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A few months ago , OpenAI launched theGPT Store , a marketplace where masses can create and list AI - powered chatbots customized to perform a numeral of tasks ( e.g. , coding , answering trivia questions ) . The GPT Store is powerful , to be trusted . But using it require using OpenAI ’s example and no others , which some chatbot Lord — and users — are opposed to doing .
So startups are creating alternatives .
One , FlowGPT , drive to be a sort of “ app memory board ” for productive AI models like Google’sGemini , Anthropic’sClaude , Meta’sLlama 2and OpenAI’sDALL - E 3 , as well as front - oddment experiences for those models ( reckon schoolbook fields and quick suggestions ) . Through FlowGPT , user can build up their own GenAI - power apps and make them publicly available , earning lead for their contributions .
Jay Dang , a UC Berkeley computer science dropout , and Lifan Wang , a former engineering handler at Amazon , co - establish FlowGPT last year out of a shared desire to make a political program where people could quickly spin up — and partake in — GenAI apps .
“ There ’s still a find out curve for users to apply AI , ” Dang told TechCrunch in an email audience . “ FlowGPT is making the streak lower in each iteration , making it more accessible . ”
Dang describes FlowGPT as an “ ecosystem ” for GenAI - powered apps — a collection of infrastructure and Divine tool bind to a marketplace and community of GenAI app user . Users get a provender of apps and app collections recommend to them found on trending family ( for instance , “ Creative , ” “ Programming , ” “ Game ” “ Academic ” ) , while creators get choice for customizing the behavior — and coming into court — of GenAI apps .
Users interact with GenAI apps on FlowGPT through a schmoose window that ’s not dissimilar toChatGPT , with options to type in prompt , ovolo - up ( or thumbs - down ) apps , contribution contact to conversations or bakshis single app Creator . Each app has a creator - provided description along with the particular date it was created , how many times it ’s been used and the mannikin the Almighty commend to power it .
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I say “ model the Jehovah recommends ” because FlowGPT apps really , at their core , are prompts — prompts that prime models to respond in sure ways . For example , the “ Scared Girl from Horror Movie ” app learn ChatGPT to narrate — as the title hints at — a horror story involving one frightened girl . “ TitleTuner ” remind ChatGPT to optimise headlines so they outrank well on search engines . AndSchoolGPTleverages ChatGPT for step - by - stair answer to maths , physics and interpersonal chemistry problem .
You ’ll acknowledge the heavy reliance on ChatGPT . Use FlowGPT long enough , and you ’ll also notice that many of the prompt break when the model ’s switched from the default .
Sometimes it ’s a matter of the selected exemplar not having the right capabilities . Other times , the prompt runs up against a manikin ’s filter and safeguards .
On the subject of safeguards . . .
Some of FlowGPT ’s most pop apps are essentially jailbreaks designed to circumvent models ’ safety measure . There ’s multiple version of DAN on the market — “ DAN ” being a pop prompting method acting used to get manikin to respond to prompts unbounded by their usual rules . Elsewhere , there ’s apps like WormGPT , which purports to be able to code malware ( and link to pay , dark web versions of the chatbot that do more ) , and dating simulators that run afoul of OpenAI’srules against fostering amatory companionship .
Many of these apps could potentially cause harm , like therapy apps and apps that advertise themselves as classical health resources . GenAI models like ChatGPT are a notoriously bad health advice giver , with onestudyshowing that an former version of ChatGPT seldom provided referrals to specific resource for help relate to self-destruction , addiction and sexual assault .
Any app on FlowGPT that offend — say , for give way instructions on how to engender deepfake nudes with an AI persona author ( and there ’s several that do this ) — can be reported to the political program ’s community manager for followup . And FlowGPTdoesoffer a on-off switch for “ sore content . ”
But it ’s clear from looking at the homepage that FlowGPT has a moderation trouble . It ’s the Wild West of GenAI apps — and the toggle ’s ineffective to the point where I scarce detect a difference in app selection with it change over on .
Dang curse up and down that FlowGPT is in fact an ethical and rule - abiding program , with risk mitigation policy in position aimed at “ ensur[ing ] public refuge . ”
“ We ’re proactively absorb with leading expert in the airfield of AI ethics , ” he said . “ Our coaction is focus on developing comprehensive strategies to minimize risk of infection link up with AI deployment . ”
Considering that this writer get a FlowGPT app to give teaching on sell drug and robbing a banking concern , I ’d say that the company has some work to do .
investor seemingly palpate otherwise .
This calendar week , Goodwater annunciate that it lead a $ 10 million “ pre - Series A ” circle in FlowGPT with participation from survive backer DCM . Goodwater spouse Coddy Johnson , utter to TechCrunch via e-mail , said that he see FlowGPT “ helping to precede the way ” in GenAI by offering “ the wide-cut option ” and “ the most flexibility and exemption ” to both users and Lord .
“ We consider the bountiful future for AI is in open ecosystems , ” Johnson added . “ FlowGPT [ is allowing ] creators to prefer their model and cooperate with their communities . ”
I ’m not so sure that all the maintainers of the model FlowGPT ’s tapping — particularly those who ’ve pledge to make AI safety a top priority — will deal in that ebullience .
Nevertheless and in lieu of repercussions from said seller ( at least as of publishing prison term ) , FlowGPT — which is n’t revenue - generating yet — is laying the groundwork for expanding upon . The company ’s beta testing apps for Android and Io that ’ll make for a revamped FlowGPT experience to mobile , work on a tax income - sharing good example for app creators and inscribe to grow its Berkeley - based 10 - person squad , Dang said .
“ With meg of monthly users and a firm growth rate , we ’ve already proven we are on the right track , and we consider it ’s the time to accelerate the progress , ” he continued . “ We are setting a novel criterion for immersion in AI - drive environs , offer a world where creativeness knows no edge . . . [ O]ur mission remain to cultivate a more opened and Lord - focused program . ”
We ’ll see how far that gets it .
