In a notable development for artificial intelligence technology, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Pro, a new subscription tier priced at $200 monthly. The announcement came during a video broadcast, where the company detailed its most expensive consumer offering yet.
The steep price point – ten times higher than the existing ChatGPT Plus subscription – provides unlimited access to OpenAI’s complete model lineup, including an exclusive “o1 pro mode” that employs additional computing power for complex problem-solving.
“People will find o1 pro mode the most useful for hard math, science, or programming problems,” said Jason Wei, an OpenAI research scientist, during the video stream.
Enhanced O1 Model Capabilities
The updated o1 model, which exits its preview phase, demonstrates improved performance metrics. OpenAI reports a 34% reduction in “major errors” on complex real-world questions compared to its preview version. However, the model shows decreased performance on certain benchmarks, including MLE-Bench, which evaluates AI agents’ machine learning engineering capabilities.
The new version brings additional functionalities:
- Image input processing capability
- Faster response times
- More concise reasoning approaches
- Improved accuracy in coding and mathematical computations
Pro Mode Performance Metrics
According to OpenAI’s testing, o1 pro mode shows substantial improvements:
- 75% reduction in errors for easier coding competition questions more reflective of everyday programming queries
- Enhanced accuracy in data science applications
- Improved performance in case law analysis
- Better results on challenging machine learning benchmarks
As shared by an OpenAI spokesperson to TechCrunch.
Financial Context
The introduction of this premium tier comes as OpenAI faces significant operational costs. Recent reports indicate:
- $300 million in monthly revenue as of August
- Projected $5 billion in losses for the current year
- ChatGPT operational costs of approximately $700,000 per day
- Current user base of 300 million weekly active users, including 10 million paid subscribers
More Stories
Accessibility Initiatives
OpenAI has announced a grant program targeting medical researchers at leading institutions, offering 10 free ChatGPT Pro subscriptions. The company plans to expand these grants across various academic disciplines.
“Power users of ChatGPT, at this point, they really use it a lot, and they want more compute than $20 can buy,” said CEO Sam Altman during the video broadcast announcing the new premium tier.
The regular ChatGPT Plus subscription remains available at $20 monthly, while the free tier continues to operate with standard limitations.
As an observer of AI developments over decades, this pricing structure raises questions about accessibility to advanced AI capabilities. While the technical improvements are impressive, the significant cost barrier might limit the democratization of AI technology, potentially creating a digital divide in access to the most capable AI tools.
