OpenAI dramatically changed the public discourse around artificial intelligence when it launched ChatGPT last year; for the first time, the public had access to an AI model that could seemingly do everything from penning essays to helping investors with stock picks. The resultant environment has been one of a feverish game of catch-up for other tech giants as excitement over the budding technology has consistently lifted tech stocks higher.

The viral chatbot is now getting a major update. OpenAI said Sept. 25 that it is beginning to roll out new voice and image capabilities within ChatGPT, which allows the model to process visual and auditory, in addition to linguistic, data.

Users can upload images and "troubleshoot why your grill won’t start, explore the contents of your fridge to plan a meal, or analyze a complex graph for work-related data," OpenAI said in a blog post.

Plus and Enterprise users will gain access to the new update over the next two weeks; the feature will gradually roll out to other ChatGPT users over an undisclosed timeline.

"However, these capabilities also present new risks, such as the potential for malicious actors to impersonate public figures or commit fraud," OpenAI added.

The update — and the way it was announced — highlights an ongoing issue of hype that has permeated the industry since ChatGPT first went live.

Several prominent AI researchers took to X to explain that, despite OpenAI's phrasing, no, ChatGPT cannot see, hear or speak.