## Unequal accessibility

The cost of tools is a barrier for many students in accessing generative AI tools.
Some AI tools offer both free and paid versions of their tool, which could lead to unequal accessibility among students. Those who can afford to pay for the paid version of a tool may have an unfair advantage in assignments that incorporate the use of GenAI.

With ChatGPT, for example, there are important differences between the free account and the paid account (ChatGPT Plus) that have an impact on its accessibility:

- There is a high global demand, but the number of users is limited. However, users with a paid account are given priority and have access even during peak times. Access with the free account is more unpredictable and works best during off-peak hours.
- The paid version works faster than the free version, especially with longer content.
- Users with a paid account are given access to new models, features, and updates first. For example, from September 2023, ChatGPT can browse the internet (so it's not limited to only the information up to September 2021 that is included in its training data), you can use your own voice for asking questions, and you can upload images. But all these features only work for users with a paid account.

Moreover, if students are learning online from other countries, the use of particular GenAI tools may be restricted due to government regulation or censorship.