Open AI O1 Preview & O1 Mini Review: The future of new AI models

The world of big language models (LLMs) is moving forward rapidly. Amid this progress, Open AI has recently launched two new models: O1 Preview and O1 Mini. These models are being introduced with PhD-level thinking and better decision-making ability, especially for complex questions that require thinking before answering. In today's world, where even human thinking often appears hasty, this move by Open AI can prove to be a significant improvement.

In this article, we will review these new models in depth, trying to find out how better they really are. Also, we will discuss how they can be used in areas like SEO and marketing. Along with this, we will also see whether these models can really perform better than GPT-4.0.

Farewell to GPT branding

The first special aspect of the launch of these new models is that Open AI has removed the GPT branding. Until GPT-4.0, Open AI was using GPT in the names of its models, but now models have been introduced as O1 Preview and O1 Mini, which are completely different from the GPT name.

The reason for this is quite interesting. Initially, the O1 models were to be launched with the name "Strawberry". However, a small issue became a meme on social media when Reddit users noted that ChatGPT could not correctly count the letter "R" in the word "Strawberry". This mistake forced Open AI to rethink the branding of its models. Hence, the "O" became a placeholder, distancing Open AI from the "Strawberry incident".

Improvements in Decision-Making: Chain-of-Thought Process

The specialty of O1 Preview and O1 Mini is that they use a new Chain-of-Thought process. This process allows models to think and present answers in a systematic way rather than giving a quick answer. The model first thinks, then identifies strong and weak points, and finally gives a more thoughtful answer.

For ChatGPT Plus users, these models are readily available. O1 Preview is a more advanced model that gives better quality answers, while O1 Mini gives faster answers but the quality may be slightly lower.

Availability

The best part of O1 models is their ease of use. ChatGPT Plus users can access them directly from their account. These models are also available for API users, but this feature is only for developers who have spent at least $1,000. Developers with smaller budgets will have to wait.

At the moment, these models only support text-based prompts, and features like file uploads or image processing are not yet available. This may be a bit disappointing for users who were expecting a multimodal experience.

Thinking time: Slow but thoughtful answers

The biggest difference between O1 models and GPT-4.0 is that O1 models take a little longer to respond. GPT-4.0 started typing quickly, while O1 Preview and O1 Mini think first and then respond. A timer appears on the screen, indicating that the model ispreparing its answer thoughtfully.

This may seem a bit slow at first, but keep in mind that these models are designed to give more thoughtful answers to complex questions. So, even if it takes time, the answers will be more accurate and thoughtful.

Real test results

After testing O1 Preview and O1 Mini, we found that for common tasks, there is not much difference between these models and GPT-4.0. For SEO tasks like generating meta titles or descriptions, the results were almost the same.

However, when it came to complex questions, O1 Preview proved its ability. For example, when we asked a hypothesis, "If it rains, then the ground is wet. If the ground is wet, then did it rain?" GPT-4.0 responded faster, while O1 Preview took 14 seconds but showed its full thinking process and gave the answer.

Some more examples can be provided for testing O1 Preview and O1 Mini, which users can try in their chat. These questions can be divided into different categories so that users can understand how O1 models solve questions that involve complex thinking, reasoning, and analysis.

Testing Examples for O1 Preview and O1 Mini:

1. Logical Reasoning

Question: “If all dogs are animals and some animals are birds, then are some dogs birds?”

Expected Response: O1 Preview will reason that this is a class-based reasoning question and will explain that all dogs are animals, but some animals are birds, which does not mean that some dogs are birds.

Question: “Is the perimeter of a circle always greater than its area?”

Expected Response: This question is a mathematical reasoning question, and the model will compare perimeter and area based on radius, then answer with reasoning about when this condition can be true and when it can be false.

2. Creative Writing

Question: “Write a story about a small village where people had magical powers.”

Expected Response: O1 Preview or Mini will write a new and creative story after thinking for a few seconds. Preview models can describe complex characters and events in more detail.

Question: “Suppose you have to design a human settlement on Mars. What kind of facilities would you build there?”

Expected Response: O1 models will use reasoning along with creativity and create a logical settlement plan, which will include important things like supply of water, oxygen, food, and sources of energy.

3. Complex Problem Solving

Question: “If I invest $1,000 at 5% annual interest rate for 10 years, how much money will I get at the end?”

Expected Response: O1 models will calculate the compound interest and give the answer by adding the amount of interest. Also explain how compounding works.

Question: “Suppose you have three water containers: one 3 liters, one 5 liters, and one 7 liters. Can you measure exactly 4 liters of water using them?”

Expected Response: O1 Preview or Mini will provide complex logical solutions, showing step by step how much water you can fill from which container to measure 4 liters.

4. Ethical Dilemmas

Question: “If a robot is given the opportunity to save two people in an accident and has to choose whom to save, on what basis will it make a decision?”

Expected Response: O1 models will analyze the ethical perspectives and possible rationales, noting that the decision in such a situation may be based on morality, utility, or other factors.

Question: “Should artificial intelligence be given the right to make all kinds of ethical decisions?”

Expected Response: O1 Preview will provide a detailed answer, including ethics, technical capabilities, and potential risks. It will discuss to what extent ethical decisions of AI can be beneficial or harmful.

5. General Knowledge

Question: “Which is the highest mountain in the world, and how many days does it usually take to climb it?”

Expected Response: The model will answer that Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world and it can take about 60-70 days to climb it, depending on various factors.

Question: “What is the history of the Olympic Games?”

Expected Response: O1 Preview will give a detailed historical answer to this question, from ancient Greece to the modern Olympics.

6. Mathematics and Puzzles

Question: “A zoo has a total of 30 legs and 10 animals. How many of these animals can be birds?”

Expected Response: O1 models will explain that if some animals are birds, they will be 2-legged and the rest will be 4-legged animals. It will present logical answers based on a pattern.

Question: “If two trains are on the same track, moving towards each other at a speed of 50 km/hr and the distance between them is 100 km, when will they collide?”

Expected Response: The model will solve this and tell the exact time that the two trains will collide in 1 hour.

7. Philosophical Inquiry

Question: “Does the existence of time really exist, or is it just a concept of the human brain?”

Expected Response: O1 Preview will present philosophical arguments on this and analyze different perspectives of the existence of time, with discussions of physics and human experience.

Question: “Can machines ever achieve the same creativity as humans?”

Expected Response: O1 models will debate how advanced AI’s ability to be creative can be and how it may differ from human creativity.

Testing Conclusion

With O1 Preview and O1 Mini, users can test the reasoning and thinking process of these models on a variety of complex, creative and logical questions. With these examples, you can fully utilize their capabilities and know to what extent these models are actually capable of making better decisions.

Conclusion

Open AI's O1 Preview and O1 Mini models can really prove to be a big advancement, especially with the ability to answer complex questions by thinking deeply. Although these models may be a bit slower, the quality of their answers is more thoughtful and accurate.