OpenAI to Restrict API Access in Chinese AI Firms

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies are moving to woo users of OpenAI technology amid reports that it aims to restrict their access to its API.

Its application programming interface (API) allows other product developers to integrate its AI models. Moreover, access to the platform is intended to be prohibited in other countries.

ChatGPT’s maker is moving to block access to technology in building AI products for Chinese companies and others.

According to the Securities Times, ChatGPT is unavailable on the mainland. However, several Beijing startups could access the OpenAI API platform to build their own applications.

A spokesperson stated that the organization is taking additional measures to block API traffic from unsupported regions.

Since late Monday, Chinese users have received emails stating that their region is currently unsupported by OpenAI. On July 09, further steps will be taken to halt access for those affected.

As a response, Beijing’s top AI developer, Baidu, said it would roll out an inclusive program. It provides new users with free usage on its Ernie platform.

In addition, Alibaba Cloud weighed in, presenting free tokens and migration services for OpenAI API users via its AI channel. The company mentioned that its Qwen-plus model’s price is considerably lower than GPT-4.

Voice Mode Feature Launch Delayed by OpenAI

On Tuesday, OpenAI said it was delaying the availability of its Voice Mode feature to July due to technical concerns.

ChatGPT’s parent company initially planned to release the realistic voice conversation experience to a small group of its Plus users. However, it stated that it held back the launch, requiring more time to reach its desired standard.

Also, OpenAI posted that it is improving the model’s capability to detect and refuse certain content. They added that they aim to enhance user experience and prepare to scale to millions while maintaining real-time responses.