OpenAI has recently made waves in the AI world with the release of their latest model, GPT-4o, which boasts the ability to process text, audio, and images. One of the more humorous incidents involving this new model occurred when Barret Zoph, a research lead at OpenAI, had his face mistakenly identified as a wooden table by ChatGPT. After a quick correction from Zoph, the AI tool was able to accurately detect his facial expression and potential emotions.
In an unexpected move, OpenAI announced that the GPT-4o model would be available for free, without the need for a subscription. This marks a departure from their previous release of GPT-4, which was only accessible to paying subscribers of ChatGPT Plus. With this new release, features that were previously restricted to paid users, such as memory and web browsing capabilities, are now available to all users.
Last year, early adopters had the opportunity to test out ChatGPT’s web browsing feature, which showed promise despite some flaws. Now, with the release of GPT-4o and other previously gated features becoming freely accessible, the question arises – is the $20 per month subscription still worth it?
For users of the free version of ChatGPT, access to the GPT-4o model is available, albeit with a limit on the number of prompts per hour. Additionally, non-paying users now have access to features that were previously exclusive to subscribers, such as the GPT Store, web browsing, memory features, and the ability to upload photos for analysis.
However, there are still incentives to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus. Subscribers have access to more prompts and newer features, such as an upcoming voice mode that promises a more interactive and playful AI experience. Subscribers can also send five times as many prompts to the GPT-4o model before having to wait or switch to a less powerful option.
In conclusion, while the release of GPT-4o for free is a significant development in democratizing AI technology, there are still benefits to subscribing to ChatGPT Plus for those looking to fully engage with OpenAI’s most powerful features and future updates.
