It is very likely that you have heard of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence model developed by OpenAI capable of offering advanced answers to almost any question. Its popularity has grown so much that even Google fears that the aforementioned GPT-3-based AI will replace its browser, and Microsoft even plans to use it in many of its products. However, this popularity itself makes many developers take advantage of those users who want to try it. Both in App Store and Google Play Store, They are filled with fake applications that claim to perform the same functions as ChatGPT.but in exchange for a monthly subscription, or at best obscene advertising.
Simply search “ChatGPT” in the relevant app stores to get an idea of the number of apps that claim to offer the ability to chat with an AI-powered bot. They all essentially use recognizable words like “GPT”. “Chat GPT” or “AI”. Many, moreover, appears to use a similar open source AI model to provide the same functionalitybut they force users to activate a subscription or consume ads before they can use the feature.
One such application is “ChatGPT Chat FPT AI With GPT-3”. This notably has a 233 rating at the time of this article’s publication, and is also ranked 16th in the Performance category on the App Store. The app, although it has a feature similar to ChatGPT, limits its use to only 3 questions. Then request to activate a weekly subscription for €9.99/month, a monthly subscription for €22.99/month, or an annual subscription for €59.99/month.
Why do Google and Apple allow such fake ChatGPT apps?
Of course, none of these apps are official. OpenAI hasn’t released a version of ChatGPT for iOS or Android. The service is publicly available, but only through the web version. Using ChatGPT is also free. There is no need to terminate your subscription and the service does not show any ads either. A user who wants to try the aforementioned AI only needs to register and log in.
So why do Google and Apple support these types of apps? Although they are clearly scammers, none of them seem to bypass the app policies of the respective stores. Apple, for example, allows developers to set a price for their app. Or instead shows ads for the purpose of generating revenue. On the other hand, and while they don’t seem to use ChatGPT, the apps do offer a ChatBot feature, but probably a lot less intelligent.
Source: Hiper Textual
