GPT-o1 GPT5 Review

September 15, 2024in Enterprise

OpenAI has released its latest model, GPT-5, also known as Project Strawberry or GPT-o1, positioning it as a significant advancement in AI with PhD-level reasoning capabilities. This new series, OpenAI-o1, is designed to enhance problem-solving in fields such as science, coding, and mathematics, and the initial results indicate that it lives up to the anticipation.

Key Features of OpenAI-o1

Enhanced Reasoning Capabilities

Advanced Problem Solving: The o1 models are designed to spend more time “thinking” before responding, emulating human-like reasoning. This enables them to handle more complex tasks compared to previous models like GPT-4.
Benchmark Performance: In testing, the o1 models have demonstrated superior results on challenging problems. For example, the o1 model scored 83% on a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad, far surpassing GPT-4o’s score of 13%.

Safety and Alignment

Improved Safety Measures: OpenAI has incorporated advanced safety training into the o1 models, using their reasoning capabilities to better follow safety protocols. In a jailbreaking test, o1 achieved a score of 84, compared to GPT-4o’s 22, showcasing its stronger adherence to safety rules.

Targeted Applications

Specialized Use Cases: The o1 models are especially useful for professionals in fields that require advanced problem-solving, such as healthcare researchers working on cell sequencing or physicists developing quantum optics models.

Model Variants

o1-mini: Alongside the main o1-preview model, OpenAI has introduced o1-mini, a more affordable version optimized for coding tasks. It is 80% cheaper, making it an attractive option for developers who require reasoning capabilities without needing extensive general knowledge.

Access and Availability

The o1 models are available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with broader access expected soon for ChatGPT Enterprise users. Developers can access the models through the API, although certain features like function calling are still in development. Free access to o1-mini is expected to be provided in the near future.

Reinforcement Learning at the Core

The o1 models utilize reinforcement learning to improve their reasoning abilities. This approach focuses on training the models to think more effectively, improving their performance with additional time spent on tasks. OpenAI continues to explore how to scale this approach, though details remain limited.

Major Milestones

The o1 model has achieved impressive results in several competitive benchmarks:

Codeforces: o1 ranks in the 89th percentile, excelling at solving complex algorithms in timed contests.
USA Math Olympiad (AIME): o1 placed among the top 500 students, highlighting its advanced mathematical problem-solving skills.
GPQA Benchmark: o1 outperformed human PhD-level accuracy in graduate-level physics, biology, and chemistry challenges.
MMLU Benchmark: With a score of 78.2%, o1 surpassed GPT-4 in 54 out of 57 categories, demonstrating its ability to learn across multiple subjects.

Chain of Thought Reasoning

OpenAI’s o1 models employ the “Chain of Thought” prompt engineering technique, which allows the model to think through problems step by step. This method helps the model approach complex problems in a structured way, similar to human reasoning. Key aspects include:

Reinforcement Learning: o1 improves its reasoning skills through trial and error.
Mistake Recognition and Correction: The model becomes better at identifying and correcting its own mistakes over time.
Breaking Down Problems: o1 can deconstruct complex tasks into simpler steps to find solutions.
Adapting Strategies: When one approach fails, o1 can switch tactics to find a more effective solution.

While the o1 models show immense promise, there are still some limitations, which have been covered in detail elsewhere. However, based on early tests, the model is performing impressively, and users are hopeful that these capabilities are as robust as advertised, rather than overhyped like previous projects such as SORA or SearchGPT by OpenAI.