OpenAI recently surprised the tech world by launching its Project Strawberry, now known as the o1-preview model, along with its smaller counterpart, o1-mini.

Despite expectations of a later release, these models are now available for use and evaluation. Here’s how you can try them out.

What is o1?

OpenAI has been transparent about its goal of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). The o1 model is a significant step toward this ambition. It’s the first in a new series of "reasoning" models designed to spend more time thinking before responding. This approach allows the model to tackle complex tasks and solve challenging problems in science, coding, and math.

These models are designed to reason in a human-like manner, refining their thought processes, trying different strategies, and recognizing mistakes as they learn. According to OpenAI, the o1-preview model performs at a level comparable to Ph.D. students in physics, chemistry, and biology, and excels in coding and math problems. For instance, it scored 83% on an International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) qualifying exam, significantly outperforming GPT-4o, which scored 13%. It also reached the 89th percentile in a Codeforces competition against human opponents. The o1-mini model is a more cost-effective version, being 80% cheaper to operate and particularly effective in coding tasks.

Availability of o1-Preview

The o1-preview models were launched on September 12 and are available to ChatGPT Plus and Teams subscribers. Enterprise and Educational users will gain access the following week.

Security Measures

OpenAI has implemented a new safety training program for the o1 model, leveraging its enhanced reasoning capabilities to adhere more effectively to safety and alignment guidelines. In testing, the o1 model scored 84 out of 100 in resisting jailbreak attempts, compared to GPT-4o’s score of 22.

How to Get Access

To try the o1-preview model, you need a $20/month Plus subscription. Simply click on the Upgrade Plan button in the left-hand navigation pane and follow the prompts to enter your payment details. Once your subscription is activated, you can select either o1-preview or o1-mini from the model picker on the ChatGPT homepage. Note that access is limited, with a weekly rate limit of 30 messages for o1-preview and 50 messages for o1-mini. OpenAI plans to make o1-mini available to free tier users in the future, though no date has been set.