So frustrating that there's no way to access this tech without putting your name on a list and waiting an unspecified amount of time (months?). It's the sort of thing many people would pay well for, even at its current stage of development.
I think it depends on what you tell them when you fill out the application. I was honest and didn't tell them I was a YouTube influencer, venture capitalist, underground artist, and/or credentialed researcher. I just wanted to play with it and see how it worked.
Most of the interesting things I've done in my life and career began with just wanting to play with something and see how it worked, but it was probably unrealistic to expect OpenAI to buy into that, given the large number of more worthy-sounding candidates in line ahead of me. Maybe I'll reapply with a different email address and make up a more mediagenic motivation.
My invite actually came through just now, interestingly enough, after a little over two weeks. Either they're opening up for a wider audience, or whining about it on HN is irrationally effective.
Gotta give credit where it's due, in any case. I hereby withdraw my complaint!
