New ChatGPT competitor gpt2-chatbot mysteriously appears and disappears
A mysterious new AI chatbot called “gpt2-chatbot” turned heads this week after it became available on a major large language model benchmarking site, LMSYS Org. No one knows where it came from, but many consider it to have roughly the same capabilities as OpenAI’s GPT-4. This put gpt2-chatbot in a rare class of AI models that only a handful of developers worldwide have been able to achieve. Professor Ethan Mollick, who researches artificial intelligence at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, mentioned that it appears to be in the same rough ability level as GPT-4.
The Mystery Unfolds
Just as gpt2-chatbot was peaking in hype, the chatbot disappeared on Tuesday afternoon. A notice on LMSYS site’s homepage reads “gpt2-chatbot is currently unavailable.” According to a tweet from the organization, the chatbot had been taken offline due to unexpectedly high traffic. However, LMSYS says to “stay-tuned for its broader releases.”
Online Speculation
Online AI communities have gone wild about the anonymous gpt2-chatbot. Users claim that gpt2-chatbot nearly coded a perfect clone of the mobile game Flappy Bird and solved an International Math Olympiad problem in one shot. Speculations about the origins of the gpt2-chatbot are rampant, with users debating whether it’s from OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic.
There’s no concrete evidence supporting these claims, but tweets from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other executives have fueled further speculation.
Testing and Speculation
Prior to its disappearance, users could try out the gpt2-chatbot on LMSYS Org’s website. It was accessible via “Direct Chat” or “Arena (side-by-side)” under the dropdown menu. LMSYS Org's policy blog mentions that certain AI model developers can test anonymous unreleased models before a broader release, leading many to believe that gpt2-chatbot is an anonymous model from a major AI developer.
LMSYS Org and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment regarding the gpt2-chatbot. In Gizmodo’s limited testing, the chatbot exhibited capabilities similar to leading AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI, showcasing advanced reasoning abilities and detailed task planning.
The Future of gpt2-chatbot
Despite the lack of detailed information available at present, it is evident that a significant player is behind the gpt2-chatbot. In the upcoming weeks, more details about the creator and origins of the chatbot are expected to emerge. This could signal the arrival of a new AI model or the emergence of a new AI developer in the industry.
A version of this article originally appeared on Gizmodo.
