OpenAI unveils o3-mini model, expands free access to ChatGPT users amid DeepSeek disruption

OpenAI has introduced o3-mini, a novel reasoning model, which is accessible to both free and premium ChatGPT users. This action follows Microsoft’s decision to offer its O1 model at no cost for all Copilot users and the advent of DeepSeek, which has shaken up the AI landscape.

With o3-mini, OpenAI is granting free-tier users access to its reasoning models for the first time, although with rate limits comparable to those of GPT-4o. This marks a significant shift in OpenAI’s approach as it has made its advanced AI tools available to a broader audience. The model, initially revealed at OpenAI’s “12 Days of Ship-mas” event in December, delivers performance similar to its predecessor – o1-mini – in fields such as mathematics, coding, and scientific reasoning. Nonetheless, it results in a 24 percent boost in response time and enhanced step-by-step reasoning abilities, essentially providing an overall enhancement in the accuracy and usability of its outputs.

“This powerful and fast model advances the boundaries of what small models can achieve, delivering exceptional STEM capabilities—with particular strength in science, math, and coding—all while maintaining the low cost and reduced latency of OpenAI o1-mini,” the company said in its blogpost.

Paid users on ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro plans will receive additional benefits, with Plus and Team users now able to send up to 150 messages per day — three times the previous limit — while Pro users, who pay $200 per month, will continue to enjoy unlimited access.

Developers have the ability to incorporate o3-mini via OpenAI’s API offerings, such as the Chat Completions API, Assistants API, and Batch API. OpenAI has launched o3-mini-high, an enhanced version tailored for coding and intricate reasoning tasks, providing superior intelligence with marginally increased processing durations.

A significant enhancement in o3-mini is its capability to retrieve real-time information from the internet, delivering answers along with source links for better trustworthiness. o3-mini is also being incorporated into Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, GitHub Copilot, and GitHub models, broadening its presence in commercial applications. Users can utilize o3-mini at no cost within ChatGPT by choosing the ‘Reason’ function in the chat bar, but usage restrictions are in place.