OpenAI unveils GPT-4o mini, a lightweight version of its most powerful model to date

OpenAI is set to unveil its latest innovation, the “GPT-4o mini,” on Thursday, marking another significant step in the company’s efforts to broaden the reach of its popular chatbot technology.

OpenAI describes the new GPT-4o mini as “the most capable and cost-efficient small model available today,” with plans to eventually integrate image, video, and audio functionalities.

This announcement comes just two months after the debut of GPT-4o, a real-time AI model that boasts enhanced speed and capabilities across text, video, and audio interactions.

The GPT-4o mini is a derivative of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s most advanced and fastest model to date, first introduced in May during a high-profile livestream event. The “o” in GPT-4o stands for “omni,” reflecting its comprehensive enhancements in handling audio, video, and text, and its ability to support 50 languages with superior speed and quality.

Backed by Microsoft and valued at over $80 billion, OpenAI faces significant pressure to maintain its leading position in the generative AI sector while managing the substantial costs associated with developing and training its models. The introduction of GPT-4o mini underscores OpenAI’s commitment to “multimodality,” the integration of diverse AI-generated media such as text, images, audio, and video within a single tool like ChatGPT.

Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer, highlighted the importance of this approach last year in an interview with CNBC, saying, “The world is multimodal. We see things, we hear things, we say things — the world is much bigger than text. It always felt incomplete for text and code to be the sole modalities to demonstrate the power and capabilities of these models.”

The GPT-4o mini will be accessible to free users of ChatGPT, as well as to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers starting Thursday, with availability extending to ChatGPT Enterprise users next week.

OpenAI, founded in 2015 by Sam Altman and Elon Musk, began as a nonprofit aimed at advancing safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence (AGI). The company transitioned to a commercial entity in 2020, a move that significantly altered its trajectory. Despite internal challenges, including Altman’s brief departure and return last November, OpenAI remains a frontrunner in the AI industry, driven by the continued success of its flagship product, ChatGPT, launched in 2022.