Summary
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OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o, an improved version with faster response time and new voice technology.
Image Credit: OpenAI - GPT-4o offers real-time text-to-speech responses, with the ability to adjust emotional voice tones.
- Unlike previous models, GPT-4o is available to all users for free with paid users getting superior capacity.
As the company promised earlier, OpenAI just held its Spring Update event streamed live on YouTube. The CEO Sam Altman previously stated that it was something that he had "dreamed about," but didn't go into much detail. However, the company has finally pulled back the curtain on what it calls "GPT-4o," and we can finally see what he meant. And best of all, it's available to free users.
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OpenAI announces GPT-4o at the Spring Update
The company states that GPT-4o will work similarly to GPT-4, but will work a lot faster than its older brother. GPT-4o also adds new technology behind its voice mode, where people use their microphones to talk to ChatGPT. OpenAI wanted to make talking to ChatGPT using voice mode like talking to a real person, but the latency between the speaker finishing and ChatGPT replying ruined the immersion. Now, the company is adding new technologies behind GPT-4o to make talking to a chatbot feel as natural as possible.
OpenAI's GPT-4o can talk to you like a human
To show it off, OpenAI held a conversation demo with GPT-4o using voice. Not only did GPT-4o respond near-instantly once the presenter finished talking, it also responded with text-to-speech so it feels like you're talking to someone in real-time. During the demo, GPT-4o instructed the demonstrator, Mark, on how to breathe better, including taking audio samples of his breath and giving him advice on how to do better.
Another demo showed off GPT-4o giving a bedtime story with the prompt "robots and love." Midway through the story, Mark stepped in and asked GPT-4o to adjust the emotion it used to speak. Sure enough, GPT-4o could change its voice depending on what was asked, from an overly dramatic performance to a cold, robotic tone. Finally, they showed off some of GPT-4o's singing capabilities to round out the story.
GPT-4o is a teacher you can hold in your hand
In the next demo, the presenters wrote out an equation and showed it to GPT-4o through a phone camera. The presenter asked GPT-4o to help them solve it, but not to give away the answer. Sure enough, GPT-4o guided the demonstrator through the procedure of solving a simple equation, much like how a good math teacher would. Plus, it even had an answer for the typical "When will I ever use this in real life?" question, explaining how quadratic equations can help us with everyday tasks.
The demonstrators also used the desktop version of GPT-4o to examine some code they had. Not only could GPT-4o explain what the code does, but it could tell what would happen if you tweaked specific parts of it. And the demonstrators showed that GPT-4o can act as a live translator, listening to two people speaking different languages and telling one person what the other said in their native tongue.
Usually, when OpenAI announces a new version of its ChatGPT model, it's locked behind a paywall. However, the company has decided to allow everyone to use this new technology, albeit paid users will have five times more capacity. The new technology will be rolled out in the next few weeks.