Kaspersky research has shown that hackers are now being recruited with dark web job ads offering huge salaries and benefits!

What?! 

According to Kaspersky’s analysis of more than 200,000 employment ads posted on the dark web between January 2020 and June 2022, ‘employers’ have been seeking applications from the best hackers by offering favourable terms of employment including remote work (obviously), full-time employment, flexitime, paid time off, paid sick leave, and even the promise of working with ‘a friendly team’ !

Massive Salaries 

If the research by Kaspersky’s Digital Footprint Intelligence team is accurate, it seems that online crime does pay. For example, the median levels of pay offered to IT professionals in the ads varied between $1,300 and $4,000 per month.

Other ways that Kaspersky’s team observed ‘employers’ seeking to tempt applications from hackers in dark web job ads included offering:

– Prospects of promotion and incentive plans/bonuses (or fines, depending).

– Levels of compensation (paid in cryptocurrency for privacy) depending on how much effort hackers invest, their contribution, and how successful the ‘business’ is on the whole.

Reverse Engineering 

The highest median salary of $4,000 could be found in ads for reverse engineers. Although not all reverse engineers are hackers, reverse engineering refers to taking apart a software or hardware system and analysing its components to understand how it works. In some cases, reverse engineering can be used for malicious purposes, such as hacking into a system or creating malware. In these situations, the reverse engineer uses the information gained from the reverse engineering process to exploit vulnerabilities or gain unauthorised access to a system.

Other Suspect Job Ads – ‘Developers’ and Malware Coders 

Kaspersky’s research noted that although the innocent-sounding “Developers” (accounting for 61 per cent of the job ads) were the most in-demand specialists on the dark web, within this speciality, 60 per cent of the developer ads sought people who create internet products like phishing pages. Another popular skill sought in the ads was malware coding where job descriptions were found to include the development of Trojans, ransomware, stealers, backdoors, botnets, and other malware types, along with the creation and modification of attack tools. Other specialists sought included:

– Attackers. These conduct attacks on networks, web applications and mobile devices, and accounted for 16 per cent of the total ads, making them the second most popular jobs among cybercriminal employers. Kaspersky noted that: “Most of the attackers’ jobs on the dark web were associated with actions that would compromise corporate infrastructure. The goals of these actions are ransomware infection, data theft, or stealing cash directly from accounts.” Groups hiring attackers focused on selling access to compromised systems to other cybercriminals or hacking web and mobile applications.

– Designers who can create a phishing page or letter that would be hard to distinguish from a real one. These were found to be the third most in-demand professionals with 10 per cent of the observed ads.

Boost In Demand Following The Pandemic 

The Kaspersky research also noted that the fact that the greatest number of ads were posted in March 2020, was most likely related to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing changes in the structure of the job market.

What Is The Dark Web Job Market Like? 

The dark web job market is characterised by a mix of both legal and illegal job offers. Some employers offer semi-legal or potentially legal jobs, such as creating IT learning courses, while others offer more dubious or illegal employment arrangements. These may include selling illegal drugs, engaging in fraudulent schemes, or hacking activities, or working with hacker groups.

Some people are attracted to dark web jobs because of the potential for easy money and high financial gain. However, not all salaries offered on the dark web are significantly higher than those earned legally and depend on experience, talent, and effort. Other individuals may turn to the dark web job market due to dissatisfaction with their current employment, changes in the job market, or a lack of certain candidate requirements.

Dark web jobs may also appeal to freelancers and remote workers because of the flexibility and freedom they offer, such as the ability to take time off and choose a schedule. Unlike the legitimate job market, however, getting dubious jobs on the dark web comes with the real risk of being arrested and prosecuted, and there is no guarantee of being paid.

How Are Criminals Able To Simply Advertise For Hackers Online Like This? 

Criminals are confident enough to post job ads on the dark web because it has a level of security and privacy through its use of encryption and anonymising technologies. The most popular tool for accessing the dark web is the Tor (The Onion Router) network, which routes internet traffic through a series of servers around the world, making it difficult to trace the origin of the traffic. This makes it more difficult for policeand even for hackers and other malicious actors themselves, to monitor or interfere with the traffic on the dark web.

However, the dark web is not completely secure and anonymous. While the technology provides a degree of privacy and security, law enforcement agencies have the resources and expertise to penetrate and monitor dark web activity. For example, they have been able to dismantle some dark web marketplaces and arrest individuals who were found to have been engaging in illegal activities on the dark web.

Also, the dark web has its own set of security risks, such as the possibility of being scammed or hacked, or being infected with malware. It’s also important to remember that many illegal activities, such as buying or selling illegal drugs or stolen goods, or posting job ads for illegal purposes, are still against the law on the dark web and can result in severe legal consequences if caught.

Do People Actually Post Their CV On The Dark Web? 

Yes. According to Kaspersky, the research analysed 867 ads that contained specified keywords, 638 of the ads were vacancy postings and 229 were CVs. The statistics suggest, therefore, that jobseekers respond to ads by prospective employers more frequently than they post CVs but, nonetheless, some post CVs on dark web forums that target diverse areas of expertise and job descriptions, such as moderating Telegram channels to compromising corporate infrastructure.

Monitoring The Dark Web Is A Form Of Defence 

Following the shocking research results, as noted by Polina Bochkareva, Security Services Analyst at Kaspersky: “IT headhunting is one of the numerous topics which is constantly discussed on the Darknet. Nowadays, tracking cybercriminal’s interest and continuous analysis of their activities is vital for companies that want to proactively respond to cyberattacks and keep their information security at the highest level. The more you know about your adversary – the better you are prepared”. 

Protection 

Some ways that businesses can protect themselves from common cyber-attacks include:

– To protect against phishing attacks, businesses can implement anti-phishing software, provide regular security awareness training to employees, and encourage them to be cautious when receiving emails from unknown sources.

– Businesses should regularly backup their data, keep their software and operating systems up to date, and train employees to identify suspicious emails and attachments to avoid falling victim to ransomware and other types of malware.

– To protect against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, businesses can implement DDoS protection services, monitor network activity for signs of an attack, and have a plan in place for responding to a DDoS attack.

– SQL injection attacks involve injecting malicious code into a website’s database in order to steal data or compromise the website. To protect against these attacks, businesses can use parameterised queries to protect against SQL injection, keep their database software up to date, and regularly monitor their websites for signs of an attack.

– Seeking the help of their IT Support Company or other security professionals.

– Using the multiple sources of Threat Intelligence information to stay aware of actual TTPs used by threat actors.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The Kaspersky research highlights how the dark web has long been a haven for cyber criminals and that there appears to be a flourishing job market there where ‘employers’ now blatantly use the same enticements that are used in legitimate jobs to attract the most specialised criminals. It looks unlikely that law enforcement or regulation will be able to make much of an impact in shutting down the worst aspects of the dark web in the near future, and even if they do, criminals are likely to move to other secure platforms and channels. It seems, therefore, that the best thing businesses can do is to take the measures mentioned above and remain focused on making their own cyber security as robust as possible and to keep on top of new security measures they need to take going forward.

 

Following anecdotal reports that some users can’t turn off the strict SafeSearch settings when searching using Bing, we look at what SafeSearch is, and how to control it.

What Is SafeSearch? 

SafeSearch is a setting in Microsoft’s Bing search engine that’s designed to filter out inappropriate web content.

How? 

It works on the search terms used and can be set to ‘Off,’ ‘Moderate,’ or ‘Strict.’ To choose the setting:

Using Edge

– Go to bing.com and click on the three dots top right.

– Select ‘Settings,’ and ‘More.’

– Choose your SafeSearch preference: ‘Strict,’ ‘Moderate,’ or ‘Off.’

– Select Save.

Using Google Chrome 

– Go to bing.com and click on the three lines (top right).

– Select ‘SafeSearch.’

– Choose your SafeSearch preference: ‘Strict,’ ‘Moderate,’ or ‘Off.’

– Select Save.

What’s The Problem? 

Some users are reporting a range of issues related to SafeSearch. For example:

– Even on a ‘Moderate’ setting, Bing filtering out search terms that are not inappropriate, e.g. one that contain some ‘x’ technical terms.

– SafeSearch automatically choosing a ‘Strict’ setting for some users.

– SafeSearch overriding a Moderate setting with a Strict setting with the explanation that a country or region requires it.

– Users not being able to turn SafeSearch to ‘Off.’

– SafeSearch settings being set and locked by the account, device, or network administrator.

About Strict  

If a ‘Strict’ setting is initially locked on, e.g. it’s enabled by parents or administrators to help protect children and prevent them from accidentally accessing adult content, the setting is then out of the user’s control. It cannot be turned off by the user without the password or other authentication credentials that were set up by the person who enabled the feature.

Bing’s SafeSearch can also override a Moderate setting with a Strict setting if the SafeSearch feature is locked on the Strict mode, e.g. by a parent or administrator.

Country Or Region Issues? 

Although some countries or regions may have different laws or cultural norms that impact what is considered appropriate content, plus some countries may require that certain types of content be filtered by default, regardless of the SafeSearch setting chosen by the user, this doesn’t explain the country/regional blocking/change of setting that some users have recently experienced. SafeSearch should always be under the control of the user or the person who set up the parental controls or other restrictions.

Ways To Fix SafeSearch If It Can’t Be Turned Off 

Some ways to fix SafeSearch if it can’t be turned off include:

– Some reports online indicate that issues may related to a bug that can be fixed by an update. Therefore, make sure you have the most recent Windows updates, e.g. Win + I to open Settings, go to Windows Update and click the Check for updates button.

– Try using a different browser. Some online reports indicate that different browsers (e.g. Google Chrome) don’t have the issue.

– Check and consider changing your Windows settings. For example, from the Start menu go to Settings, click on Privacy & Security. In Windows permissions, select Search permissions. For SafeSearch, select Off – Don’t filter adult content from my web results.

– Set up a new user account with new SafeSearch settings on your Windows computer.

– Try disabling third-party antivirus on the computer which may be interfering with search results and triggering SafeSearch issues. Use caution here for obvious reasons!

– Use the Group Policy Editor to change your system settings and turn off Windows SafeSearch.

– Use the Group Policy Editor to turn SafeSerch off. To do this: press Win + R and in the Run dialog type gpedit.msc and click OK. In the Group Policy Editor window, select Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. Select Set the SafeSearch settings for Search (right hand pane). Set to Not Configured, restart the computer, and check if the issue has been fixed.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Features like SafeSearch are important for protecting younger users from being exposed to inappropriate content and for managing search habits for other users. However, there are circumstances where, for different reasons (as mentioned above) SafeSearch settings could be counterproductive. Keeping Windows updated and trying the suggestions mentioned above may resolve any issues you may have experienced.

$100 billion/£82.7bn is reported to have been wiped off the value shares in Google’s parent company Alphabet following a rather public error made by Bard, Google’s new answer to ChatGPT.

Bard 

Originally called ‘Apprentice Bard,’ Bard is Google’s conversational AI service which uses Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), Google’s family of conversational neural language models. Bard is the Google equivalent of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot.

What Went Wrong? 

The much-anticipated Bard has already been rolled out to “trusted users” and scheduled for public release in “the coming weeks.” However, an advert for Bard which featured a promotional tweet contained a demonstration question which Bard had answered wrongly. As part of the answer to the question “What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can I tell my nine-year-old about?”, Bard said “JWST took the very first pictures of a planet outside of our own solar system.” 

This was quickly identified as being an incorrect answer because the first pictures of these ‘exoplanets’ were actually taken by the Very Large Telescope in 2004.

$100 billion/£82.7bn Wiped Off 

The knock in confidence caused by the mistake led to shares in Google’s parent company Alphabet sliding by up to 9 per cent in regular trading. This equated to $100 billion/£82.7bn being knocked off the company’s market value by the end of last Wednesday.

Highlights The Importance Of Testing 

A Google spokesperson commented on the somewhat painful and embarrassing mistake for the company by saying that it “highlights the importance of a rigorous testing process” and pointed to the fact that Bard is currently in the hands of its “Trusted Tester program”. The spokesperson added that it would combine external feedback with its own testing to make sure Bard’s responses were up to scratch in future.

The Race Is On 

The release and the popularity of ChatGPT has not just been followed by the impending release of Bard (following testing), but there is also news that Microsoft’s revamped Bing search engine will be using large language model technology, and that Google looks likely to incorporate Bard’s technology in its search engine. All these developments are evidence that the AI chatbot race is well and truly on. Also, it looks likely that the addition of powerful chatbots to search engines will change the format of search engine results. For example, by incorporating AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard, instead of just delivering pages of web links in answer to search engine queries, users may be given one definitive answer, thereby making searches quicker with easier to digest answers.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

OpenAI’s ChatGPT may have gained a substantial head start in the market with this type of advanced chatbot, nevertheless it was inevitable that Google would very soon be hot on its heels with its own version. One of the factors that affects the quality of answers from chatbots, however, is training. Whereas, in addition to its initial training, ChatGPT has been trained by millions of people since its release as a free version in November, Bard still appears to have some way to go. The wrong answer being used as part of a high profile advertising campaign is reminiscent of other high profile tech launch blunders like Tesla’s Cybertruck demo event where its bullet and sledgehammers-proof windows were easily smashed. The damage for Google with Bard, however, translated into a share slide and, no doubt, a little damage to market-confidence in Bard’s ability compared to ChatGPT. Bard is still undergoing testing, so it remains to be seen how it performs when it’s fully released for all of us to try.

Researchers from the University of Sussex and Universal Quantum have announced that they have made a major breakthrough in quantum computing that could help solve the most complex real-world problems.

What Are Quantum Computers? 

Quantum computers can carry out complex calculations at high speed. Whereas traditional computers store data in binary ‘bits’ (ones and zeros) and work by creating and storing long strings of these ‘bits,’ quantum computing’s ‘qubits’ (quantum bits) can do both at once. This is because a qubit can hold a zero, a one, or any proportion of both zero and one at the same time, and an array of qubits can use something called ‘superposition’ to represent all 2^64 possible values at the same time. This means that quantum computers can store more data in fewer bits (i.e. much more information can be stored in fewer qubits), meaning information can be processed much more quickly than with a traditional computer. The power of a quantum computer is stated in its quantum volume number/how many qubits, for example, a 14-qubit system.

Quantum computers can, therefore, be used to dramatically speed up tasks that have traditionally taken a long time. The results can be astounding, e.g. where crunching numbers that would take a classical computer a week, could take a quantum computer less than a second.

The Challenges 

Although quantum computers operate on the 100-qubit scale, experts say that millions of qubits are needed to solve important problems that are currently out of reach of today’s most powerful supercomputers.

Even though quantum computers are developing, they are becoming constrained by the size of their microchip, which limits the number of quantum bits such a chip can accommodate.

The Breakthrough 

The recent breakthrough, featured in a research paper published in ‘Nature Communications,’ is that a new powerful technique (called ‘UQ Connect’) allows multiple chips to slot together like a jigsaw puzzle to make a more powerful quantum computer. This ‘UQ Connect’ technique uses electric field links to enable qubits to move from one quantum computing microchip module to another with unprecedented speed and precision.

World Record Numbers 

Using the UQ technique, The University of Sussex and Universal Quantum team have reported being successful in transporting the qubits with a 99.999993 per cent success rate and a connection rate of 2424/s. Both these numbers are believed to be world records and orders of magnitude better than previous solutions.

Boundless Applications  

Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, highlighted the value of the breakthrough, saying: “It’s fantastic to see that the inspired work of the University of Sussex and Universal Quantum physicists has resulted in this phenomenal breakthrough, taking us a significant step closer to a quantum computer that will be of real societal use. These computers are set to have boundless applications from improving the development of medicines, creating new materials, to maybe even unlocking solutions to the climate crisis.” 

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

The development of quantum computers has had many engineering, computer science and mathematical challenges to overcome just get it to this point. The recent discovery of how to effectively link multiple chips together in a way that is fast and accurate is the next big step forward in boosting their power and overcoming single chip constraints. This could mean that we are entering the realm of scaled-up, practical quantum computers that are capable of solving some of the biggest challenges faced by many different industries, and some of the biggest challenges facing us all, such as how to successfully treat some of our most serious diseases and tackle the climate crisis.

Hull-based company iHelios has developed a system of using temperature controlled, energy-efficient electric infrared ‘wallpaper’ to heat homes and businesses which may have the potential to replace traditional central heating systems.

Heating Film 

The ‘smart’ heating system from iHelios uses a wafer-thin heating film that is placed within the ceiling, under floors, or in panels, and is linked up to the electric and a control system, and is operated via a phone app.

Reduced Energy Consumption 

The company says that the system reduces energy consumption by between 30 to nearly 100 per cent.

How Does Infrared Heating Work, And Is It Safe? 

Infrared heating works by emitting infrared radiation, a type of electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than visible light. The radiation is absorbed by objects in the room, causing them to heat up i.e., it actually heats people and objects in the room rather that heating the air like traditional central heating does. Although it’s similar to microwave heating in that it uses electromagnetic radiation to heat objects, infrared heating (also known as ‘radiant heating’), uses lower frequency electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectrum to heat objects and, therefore, poses no danger of cooking anything in the room.

Infrared heating is generally considered to be safe because infrared heaters emit low levels of electromagnetic radiation, similar to the radiation produced by the sun. This type of radiation is not harmful to humans or pets and doesn’t produce harmful by-products, such as carbon monoxide.

Benefits Over Radiator-Based Heating 

Infrared heaters come in a variety of forms, including panel heaters, infrared heating lamps, and portable infrared heaters, and now film-based system. Some of the key benefits of using an infrared heating system such as the film-based system from iHelios include:

– They don’t use convection, so dust, pollen and other allergens aren’t circulated thereby making them healthier for some people.

– They act fast. These systems can warm you up within minutes rather than having to wait for hot water to circulate round the system, warm the air and then warm you.

– They can reduce heating bills. For example, the iHelios system is high efficiency, and has low energy consumption – it and can save up to 66 per cent in energy consumption. The company says that, when combined with solar panels (photovoltaic installation), it can achieve near ‘free’ heating. This can also make it a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option. Also, the iHelios system can turn itself on and off (saving money) and maintain its temperature.

– They can be extremely easy to control. For example, the iHelios film-based system is controlled using an app, each room is controlled by an individual thermostat, it can be set low or turned off entirely (using the app), and it can be programmed to turn on automatically e.g., as you come home from work.

– They can save space and make a home or business look tidier i.e., no radiators.

– They can be installed across all property types and benefit a wide range of commercial sectors e.g., M&E consultants, property developers, builders, social and private landlords, architects, SAP assessors, and interior designers.

Is It More Environmentally Friendly Than Gas Central Heating? 

From an environmental perspective, infrared heating has some advantages over gas central heating. For example, infrared heating doesn’t produce harmful by-products, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, which are released when natural gas is burned. This makes infrared heating a cleaner and safer heating option, particularly for people with respiratory problems.

Infrared heating is also more energy efficient than gas central heating, since it heats objects and people directly, rather than heating the air. This means that less energy is lost through convection, the process by which heat is transferred from one place to another by the movement of a fluid, such as air or water.

However, it is important to note that the environmental impact of infrared heating depends on the source of the electricity used to power the heater. If the electricity comes from a clean, renewable, and sustainable energy source, such as wind or solar power, then the overall environmental impact of infrared heating will be low. However, if the electricity comes from a fossil fuel-based energy source, such as coal or natural gas, then the environmental impact of infrared heating will be higher.

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation? 

Having a heating system that is energy efficient, easy to control from an app, heats up fast, doesn’t use convection (heat the air) but just heats the people and objects in a room can make life easier, and provide significant cost savings. If powered by an environmentally friendly and sustainable energy source, such as solar panels, infrared heating systems could help reduce carbon emissions and help the planet. Systems like the iHelios ‘wallpaper’ style system could offer an efficient, effective, and cost saving way to heat business premises such as hotels, offices, and other commercial spaces. Retro-fitting a premises with a film, however, may still require some disruption in order to place the film, as suggested, within ceiling or under floors, although it could be put in panels. The initial outlay for the system may also be costly. That said, its controllability, savings over time, health and possible environmental benefits may make it an attractive new prospect for many businesses and organisations.

Social news and discussion website Reddit has reported being hit by a “sophisticated phishing campaign that targeted Reddit employees” whereby a single employee’s credentials were obtained, and an attacker gained access to internal documents and code, as well as some internal dashboards and business systems. Following several days of investigation, Reddit has announced “we have no evidence to suggest that any of your non-public data has been accessed, or that Reddit’s information has been published or distributed online”.

If you don’t want to drain your Windows 11 laptop’s battery while out and about, Firefox can show you how much power specific websites use up. Here’s how it works:

– In Firefox, go to the website you want to measure and click the three dots top right.

– Select ‘Tools’, then ‘Web Developer Tools’, and open the ‘Performance’ tab.

– Click ‘Start recording’ and hover your mouse over the power graphs to see how many watts of power the website is using.

The inevitable monthly subscription for ChatGPT is a step closer following the introduction of a trial ‘ChatGPT Plus’ service in the US priced at $20 (circa £16) per month.

Just The US For Now

OpenAI say that the new ChatGPT Plus service is just available to customers in the United States but will be made available by invite over the coming weeks to other people from its “waitlist.” This is the list of people and businesses that have completed a (Google) form to express an interest (the waitlist form can be found here).

What’s Included?

OpenAI’s as-yet limited information about ChatGPT Plus says that the £16 subscription benefits include:

– General access to ChatGPT, even during peak times.

– Faster response times.

– Priority access to new features and improvements.

Subscription Will Support Free Access For Others 

On an optimistic note, OpenAI says that it will “continue to offer free access to ChatGPT” and that “by offering this subscription pricing, we will be able to help support free access availability to as many people as possible.” 

ChatGPT Competitors 

Although ChatGPT has gained huge traction with well over a hundred million users now (setting a record) and gained global publicity by being the first to introduce such an advanced free AI chatbot, other big tech companies are now reported to be hot on its heels with their versions. For example, Google already has its family of conversational neural language models known as LaMDA. It is also reported to have been working on a project called ‘Atlas’ to challenge ChatGPT, and Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, has just announced that it will soon be releasing its own ChatGPT-like chatbot called ‘Bard’ (shortened from ‘Apprentice Bard’) which uses LaMDA. It’s been reported that Bard is very similar to ChatGPT in that a question is posed via in a dialog box, a text answer is given, then the user (it’s currently being tested by Google employees), can give feedback on the response.

The Future Of Search Engines? 

The capabilities of ChatGPT have led many to speculate whether this type of chatbot technology could soon be incorporated into (or replace) the current format of search engines. It has been reported, for example, that Google is already testing an alternate search page that could use a question-and-answer format. Some ways that AI-powered chatbots could change the search engine landscape could include:

– Conversational search. AI-powered chatbots could provide users with a more natural and conversational way of searching for information. Users could interact with chatbots in a conversational manner, asking questions and receiving answers, rather than having to type keywords into a search box.

– Personalised results. AI chatbots could personalize search results based on a user’s history, preferences, and context. This could lead to more relevant and targeted results, improving the overall search experience.

– Improved speed and accuracy. AI chatbots could process large amounts of information in real-time, providing users with quick and accurate answers to their queries. This could lead to a faster and more efficient search experience.

– New search applications. AI chatbots could be integrated into a variety of new applications and services, such as voice assistants, messaging platforms, and customer service systems. This could expand the reach and impact of search beyond traditional search engines.

One Answer Rather Than Pages Of Links

AI-powered chatbots could, therefore, have the potential to transform the way people search for information, providing a more natural, personalised, and efficient search experience. It is likely that the ability of powerful chatbots to gather information from multiple sources and give a distilled answer to user questions will replace the current format of search engine results. For example, by incorporating AI chatbots like ChatGPT (or more likely Bard), instead of delivering pages of web links in answer to search engine queries, users may be given one definitive answer, thereby making searches quicker with easier to digest answers.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

There’s no doubting the value-adding, time and cost saving power and capabilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It was always the case that since its low-key introduction in November, we’ve all been part of this first reciprocal mass testing and training exercise that’s advanced its capabilities in return for which, businesses have gained a free, innovative, multi-purpose business tool. It was inevitable, however, that subscriptions and paid versions with extras would follow but for the time being, the ‘Plus’ version is just being trialled and OpenAI says it will keep a free version available anyway. Although OpenAI now has a substantial head start in the market with this type of advanced chatbot, it looks like it may not be too long before competitors such as Google introduce their own versions.