ChatGPT is getting a lot more visual, with the launch of a new interface

OpenAI is introducing a new ChatGPT interface called Intelligent UI, which it is rolling out together with a new GPT-6 model. The company says the interface will integrate a significant amount of visuals into conversations, and that many of those visuals will be interactive.

The interactive elements OpenAI describes include tappable buttons, a customized calculator built for a specific task, interactive charts and editable graphs, along with other elements users can work with directly. The company frames the goal as making learning complex topics easier. OpenAI did not directly state that the feature would make ChatGPT friendlier or bring in a wider audience.

During a call with journalists, OpenAI staff gave a brief demonstration. Aarush Selvan, a product manager at the company, said ChatGPT has predominantly been a text-based interface, and that for tasks such as planning a recipe or a trip, or learning something, the most helpful answers are not just text. As an example, Selvan described a college student asking ChatGPT to explore how an airplane wing generates lift; the chatbot quickly produced illustrative diagrams showing the dynamics behind flight. Other examples the company gave include visuals for recipes, a diagram for understanding bicycle mechanics, a map for a multi-day hiking excursion, and a personal savings calculator.

The feature will be customizable. Like other aspects of ChatGPT's personality, users who do not want as many visuals in responses will be able to dial them back. Intelligent UI rolls out globally with GPT-6 for Pro, Plus, Business and Enterprise users, and will reach Free and Go users the next day.

Why it matters: Access is staged by plan, since Pro, Plus, Business and Enterprise users get Intelligent UI and GPT-6 first, with Free and Go users waiting until the following day. Developers and product teams building on ChatGPT can also expect a continued text-based interface, because users can reduce how many visuals appear in responses.