Are you thinking of How to Access ChatGPT in Hong Kong? Read this comprehensive guide on ChatGPT along with the effective ways to use ChatGPT:
Ever since its launch in November 2022, Open AI’s ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. While some have approached the platform with unfathomable excitement, others are treating the AI chat robot with reasonable cynicism. Irrespective of one’s personal opinion, nobody can deny the sheer impact ChatGPT is having and will continue to have on our world.
Within just 2 months of launch, the number of users on ChatGPT had skyrocketed by 100 million. Its popularity worldwide has been immense. That being said, not everyone across the globe has the privilege of trying the AI chat robot themselves. It is yet to be made available in countries like China and Hong Kong.
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Do You Know How to Access ChatGPT in Hong Kong
Being a tech aficionado myself, I can understand how disheartening it can be to miss out on a revolutionary piece of technology that so many around the world are indulging in. This is precisely why I thought of writing down this little article today.
You see, the internet has a solution for almost everything. This includes bypassing strict censorship laws to access stuff that has been banned from online consumption by the government or similarly powerful authoritative bodies.
If you are in Hong Kong and wish to access ChatGPT, fret not! In this article, I’ll be sharing some simple yet effective tricks that you can employ to use ChatGPT to your heart’s content.
What is ChatGPT
Developed by the AI research lab Open AI, ChatGPT is an AI chat robot that you can use to develop code, generate text, translate languages, and perform calculations. Its AI is trained in a plethora of data inputs such as websites, articles, books, information on social media, and news platforms online.
ChatGPT is first and foremost a very smart chatbot. Having a conversation with this AI can sometimes feel like having a chat with an actual human being. You can command it to develop a code for you, write a short blog, or even tell a joke and you will not be disappointed with what the AI comes up with.
Why ChatGPT isn’t Available in Hong Kong
ChatGPT, or any piece of information technology for that matter, often find themselves the victims of stringent censorship practices followed by dictatorial regimes and governments across the globe. There are many reasons why such governments might want to ban or restrict access to tech like ChatGPT.
Some major reasons cited for this ban include security concerns, preventing certain information from flowing freely online, and banning content deemed as ‘amoral’.
Hong Kong has been mired in riots and country-wide protests since 2019. The ban on ChatGPT in the country could be a direct result of the political unrest being experienced there.
How to Access ChatGPT in Hong Kong
There are tactics you can employ to access ChatGPT in Hong Kong without any hassle. Let’s start with the most obvious solution to this issue – a VPN.
Accessing ChatGPT via a VPN Service
VPN is perhaps the safest and easiest option I can suggest to access ChatGPT. A VPN or Virtual Private Network refers to a private encrypted connection that’s established between two devices. A VPN service enables your device to connect with a server to browse the internet rather than use its original network information to do so.
So any entity online that’s tracking user data will only see the VPN server’s information. Your device’s information is completely hidden. VPNs have many advantages. It offers you the privilege of browsing the internet anonymously and protects you from cyber security threats. Most importantly, it can help you access geo-blocked content.
When using a VPN service, you must remember that not all VPN service providers are the same when it comes to quality and efficiency. To access ChatGPT, you’ll need a reliable VPN service that’s fast, user-friendly, and adheres to a strict zero-logs policy.
Keeping that in mind, I can vouch for the following three VPN services:
#1) ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a very popular VPN service used across the globe. It is quite effective in helping its users bypass censored or blocked content via an AES-256 encrypted server. The service is powered by more than 500 reliable servers operating in more than 95 countries.
The service works well on almost all devices and even comes with a dedicated browser extension for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. One of the things I like about ExpressVPN is its leak protection functionality, which can help you achieve total anonymity online by hiding traffic data, browsing activity, and connection logs.
How to use ExpressVPN to access ChatGPT:
I am using a Windows device. Just keep in mind, the instructions below are for downloading and installing ExpressVPN on a Windows computer. The process for other OS and devices is more or less the same.
You’ll need to purchase an active ExpressVPN subscription. Once you have the subscription, simply follow the process below:
Step #1: Sign in by entering your Account Credentials.
Step #2: In your dashboard, click on ‘Download for Windows’. Select ‘Set up other devices’ if you are using a computer with another OS.
Step #3: Copy the activation code you see on the screen.
Step #4: Once copied, open the installer and finish the installation process by following the instructions provided.
Step #5: Launch ExpressVPN on your device and paste the activation code you copied earlier.
Step #6: Now simply choose the server location you wish to connect with and click on the giant ‘Switch’ icon.
With ExpressVPN on, you’ll now be able to access ChatGPT in your browser.
Price: Starting at $12.95/month
#2) Nord VPN
NordVPN is yet another excellent VPN tool that can give you secure and private access to the internet. NordVPN can effectively encrypt your entire internet connection, and thus keep you protected from prying eyes online. Like ExpressVPN, Nord also works efficiently on almost all devices and OS.
I admire NordVPN for its speed. You’ll never experience speed lags when browsing the internet with NordVPN on. You also get the option to select from over 500 powerful servers located in 60 countries worldwide. The new threat protection feature also makes the tool quite capable of protecting yourself from trackers, malware, and adware online.
How to use NordVPN to access ChatGPT:
Step #1: Hit the giant Download App button you’ll see on the home page of NordVPN’s website.
Step #2: Click on the downloaded NordVPNSetup.exe file and follow the instructions on the screen to install the software on your device.
Step #3: Launch the app and log in with your credentials.
Step #4: You’ll be redirected to the NordVPN dashboard. Here, you can simply press “Quick Connect” to automatically connect to a server or choose a server location from the left-hand side of the dashboard.
Step #5: Once connected, you can proceed to now safely access ChatGPT in your browser.
Price: Starting at $12.99/month
#3) SurfShark
SurfShark is excellent at encrypting internet activity the moment it is installed on your device. It does what most reliable VPN service providers do. You can use the service to change your IP address, thus hiding your actual location. I also like that SurfShark protects you from adware and malware attacks.
It is efficient at encrypting internet activity, especially when you are connected to a public Wi-Fi. SurfShark is also really good at keeping tracking and targeted ads at bay and off your back. This is a great VPN service if you want quick and secure access to blocked or censored content like ChatGPT.
How to use SurfShark to access ChatGPT:
First and foremost, you’ll need an active SurfShark subscription. Once you have that, simply follow the process below.
Step #1: Download the SurfShark VPN on your device.
Step #2: Click on the downloaded setup.exe file to start the installation. Follow the installation process as instructed.
Step #3: Launch the app by adding your credentials.
Step #4: In the opening dashboard, simply click ‘Connect’ and SurfShark will connect you to the fastest server.
Step #5: Alternatively, you can select the “Location” section available on the left-hand side of your screen and choose a server location of your preference.
Price: Starting at $12.95/month
Suggested Reading =>> List of top Safe VPNs
Locations Where ChatGPT is Available
Remember, you’ll only be able to access ChatGPT via a VPN successfully if the VPN server you’ve connected to is in a location that allows the use of this AI chat robot.
Allow me to list down the names of all the countries that permit the use of ChatGPT below:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Brazil
- Belgium
- Chile
- Canada
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Ecuador
- France
- Finland
- Greece
- Germany
- Hungary
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Peru
- Poland
- Philippines
- Portugal
- Poland
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- The United Kingdon
- United States of America
Connecting to a server in any of these locations while using a VPN will give you secure and quick access to ChatGPT.
Getting Started with ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a very simple tool to deploy and use. Once you’ve established a connection to a VPN server, simply follow the below procedures:
Step #1: Go to https://openai.com/ and select ChatGPT from the product drop-down menu.
Step #2: Click Sign Up
Step #3: Create an account using your email ID or an existing Microsoft or Google account.
Step #4: Set a password.
Step #5: Go to your email inbox, open the message you received, and click on “Verify Email Address”.
Step #6: Once verified, enter your first and last name. Then, click continue
Step #7: In this step, you’ll need to provide your phone number for verification. Since you cannot use your Hong Kong phone number, I recommend getting a virtual international phone number online from websites like GoToConnect, Grasshopper, etc.
Step #8: Enter the security code you received on your virtual phone number to complete the registration process.
Step #9: You can now successfully log into ChatGPT.
Using POE as an Alternative to VPN
While VPN is quite effective at unblocking ChatGPT in Hong Kong, it isn’t the only solution you have at your disposal. POE is a chatbot launched by Quora in December of last year. This is a tool that users in Hong Kong can use to access not only ChatGPT but other chat-bots unavailable in the country as well like Sage, Claude, and Dragonfly.
What makes POE unique is the fact that you’ll be able to access ChatGPT without the hassle of getting a virtual phone number or downloading a VPN tool. Currently, POE is free to download and only available for the iOS version.
As such, you’ll only be able to use ChatGPT on your iOS device through the POE platform. If Quora’s CEO is to be believed, then POE could support all other major OS and devices in the coming years.
Using ChatGPT in POE:
- Download POE on your mobile.
- Launch the app and select ChatGPT from the dashboard.
- Once the ChatGPT chat box opens, post your query or question to the chatbot.
POE feels like a text-messaging app but for AI models. Within the chat interface, you’ll also find several suggestions to assist you in starting a conversation with the chatbot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) Is ChatGPT Free?
Answer: Yes, ChatGPT is completely free to use. You don’t need to download or install the software. Simply sign-up with an email and password to open your account and start using all of its features. If you wish for guaranteed access to the chatbot even during peak times, you can opt for the ChatGPT Plus subscription, which costs $20 per month.
Q #2) Is ChatGPT Legal?
Answer: Although ChatGPT isn’t available to use openly in Hong Kong, it isn’t necessarily legal. Hong Kongers can use the service via a VPN or chatbot POE. Certain universities and educational institutions have banned the use of ChatGPT to prevent cheating and plagiarism.
Also Read =>> Learn about VPN laws in different countries
Q #3) What is the purpose of ChatGPT?
Answer: ChatGPT has several valuable applications. You can leverage the platform to get answers to questions you might have like Google. You can also use it to compose short blogs and articles. It can also be used for research. Some businesses are looking to use ChatGPT to automate their customer support systems. Developers can also use it to write code for software and app design.
Q #4) What are some of the concerns with ChatGPT?
Answer: A major concern that most people have right now with ChatGPT, and AI in general, is the possibility of it taking jobs away from humans. One could foresee a huge unemployment crisis being generated directly because of chatbots like ChatGPT.
ChatGPT can now also help inept writers produce articles that are free of all grammatical errors. It was also found that ChatGPT doesn’t always give you the right answers. So putting too much trust into the chatbot may prove dangerous.
Q #5) Can ChatGPT be detected?
Answer: Not really. Most plagiarism checkers out there cannot detect whether the content was produced by an AI. However, tools are being developed right now that could potentially make detecting ChatGPT content possible.
Q #6) How to fix the ‘ChatGPT is at full capacity right now’ error?
Answer: This is perhaps the most annoying aspect of ChatGPT. However, there are some tricks you can use to quickly get around the issue.
The tactics mentioned below could do the trick:
- Log out and Log into your ChatGPT account again
- Refresh the page
- Open ChatGPT in incognito mode
- Open a second OpenAI account
- Clear browser cache
- Subscribe to the premium ChatGPT Professional plan.
Conclusion
ChatGPT is a fascinating new chapter in the saga of AI technology. For better or worse, the tool is bound to change the world as we know it. It heralds the coming of an age that’ll be full of promising opportunities and dreadful challenges.
If you are a software developer, content writer, or just a curious tech nerd, you’d want to get your hands on this tool and experience the hype yourself.
However, ChatGPT isn’t available everywhere. Hong Kong is one such place where you won’t be able to access ChatGPT. Hopefully, this will change in the future and the citizens of Hong Kong will be able to freely access tools like ChatGPT without having to worry about the might of institutions coming down on them.
Until then, you can employ the services of a reliable VPN tool or sign-up for the new Quora-developed POE to get quick, easy, and secure access to ChatGPT and all of its exciting features.