OpenAI's ChatGPT is a popular chatbot, but its usefulness has been limited due to a lack of knowledge about current world events. OpenAI has now introduced a new feature called plugins for ChatGPT that will enable it to access web data.

ChatGPT able to browse internet with plugins - Vedhse
OpenAI with Plugin

ChatGPT is unable to search the internet for information, but the plugins feature will allow other developers to create add-ons for ChatGPT that can be switched on and off as needed. Many of these plugins connect to web services.


Third-party plugins that are available at present include an Expedia plugin for managing travel plans, an Instacart plugin for ordering groceries, and an OpenTable plugin for finding restaurants. OpenAI has also developed two plugins of its own, a web browser and a code interpreter. The browser plugin can perform web searches and cite sources in responses, similar to Bing's search API.


OpenAI has designed the browser plugin to prioritize safety and be a good citizen of the web. The text-based browser can make GET requests, reducing the risk of certain safety issues. 

This plugin is useful for retrieving information, but not suitable for transactional operations like form submission, which can have more security and safety issues.