Guide for Choosing the Right ChatGPT Model, As Recommended by OpenAI
Loosening the Lid on OpenAI's AI Arsenal:
Navigating the Chaos of OpenAI's Model Jungle: A Simple Guide
OpenAI, the leading AI research lab, has an impressive array of AI models at your disposal. But with numerous options, deciding which one to use can be a daunting task. Fear not! OpenAI's latest advice on the best times to utilize each model is here to help.
GPT-4o: Your Everyday Companion
For your everyday tasks, like brainstorming, summarizing text, drafting emails, or creative content, OpenAI suggests GPT-4o is your go-to choice. Some example prompts to try include:
- Summarizing meeting notes into "key action items."
- Generating an email after launching a project.
- Proofreading a report you wrote.
- Brainstorming a launch plan in "real time." (Upload sketches or screenshots to help the model respond!)
GPT-4.5: Emotional Intelligence Unleashed
OpenAI rolled out GPT-4.5 earlier this year. However, it's only accessible if you're paying for ChatGPT. To locate it, head to the "More models" section of the model selector. GPT-4.5 shines in tasks involving "emotional intelligence, clear communication, creativity, and a more collaborative, intuitive approach to brainstorming."
Some example prompts to try with GPT-4.5 could be:
- Crafting an "engaging" LinkedIn post about AI trends. (Sadly, the irony is not lost on us!)
- Writing a product description for a new feature launch.
- Coming up with an apology letter to a customer with an "empathetic tone."
It appears OpenAI wants you to use GPT-4.5 for all your writing needs, even those meant for moments of human connection. Personally, I'd prefer to leave that to actual humans.
Reasoning Models: Thinking Machines
Reasoning models take a unique approach to generative AI. Their aim is to break problems down step-by-step, allowing them to "think" through each move, resulting in a more "thoughtful" and complete output.
OpenAI's flagship reasoning model is o3. They recommend o3 for complex or multi-step tasks, including detailed plans and analyses, "extensive" coding, advanced math, science, and visual reasoning. With o3, ask it to create a risk analysis for market expansion, generate a business strategy based on data from competitors, or run detailed analysis on a spreadsheet, while forecasting the upcoming quarter.
The o4 reasoning models (o4-mini and o4-mini-high) are more specialized. o4-mini is for "fast technical tasks," like extracting data points from a CSV file, summarizing a scientific article, or fixing an issue in Python. o4-mini-high is also suitable for technical tasks but for those that are more detailed. (Adjusting for speed and capacity, to be precise.)
While all users can access o4-mini, only paid subscribers can use o4-mini-high and o3. Free users are only given limited access to o4-mini as well.
Although OpenAI's guidance is clear, I still haven't found a regular use for any of ChatGPT's models. I don't code, so I can't speak to the bot's ability there. Generating AI art isn't my cup of tea either.
What ChatGPT is said to excel at, however—generating text—I've picked up the habit of doing myself (I call it "writing"). For now, I'll continue to use ChatGPT for testing new features to cover here.
Maybe in the future, I'll find a generative AI feature that's genuinely useful. Until then, we're stuck with our human ingenuity.
Disclosure: Lifehacker's parent company, Ziff Davis, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging OpenAI infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
- The tech world has embraced OpenAI's AI models, offering a vast variety for users to explore, but deciding which to use can be challenging.
- For daily tasks like summarizing text, drafting emails, or creative writing, the recommended model is GPT-4o, according to OpenAI.
- When emotional intelligence, clear communication, and creativity are key, OpenAI suggests selecting GPT-4.5, available in the "More Models" section for ChatGPT users.
- Reasoning models, such as OpenAI's o3, are designed to break down complex problems into manageable steps, excelling at tasks like detail-oriented planning, analytical coding, and visual reasoning.
