. OpenAI says it will continue to add new features and improvements to ChatGPT in the coming months.