OpenAI is reportedly gearing up to release its next-generation AI model codenamed "Orion." The Verge broke this news, marking a significant development for OpenAI and the broader AI landscape.
With this release in December 2024, OpenAI will prioritize access to select, close partnered companies. It will also allow these firms to leverage Orion's capabilities to create new products and features, leading to diverse real-world applications.
Limited Early Access for Strategic Partnerships
Microsoft, one of the main collaborators with OpenAI, is preparing to host Orion on its Azure cloud platform as early as November. This indicates that Orion's improvements would be felt first by Microsoft-based businesses and apps.
This phased approach contrasts with the releases of GPT-4o and o1 earlier in the year, which were broadly available through ChatGPT. OpenAI plans to improve Orion's real-world performance before a wider release by offering early access to a small group of industry participants.
The Technology Behind Orion
Compared to GPT4, Orion is up to a hundred times more powerful, marking a significant advancement in OpenAI's large language model (LLM) technology. Interestingly, OpenAI's o1 model, Strawberry, produced synthetic data to train Orion. This unique method of data training may help produce a model that can reason more profoundly and precisely. It will also add momentum towards OpenAI's long-term ambition of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Rising Expectations and Industry Impact
Orion's launch comes at a crucial time for OpenAI. The company recently secured a $6.6 billion investment round, driving it towards aggressive development goals and strengthening its for-profit transition. Given its well-known $57 billion evaluation, investors and industry observers press AI to continue leading the AI race with model improvements.
Despite this excitement, AI has also experienced major internal upheavals with the recent departures of essential executives. Both industry experts and amateurs are excited to see what Orion might contribute to the AI environment as the release approaches.