OpenAI just announced GPT-4o, but developers can already try it out through Microsoft Azure
Microsoft has already launched GPT-4o in preview on Azure AI.
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What you need to know
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised magic from the company this week. While some weredisappointed by the live stream, OpenAI did announce a new flagship model in GPT-4o. The new model brings “GPT-4-level intelligence to everyone,” including free users, as explained by OpenAI. Now, developers can integrate GPT-4o into applications through Azure OpenAI Service.
Microsoft’s support pageexplaining what Azure OpenAI Service is only lists the GPT-4 series and GPT-3.5 series at the moment, but it should be updated soon. The companyannounced the launch of GPT-4o to Azure AIshortly after OpenAI’s event concluded.
“Microsoft is thrilled to announce the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s new flagship model on Azure AI,” said Microsoft. “This groundbreaking multimodal model integrates text, vision, and audio capabilities, setting a new standard for generative and conversational AI experiences. GPT-4o is available now in Azure OpenAI Service, to try in preview, with support for text and image.”
OpenAI showcased GPT-4o during its live event with several demonstrations. The new model is faster than its predecessor and much more capable. GPT-4o supports real-time voice communication, video analysis capabilities, and can detect and replicate emotions.
A preview playground in Azure OpenAI Studio lets developers in select regions in the United States test the capabilities of GPT-4o.
Microsoft lists some potential ways that organizations could use GPT-4o:
Microsoft also shared excitement about GPT-4o and “other Azure AI updates” that will be shown off at Build 2024. That developer-focused event takes place between May 21-23. Much of the excitement surrounding Build 2024 relates toWindows on Armbut AI will also be a major focus of the event. Severalsession titles and descriptionsfor this year’s Build conference are about AI computing and new Windows AI features. It’s safe to assume Microsoft will have more to share related to GPT-4o and the work of OpenAI, even thoughOpenAI snubbed Windows in favor of macOSrecently.
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While some may debate if GPT-4o is magical, as alluded to by Altman, the model is much more capable than previous models. GPT-4o can respond to audio in an average time of 320 milliseconds.OpenAI highlightsthat GPT-4o matches GPT-4 Turbo’s performance on text in English and code and that it outperforms GPT-4 in non-English languages. GPT-4o is also 50% cheaper than GPT-4 when used through its API, which is a significant price difference for developers.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
