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ChatGPT API 101: The Top Things You Need To Know and More

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Since ChatGPT’s public introduction in 2022, many apps and services have integrated the AI tool, including Shopify and Snapchat. This integration is made possible through ChatGPT API.

The ChatGPT API by OpenAI is a revolutionary tool for helping businesses and building conversational artificial intelligence. Contrary to what many think, this AI development is nothing to fear. The API is one of the most helpful and formidable developments today when used correctly.

Let us dive into the ins and outs of ChatGPT API—what it is, how much it costs, and how OpenAI tailored it to meet your needs.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT recently made headlines, stirring multiple discussions and varied opinions. But what is ChatGPT? 

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot by the developer OpenAI. The chatbot uses natural language processing, the language we use, to create and carry on humanlike conversations. 

The language model possesses the ability to respond to questions and compose different kinds of written content, such as essays, poems, articles, social media posts, emails, codes, and many more. ChatGPT is so brilliant that it terrifies many people, especially the writers. 

The chatbot is a form of generative AI, so users can utilize it by writing ChatGPT prompts to receive humanlike responses from the AI. ChatGPT is similar to many automated chatbots found in customer service web pages, except it is a more intelligent model. 

What is ChatGPT API?

ChatGPT application program interface or API is a cloud-based OpenAI product that gives you access to the company’s advanced language models, including the GPT-3 and GPT-4. 

The API allows users and developers to integrate the tool into their applications and products’ natural language processing capabilities to forge intelligent conversational interfaces. 

As mentioned, ChatGPT is based on a Generative Pre-Trained Transformer and built on a massive array of language models, fine-tuned by human AI trainers through vast amounts of human feedback and training data.

With the OpenAI ChatGPT API, you can harness ChatGPT’s advanced technology to improve the whole ChatGPT experience and provide personalized recommendations. 

One mainstream implementation of the ChatGPT API is an artificial intelligence shopping assistant that pre-creates shoppers’ recommendations upon request. Shopify has integrated ChatGPT into its app, so shoppers can utilize ChatGPT prompts to look for the items they want. 

In addition to AI-powered language tools like ChatGPT, AI-powered video editing tools have recently risen to prominence. These editing tools are also crucial to brands, especially in producing video ads.

One of the best AI-powered video editors today is Magisto. Learn more about the tool in this Magisto review.

What Are The ChatGPT API’s Key Features?

GPT API features.
ChatGPT API’s key features. Source: Inoyva

The GPT API has three key features:

App Integration

The API’s first key feature is the capacity to integrate it with applications, services, or products. Many major companies, service providers, and developers hopped on the train and integrated the API into their applications. According to Forbes, Microsoft has a confirmed $10 billion investment in ChatGPT API. 

AI Response Customization and Control 

The ChatGPT API allows you to customize and control the AI’s response, giving you more freedom to tailor the tool to your business’s needs.

Say you want to write an article about your business, insert your business information, such as your target audience, and enter it into the “Your System” box. Then, write your prompt about your article and what you want the AI tool to write about. 

The output will be different from merely using the chatbot model, as you don’t have to keep reminding the AI of your business. This feature allows the AI to focus more and write from your system’s perspective. 

Rate Limits and Usage

One of the main downsides of ChatGPT API is the limitation, as you are limited to a maximum token count of 2048 per completion. The 2048 tokens will impact the total word count of the generated output and the details you can put in your systems box. 

How Do You Get ChatGPT API Key?

To get a ChatGPT API key, do the following steps:

Step 1

ChatGPT account creation
There are three ways to sign up on OpenAI. Source: Awesome Screenshot

Visit https://chat.openai.com/auth/login and create an OpenAI account if you don’t have one. You may make one through your Google account, Microsoft account, or email address. 

Step 2

After successfully creating an account, log into it.

Step 3

ChatGPT API Keys
As its name suggests, your secret key must be kept a secret. Source: Awesome Screenshot

Enter the API Keys page and apply for API access by tapping the “Create new secret key” button. Copy and save the secret key, as you can only view it once. But if you lose it, you may generate a new one. 

Step 4

Copy the ChatGPT API Key to access ChatGPT language processing capabilities in your app. Always keep your API Key confidential, as OpenAI may rotate it when leaked to the public.

Step 5 (Optional)

ChatGPT revoke API key
Revoking your API key is only optional. Source: Awesome Screenshot

If you wish to revoke your ChatGPT API Key, do so by tapping the “Revoke key” button. This step will disable your key and reject any API requests made with it. Once the system revokes your key, you can no longer use or modify it. 

How Much Does ChatGPT API Cost?

The ChatGPT API pricing is based on the number of API requests, the API type, and the number of generated characters per request. The API pricing starts at $0.002 per 1000 tokens for GPT-3 and $0.03 to $0.12 per 1000 tokens for GPT-4. 

The most powerful API, text-davinci-003, costs $0.02 per 1000 tokens, and a single token represents a sequence of text. A thousand tokens represent around 750 words. 

Fortunately, OpenAI managed to reduce the cost of ChatGPT and make the GPT-3.5-Turbo ten times cheaper than text-DaVinci-003 with only $0.002 per 1000 tokens. 

The significant decrease in cost allows developers to integrate the ChatGPT API into their apps on a budget, compelling them to explore the AI’s capabilities much further. 

OpenAI also offers a free trial, where you can generate up to a particular number of characters. 

How Do You Use ChatGPT API?

To get the best of ChatGPT, it pays to know how to use ChatGPT API. The OpenAI API GPT 3.5 Turbo and GPT 4 models are the models that ChatGPT and ChatGPT Plus use. These are powerful models capable of creating and understanding natural language or humanlike texts.

While OpenAI primarily optimized the ChatGPT API for chat purposes, the API works best for tasks involving text completion. So, you can use the API for conversation-related tasks. 

Furthermore, you can also utilize the API endpoint to develop applications that are ChatGPT API-powered.

Simply put, the use cases of ChatGPT API are for:

  • Editing and generating content. 
  • Analyzing data and natural language processing tasks. 
  • Developing virtual AI assistants and chatbots. 
  • Giving more efficient customer support. 

Aside from ChatGPT integrations, you may use AI-powered social media software to upscale your business’s performance. One of our recommendations is the YouScan monitoring and analytics software.

Read more about it in this YouScan review.

What ChatGPT Models Can You Access with The API?

GPT-3 API has four engines—Davinci, Curie, Babbage, and Ada—with each engine tailored to meet a particular task. Let us go over every GPT-3 model engine to give you an idea of how you can maximize GPT-3 in your apps. 

GPT-3 Models
GPT-3 Models and their details. Source: Enterprise DNA Blog

Davinci 

As mentioned, the Davinci engine is OpenAI’s most powerful ChatGPT model, designed to accomplish intricate tasks like crafting screenplays, creating imaginative fiction, and writing poetry. The model can generate inventive yet subtle responses, making it great for work that requires artistic flair. 

Price: $0.02 for 1000 tokens

Curie 

The Curie ChatGPT model is also powerful, but not as powerful as Davinci. This model is intended for specific and straightforward tasks, such as delivering customer support, making translations and summaries, and replying to queries and user feedback. 

This model is best suited for tasks related to customer service, where people expect precise and prompt responses. In addition, the Curie model works best for summarizing lengthy text data and providing language translations. 

Price: $0.002 for 1000 tokens

Babbage

Babbage may not be as powerful as Davinci and Curie, but it is a fast ChatGPT model engine tailored for tasks, including business intelligence and data analysis. Babbage can evaluate data sets, give visualizations, and produce insights and recommendations depending on the data collection setup. 

This model is also ideal for researchers and analysts needing help or assistance with their data. 

Price: $0.0005 for 1000 tokens

Ada

Babbage may be a fast model, but Ada is the fastest among all GPT 3 models and is designed for tasks surrounding programming and software development. The model can generate codes, debug, and clarify concepts in programming. 

Obviously, Ada is best suited to programmers and developers needing help with their codes and for programming students seeking clarification on specific concepts. 

Price: $0.0004 for 1ooo tokens. 

OpenAI tailored all the GPT-3 models to meet specific needs, excelling in distinct ways.

The Davinci engine excels in accomplishing complex tasks, while Curie is best for direct and simple tasks. Ada is the fastest among all four and is helpful for programmers and web developers, while Babbage is great for researchers and data analysts. 

If you want to see these models in action, you may head to OpenAI’s test or free playground. The playground allows developers to try different inputs and compare the outputs using the various GPT models. 

Does GPT-4 Have An API?

Now that we have already mentioned the GPT-3 models we can access with the ChatGPT API, it’s time to go over GPT-4’s API.

Yes, GPT-4 has an API, and its available model today is the GPT-4-0314. OpenAI released this model in March 2023, and it is ChatGPT’s most advanced iteration. In fact, GPT-4 gained attention because of the enhanced capabilities it possesses.

This language model is more intelligent and can more accurately solve complex problems. It also possesses a much broader general knowledge, generates responses quickly, and works with more content.

Initially, OpenAI made a waitlist for those who want to gain access to GPT-4. However, the company has announced that the GPT-4 API is now open for all its paying customers.

The GPT-4 API is fifteen times more expensive than the previous models, which is understandable considering that it is the most advanced ChatGPT API to date and has the ability to handle more context with more considerable parameters.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT is a valuable tool, and it makes businesses more efficient. All props to ChatGPT API; you can now integrate the AI tool with your business apps to perform various particular tasks.

The API is a versatile tool to interact with the different ChatGPT models. By wielding ChatGPT’s power, you can provide more advanced solutions across multiple use cases, from chatbots or virtual assistants to content generation and data analysis.

Read more about ChatGPT in this “ChatGPT: A Guide To What It Can and Cannot Do” article. 

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