Sam Altman Highlights OpenAI o1 Capabilities In New Launch

Sam Altman’s OpenAI has launched its much-anticipated o1-preview series of AI models. This marks a significant milestone in artificial intelligence development, especially for ChatGPT. These new models excel in solving complex problems in areas such as science, coding, and mathematics.

Sam Altman Cheers As OpenAI Launches New AI Models

The new models are now available in ChatGPT and the API as part of an early preview, with plans for regular updates and improvements. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his excitement for the release. He stated on X (formerly Twitter), “extremely proud of the team; this was a monumental effort across the entire company. hope you enjoy it!”

The o1-preview models introduce a new level of reasoning, spending more time processing information before generating responses. This refinement leads to improved problem-solving abilities. In initial tests, the next update of the reasoning model performed on par with PhD students in physics, chemistry, and biology tasks, and achieved impressive results in math and coding competitions.

For example, in a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad, the o1 model scored an impressive 83%, compared to GPT-4o’s 13%. Despite its advanced capabilities, the o1-preview model lacks some practical features present in GPT-4, such as web browsing and file uploading.

However, Sam Altman-backed OpenAI emphasizes that the model’s strength lies in tackling complex, multi-step tasks, making it especially useful for industries requiring high-level problem-solving. Altman highlighted this shift in AI performance, saying, “It is the beginning of a new paradigm: AI that can do general-purpose complex reasoning.”

The Affordable Version & Future Plans

OpenAI also introduced a smaller, more affordable version called o1-mini. It is tailored specifically for developers needing advanced coding capabilities without extensive world knowledge. Moreover, this model is 80% cheaper than the o1-preview version, making it a cost-effective solution for developers.

From today, users of ChatGPT Plus and Team can manually select o1-preview and o1-mini from the model picker. The o1-preview model comes with a rate limit of 30 messages, while o1-mini offers a 50-message limit. API users in the highest usage tier can also begin using the models.

However, certain features, such as function calling and streaming, are not yet available. Meanwhile, as part of its focus on safety, Sam Altman’s OpenAI implemented new security training approaches for these models. In jailbreak tests, the o1-preview outperformed GPT-4o, scoring 84 out of 100 compared to GPT-4o’s 22.

Furthermore, the company has also expanded its partnerships with AI safety institutes in the U.S. and U.K. to further strengthen its safety measures. Looking ahead, OpenAI plans to expand access to o1-mini for ChatGPT Free users. In addition, the company will continue adding new features to the o1 series, including browsing and file uploads.

Sam Altman concluded his announcement by acknowledging the models’ imperfections but expressed optimism about their potential. He stated, “o1 is still flawed, still limited, and it still seems more impressive on first use than it does after you spend more time with it. but also, it is the beginning of a new paradigm.” Whilst, OpenAI is now eyeing a $150 billion valuation with its latest funding.