While much of the conversation around artificial intelligence tends to revolve around speed and sophistication, OpenAI’s latest move feels unexpectedly low-tech, and perhaps deliberately so. The company has introduced a way for users to access its image generation feature simply by sending a message to 1-800-ChatGPT (or +18002428478 to be exact) through WhatsApp.
This rollout opens the tool to all users globally, according to the announcement shared through the company’s official X account. But for a platform so deeply associated with cutting-edge AI, the decision to lean on a toll-free number, something more closely tied to landline-era habits, comes across as a curious throwback.
It’s difficult to gauge how many users were actively hoping to reach an AI tool through a method that predates the smartphone. The symbolic use of a “1-800” code may even be lost on those who never had to think about long-distance calling. Still, the move could signal an effort to make AI services feel more approachable to demographics that might be less comfortable navigating app stores, new interfaces, or competing platforms.
In some ways, it suggests that OpenAI is trying to widen its reach, not by adding complexity, but by lowering the technical barrier. For users already familiar with WhatsApp, sending a quick message might feel less intimidating than signing into a new app or website. And for those who recall a time when customer service meant dialing a toll-free number, this might feel oddly familiar, even if the conversation now happens with an algorithm rather than a human voice.
Read next: Marketers Brace for Soaring Content Needs as Expectations Shift Through 2027
This rollout opens the tool to all users globally, according to the announcement shared through the company’s official X account. But for a platform so deeply associated with cutting-edge AI, the decision to lean on a toll-free number, something more closely tied to landline-era habits, comes across as a curious throwback.
It’s difficult to gauge how many users were actively hoping to reach an AI tool through a method that predates the smartphone. The symbolic use of a “1-800” code may even be lost on those who never had to think about long-distance calling. Still, the move could signal an effort to make AI services feel more approachable to demographics that might be less comfortable navigating app stores, new interfaces, or competing platforms.
In some ways, it suggests that OpenAI is trying to widen its reach, not by adding complexity, but by lowering the technical barrier. For users already familiar with WhatsApp, sending a quick message might feel less intimidating than signing into a new app or website. And for those who recall a time when customer service meant dialing a toll-free number, this might feel oddly familiar, even if the conversation now happens with an algorithm rather than a human voice.
Read next: Marketers Brace for Soaring Content Needs as Expectations Shift Through 2027
