OpenAI is gearing up to launch its next frontier model, codenamed Orion, by December. Unlike the rollout of its previous models, GPT-4o and o1, Orion will not be immediately accessible to the public via ChatGPT. Instead, OpenAI plans to initially provide access to select trusted partners. Sources suggest that Microsoft, OpenAI’s primary partner for deploying AI models, is already preparing to host Orion on Azure, potentially as early as November. While many at OpenAI view Orion as the successor to GPT-4, it remains uncertain whether the model will be branded as GPT-5 when it is eventually released to the public.
In response to speculation about the launch, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman labeled some reports as “fake news.” Following his statement, spokesperson Niko Felix clarified that the company does not currently have plans to release a model named Orion this year, but they do intend to unveil other exciting technologies.
Orion has been teased by OpenAI executives as potentially being up to 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, GPT-4, and is distinct from the o1 reasoning model that OpenAI introduced in September. The company’s long-term vision involves integrating its large language models (LLMs) to develop a more advanced model that could eventually be called artificial general intelligence (AGI).
In previous reports, it was revealed that OpenAI is leveraging o1, also known as Strawberry, to generate synthetic data for training Orion. Celebratory events have already taken place among researchers, marking the completion of the new model’s training. This aligns with a recent post on X by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, where he expressed excitement for the “winter constellations to rise soon,” a reference believed to hint at Orion, which is the winter constellation most visible in the night sky from November to February. The launch of this model coincides with a pivotal moment for OpenAI, which has just completed a historic $6.6 billion funding round, necessitating a shift to a for-profit structure. Additionally, the company is facing significant staff turnover. Investors anticipate that OpenAI will keep rolling out more advanced models to maintain its leadership in the tech industry.
- OpenAI Announces a Major Shift Towards For-Profit Operations - January 6, 2025
- xAI Secures $6 Billion in New Funding, Valuation Soars Past $40 Billion - January 2, 2025
- OpenAI Reveals o3 Reasoning AI Model, Official Launch Set for Early Next Year - December 27, 2024
