ChatGPT Knowledge Cutoff Date: An Overview

If you’ve been annoyed by ChatGPT’s lack of knowledge about recent events, you’ll be happy to know things are changing! OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced at their first Dev Day conference in November 2023 that they’ve extended the knowledge cutoff dates of ChatGPT models.

In this post, we’ll dive into ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff date of each model and put them to the test.

When Is the ChatGPT Knowledge Cutoff Date?

GPT-3.5, a model developed by OpenAI, is part of a progressive series of AI models. While there’s no official documentation specifying the dataset used for training GPT-3.5, inquiries about its knowledge cut-off date generally receive a response stating that it includes information up to January 2022.

However, OpenAI’s ChatGPT FAQ page noting that ChatGPT “has limited knowledge of world and events after 2021.” does indeed create some confusion regarding the exact cut-off date for the knowledge base of ChatGPT. 

ChatGPT-4, an enhanced version of the AI model only accessible with paid subscription plans, features improved understanding, more nuanced responses, the ability to generate images, and a wider knowledge base.

It claimed to include training data up to April 2023. This means ChatGPT-4 can offer insights into more recent global events, technological advancements, and cultural trends.

It can also browse the internet for information or events that happened after the claimed cut-off date to provide users with the most updated answers.

ChatGPT Knowledge Cutoff Date Test

I decided to put ChatGPT on a test for its scope of knowledge. I ran ChatGPT in GPT-3.5 mode and asked a simple question: “Who won Miss Universe 2021?” (an event that happens on December 12, 2021)

ChatGPT said that it couldn’t answer due to events occurring after its January 2022 cut-off date, which contradicts earlier claims about its knowledge base.

It’s possible that any reference to a knowledge base up to January 2022 could be a misunderstanding or an overestimation by the model, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as “hallucination.” Given this, it’s better to align with OpenAI’s official statement, considering the knowledge training data for ChatGPT 3.5 to be at some point in 2021, without a specific month being confirmed.

Now, let’s put ChatGPT-4 to the test.

I asked ChatGPT not to use its browsing feature to check if it could give recent information on its own with this question: “What movie won the 95th Academy Awards?” (the 95th Academy Awards took place on March 12, 2023). In response, the chatbot gave me the right answer:

I tried other questions focused on events that happened before April 2023, ChatGPT managed to offer correct and current information. 

Will ChatGPT’s Knowledge Be Updated?

OpenAI had not provided specific details about the frequency or method of updating ChatGPT’s knowledge base. The decision to retrain and update the model depends on several factors, including the availability of new and relevant data, computational resources, and specific goals for improving or expanding the model’s capabilities.

However, I think that OpenAI will expand ChatGPT’s knowledge base in the near future. For direct and up-to-date information, visiting OpenAI’s official website or following their official communication channels would be the best course of action.

Bottom Line

Research and tests show that ChatGPT 4’s knowledge is up to date until April 2023. As for ChatGPT 3.5, its information cut-off falls at some point in 2021.