OpenAI kicked off its "12 days of Shipmas" event today with the launch of ChatGPT Pro. This new subscription tier, priced at $200 per month, targets researchers, engineers, and those needing cutting-edge, research-grade AI on a daily basis.
Key Points:
- o1 Model: The full o1 model is now being rolled out all paid users
- ChatGPT Pro: A new $200/month subscription with enhanced AI capabilities, including access to OpenAI's top models like o1 pro mode.
- o1 Pro Mode: The Pro version offers more compute, yielding better responses for complex questions, ideal for fields like data science, coding, and case law.
- Grants for Good: OpenAI is also awarding ten Pro grants to medical researchers in the U.S., with plans to expand further.
OpenAI o1: OpenAI o1 is now out of preview in ChatGPT. Plus and Team users will have access to OpenAI o1 today through the model selector, replacing o1-preview. Enterprise and Edu users will have access in one week.
ChatGPT Pro: The new subscription tier gives users unlimited access to OpenAI’s most advanced models, including o1 pro mode — a powerful version of OpenAI’s smartest model that is designed to "think harder" for better answers.
The Pro version promises more reliable, in-depth responses, especially valuable in fields requiring complex analysis, such as data science, advanced programming, and legal studies. When switched to o1 pro mode, users can expect deeper thinking power, with models that take longer to generate responses, but deliver enhanced accuracy and insight. Think of it as AI taking extra time to give you the best possible answer.
Why It Matters: The launch of ChatGPT Pro is part of OpenAI’s strategy to broaden the accessibility of frontier AI technologies, giving users more compute to solve harder problems. For professionals and researchers working in demanding areas, the value of ChatGPT Pro lies in its ability to provide deeper, more analytical responses—not just quick answers.
Additionally, OpenAI is taking steps to make this advanced AI accessible to researchers with a grant program. Ten initial grants will be awarded to leading U.S. medical researchers, including Dr. Catherine Brownstein from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Rhoda Au, a dementia researcher at Boston University. This move highlights OpenAI's intent to contribute positively to fields that can directly benefit humanity.
What’s Next: OpenAI plans to expand the Pro tier's features over time, focusing on compute-intensive tasks that could further differentiate it from standard offerings. As AI tools become more deeply integrated into professional workflows, this premium tier could set new expectations for what constitutes professional-grade AI assistance.