OpenAI introduces faster and multimodal GPT-4o

CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — OpenAI, a leader in artificial intelligence technology, has unveiled GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new iteration of its GPT-4 language model that powers the popular ChatGPT.
Announced during a livestream event, GPT-4o boasts significant improvements in speed, capabilities, and accessibility.
According to Mira Murati, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, the updated model “is much faster” and enhances “capabilities across text, vision, and audio.” Remarkably, GPT-4o will be available free of charge to all ChatGPT users, while paid subscribers will continue to enjoy “up to five times the capacity limits.”
Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN
Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024
Multimodal capabilities of GPT-4o redefine user experience
One of the most exciting aspects of GPT-4o is its “natively multimodal” nature, as highlighted by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
This means the model can generate content or understand commands across various mediums, including voice, text, and images. The app will now function as a real-time voice assistant, akin to the one portrayed in the movie “Her,” capable of observing and responding to the world around it. This marks a significant upgrade from the current voice mode’s limited capabilities.
Developers will also have access to the GPT-4o API, which promises to be twice as fast and half the price of the previous GPT-4 Turbo model.
our new model: GPT-4o, is our best model ever. it is smart, it is fast,it is natively multimodal (!), and…
— Sam Altman (@sama) May 13, 2024
“Instead, it now looks like we’ll create AI and then other people will use it to create all sorts of amazing things that we all benefit from,” Altman reflected in a blog post, acknowledging a shift in OpenAI’s vision from solely creating benefits to enabling others to leverage their AI models.
The timing of the GPT-4o release strategically precedes Google I/O, Google’s major tech conference, signaling OpenAI’s readiness to compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.