Refreshed and Revitalized GPT-4o Makes a Return, Now Offering a Paid Service to Its Former Chat Companions
In the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence, OpenAI has once again made waves with the release of its latest model, GPT-5, on August 7, 2022. This groundbreaking development has led to a significant shift in the company's approach, marking the deprecation of its older models, including GPT-4o, for a brief period.
The rollout of GPT-5 has been met with mixed reactions. While many users have embraced the new model's enhanced capabilities, the initial deprecation of GPT-4o has not been fully quelled, with some users expressing their discontent. The availability of GPT-4o behind a paywall has been a point of contention, as it is now accessible only to ChatGPT Plus users, who pay $20 per month.
GPT-5 and GPT-4o, though both part of the same family, exhibit distinct differences. GPT-5 significantly outperforms GPT-4o across major benchmarks, achieving higher accuracy (87.3%) compared to GPT-4o (around 70.1%). This improvement is reflected in GPT-5's ability to reduce hallucinations and factual errors substantially.
One of the standout features of GPT-5 is its "deep thinking mode," which enables PhD-level reasoning and expert-level problem solving, far beyond GPT-4o’s capabilities. GPT-5 completes complex reasoning tasks more efficiently, using fewer tokens.
In terms of safety and response quality, GPT-5 provides safer, more honest, and less sycophantic responses, cutting down overly agreeable answers by over 50%. GPT-4o, while still considered good, is less advanced in this area.
GPT-5 also supports quick tone and style switching through preset personalities, making it more flexible in terms of user interaction. However, GPT-4o, with its ability to infuse humor or personality into responses, remains popular among users who find it more personable.
The "o" in GPT-4o stands for "omni," reflecting its design as a faster and cheaper omni-purpose option compared to its predecessor. GPT-4o remains the best choice for voice-first, real-time chat experiences due to its emotional expressiveness and multimodal responsiveness, which GPT-5 does not specifically highlight as its strength.
With GPT-5 now the default for all ChatGPT tiers and enterprise-grade solutions, GPT-4o is being phased out, except where voice-first real-time interaction is preferred. The unified model system used by GPT-5 dynamically chooses the best sub-model for a given query, unlike GPT-4o, which requires manual selection.
However, concerns about overdependence on AI have been raised. Research suggests that overuse of AI can negatively impact critical thinking, cause brain atrophy, and increase loneliness. Additionally, the privacy implications of using AI as a therapist, such as the potential breach of confidential information, have been discussed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
In conclusion, while GPT-5 excels in accuracy, reasoning, safety, and enterprise applications, GPT-4o remains specialized for expressive, real-time voice and chat use cases. The choice between the two depends on specific application needs, with GPT-5 generally being the superior and default model in 2025.
Microsoft has recently announced plans to integrate GPT-5, the latest model from OpenAI, into its various software products, including Windows and Office Suite. This integration will likely contribute to a more sophisticated and intuitive user experience on PCs.
The impact of GPT-5 isn't limited to the world of computer software, as Microsoft is also exploring its potential on its gaming platforms. For instance, Microsoft Teams and Xbox are expected to get an edge with GPT-5's artificial intelligence capabilities, enhancing services like voice commands and chat functions.
In the realm of artificial intelligence, GPT-5's "deep thinking mode" is a significant advancement, making it a strong competitor for AI applications beyond just gaming and chat functions. With its enhanced capabilities, GPT-5 could potentially pave the way for more sophisticated applications of AI in the future.
As technology continues to advance, it's crucial to consider the implications of overdependence on AI. The privacy concerns raised by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman regarding the potential breach of confidential information, particularly in the context of AI serving as a therapist, are worth careful examination.
In the long run, the integration of GPT-5 into Microsoft's products could lead to a more interconnected and intelligent digital ecosystem, reshaping how we interact with technology in various aspects of our lives. It's an exciting time for AI, as we continue to explore its considerable potential and navigate the challenges it presents.
