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Screenshot of OpenAI product launch
(Photo: OpenAI)

Call Now! 1-800-CHATGPT

AI operators are standing by.

On day 10 of its 12 “shipmas” mini-launch events, OpenAI delivered a most unexpected and charming present that feels right out of the 1980s.

You can now just pick up your phone and call 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478) to talk to the company’s chatbot for free, with a 15-minute limit per month. You can also message the number using Meta’s WhatsApp, and it replies with a text-based chat via the chatbot.

I tried it and it feels pretty natural, without much of a delay in responses. I asked ChatGPT for some holiday gift suggestions for my kids, which were OK. Hearing the natural sounding “advanced voice” interface filtered through the lossy telephone line kind of made it more believable.

When I called back to ask a few more questions, it answered:

“Hello again. It’s ChatGPT, an AI assistant. Our conversation may be reviewed for safety. How can I help you?”

I asked ChatGPT how many times I could call it:

“There’s no charge for calling 1-800-CHATGPT, and no limits on the number of calls. Feel free to reach out anytime you need assistance.”

But unlike the app or browser-based version of the chatbot, there’s no enabled history of your conversation, so don’t expect to pick up where you left off if you call back.

The OpenAI developers on the launch video said the idea came about from an internal “hack week” project, and showed the service working on flip phones and on an old rotary-dial landline phone.

The developers emphasized that the new service could make OpenAI’s chatbot available to a much wider range of people, as there is no sign-up or account required to use the service.

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WSJ: OpenAI plans Q4 IPO in race to be the first AI startup to enter public markets

OpenAI was the first to the generative AI market with ChatGPT, and now it hopes to be the first of its AI startup cohort to pull off an initial public offering, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The $500 billion startup is in a race against its $350 billion competitor Anthropic to IPO, who has also been exploring one.

According to the report, OpenAI is in talks with banks to try for a fourth-quarter IPO this year, which has the potential to be one of the largest IPOs ever, in a year that is expected to see many record breaking tech companies make tap into public markets to raise massive new rounds of capital.

Ahead of a potential public listing, OpenAI is reportedly attempting to raise a massive round of private investment. The company is reportedly aiming to raise $100 billion, with Amazon potentially accounting for up to half that target. Other investors in talks with OpenAI over the private fundraising round include Nvidia, Microsoft, and SoftBank.

According to the report, OpenAI is in talks with banks to try for a fourth-quarter IPO this year, which has the potential to be one of the largest IPOs ever, in a year that is expected to see many record breaking tech companies make tap into public markets to raise massive new rounds of capital.

Ahead of a potential public listing, OpenAI is reportedly attempting to raise a massive round of private investment. The company is reportedly aiming to raise $100 billion, with Amazon potentially accounting for up to half that target. Other investors in talks with OpenAI over the private fundraising round include Nvidia, Microsoft, and SoftBank.

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SpaceX is actually considering a merger with Tesla or xAI: Report

Bloomberg reports that Elon Musk’s SpaceX is considering merging with Musk’s Tesla. Earlier today, Reuters had reported that SpaceX was thinking of potentially merging with xAI ahead of SpaceX’s IPO this year.

From Bloomberg:

The firm has discussed the feasibility of a tie-up between SpaceX and Tesla, an idea that some investors are pushing, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. Separately, they are also exploring a tie-up between SpaceX and xAI ahead of an IPO, some of the people said.

Musk’s companies already have numerous relationships between themselves, including most recently Tesla’s $2 billion investment in xAI. At Tesla’s shareholder meeting last year, shareholders voted to invest in the company but the board didn’t approve the measure due to significant abstentions.

In 2024, SpaceX incurred about $2.4 million in expenses under commercial, licensing, and support agreements with Tesla, and Tesla incurred about $800,000 in expenses for Musk’s use of SpaceX’s jet.

From Bloomberg:

The firm has discussed the feasibility of a tie-up between SpaceX and Tesla, an idea that some investors are pushing, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. Separately, they are also exploring a tie-up between SpaceX and xAI ahead of an IPO, some of the people said.

Musk’s companies already have numerous relationships between themselves, including most recently Tesla’s $2 billion investment in xAI. At Tesla’s shareholder meeting last year, shareholders voted to invest in the company but the board didn’t approve the measure due to significant abstentions.

In 2024, SpaceX incurred about $2.4 million in expenses under commercial, licensing, and support agreements with Tesla, and Tesla incurred about $800,000 in expenses for Musk’s use of SpaceX’s jet.

tech

WSJ: Amazon considering $50 billion investment in OpenAI

What a difference half a day makes. Earlier today, The Information reported that Amazon was considering investing roughly $10 billion to $20 billion in OpenAI as part of a $60 billion fundraising round alongside Nvidia and Microsoft. Now The Wall Street Journal is reporting the e-commerce giant could invest up to $50 billion in the ChatGPT maker as part of a larger, $100 billion funding round. The Financial Times also earlier reported today a $100 billion funding round but with smaller amounts from Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon.

tech

Elon Musk’s SpaceX reportedly in talks to merge with xAI

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly exploring a merger between SpaceX and his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, a move that would bundle rockets, satellites, the social media site X, and AI under one company ahead of SpaceX’s long-anticipated IPO.

According to Reuters reporting, the deal would swap xAI shares for SpaceX stock, potentially valuing the combined operation north of $1 trillion.

Reuters reports:

Two entities have been set up in Nevada to facilitate the transaction, the person said.

Reuters could not determine the value of the deal, its ‌primary rationale, or its potential timing.

Corporate filings in Nevada show that those entities were set up on January 21. One of them, a limited liability company, lists SpaceX ​and Bret Johnsen, the companys chief financial officer, as managing members, while the other lists Johnsen as the companys only officer, the filings show.

The combined companies could also set the narrative groundwork for putting data centers in space — an idea that Musk and a number of other tech billionaires have been floating lately but that may not get off the ground.

In its earnings filings yesterday, Tesla disclosed that it recently made a $2 billion investment in xAI. Last year, Musk’s xAI bought Musk’s X in an all-stock deal.

Reuters reports:

Two entities have been set up in Nevada to facilitate the transaction, the person said.

Reuters could not determine the value of the deal, its ‌primary rationale, or its potential timing.

Corporate filings in Nevada show that those entities were set up on January 21. One of them, a limited liability company, lists SpaceX ​and Bret Johnsen, the companys chief financial officer, as managing members, while the other lists Johnsen as the companys only officer, the filings show.

The combined companies could also set the narrative groundwork for putting data centers in space — an idea that Musk and a number of other tech billionaires have been floating lately but that may not get off the ground.

In its earnings filings yesterday, Tesla disclosed that it recently made a $2 billion investment in xAI. Last year, Musk’s xAI bought Musk’s X in an all-stock deal.

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