Update: The UI has been later updated with a new version that has a three-dot menu after the community backlash. More details below 👇
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OpenAI has recently introduced several updates to its ChatGPT platform, including the renaming of the "Reasoning Shortcut" feature to "Think," now represented as a dedicated button in the prompt bar. This button functions as a model switcher, specifically activating the o1 reasoning model, even though it is visible across all models. Users can verify which model generated a response by clicking the "Regenerate" button, which displays the active model. While currently tied to o1, this feature is expected to support the new o3 mini model, rumored to launch later today.
ChatGPT system hint "reason" ("Use o1") now has a new toggle in the prompt composer and mentions not only "o1" but also "o3-mini" as one of the required models (for now, "Think" will automatically switch the model in the background to o1) pic.twitter.com/VrvKh8T6Ml
— Tibor Blaho (@btibor91) January 30, 2025
The "o3 mini" model represents advancements in OpenAI's reasoning capabilities. It is designed as a lightweight version of the larger "o3" model, offering faster response times and reduced computational demands while maintaining strong performance in reasoning tasks such as coding, mathematics, and science. OpenAI has positioned it as an upgrade to the "o1 mini" model, with enhanced simulated reasoning techniques for complex problems. The "o3 mini" will be available for free to all ChatGPT users, marking a shift in OpenAI's strategy to compete with other upcoming AI models like Google's Gemini 2.0 Pro and Grok 3.
Additionally, OpenAI has updated its flagship GPT-4o model. The latest version extends its knowledge cutoff to June 2024, enabling it to address more recent events and trends. Enhancements include improved analysis of image uploads and better performance in STEM-related tasks such as mathematics and programming. The model also demonstrates increased engagement with emojis, reflecting user preferences.
4o Changelog (January 29, 2025)
Updates to GPT-4o in ChatGPT (January 29, 2025)
We’ve made some updates to GPT-4o–it’s now a smarter model across the board with more up-to-date knowledge, as well as deeper understanding and analysis of image uploads.
More up-to-date knowledge: By extending its training data cutoff from November 2023 to June 2024, GPT-4o can now offer more relevant, current, and contextually accurate responses, especially for questions involving cultural and social trends or more up-to-date research. A fresher training data set also makes it easier for the model to frame its web searches more efficiently and effectively.
Deeper understanding and analysis of image uploads:
GPT-4o is now better at understanding and answering questions about visual inputs, with improvements on multimodal benchmarks like MMMU and MathVista. The updated model is more adept at interpreting spatial relationships in image uploads, as well as analyzing complex diagrams, understanding charts and graphs, and connecting visual input with written content. Responses to image uploads will contain richer insights and more accurate guidance in areas like spatial planning and design layouts, as well as visually driven mathematical or technical problem-solving.
A smarter model, especially for STEM: GPT-4o is now better at math, science, and coding-related problems, with gains on academic evals like GPQA and MATH. Its improved score on MMLU—a comprehensive benchmark of language comprehension, knowledge breadth, and reasoning—reflects its ability to tackle more complex problems across domains.
Increased emoji usage ⬆️: GPT-4o is now a bit more enthusiastic in its emoji usage (perhaps particularly so if you use emoji in the conversation ✨) — let us know what you think.
These updates highlight OpenAI's efforts to refine its AI capabilities while addressing user needs for more efficient and contextually aware models. The introduction of the "Think" button and the anticipated release of "o3 mini" aim to enhance user interaction by providing tailored reasoning capabilities across different tiers of ChatGPT users.