OpenAI's new ChatGPT can listen, look and talk

OpenAI unveiled an upgraded and more efficient iteration of its AI technology powering the widely-used generative tool ChatGPT, now accessible to all users without charge.

The release coincided with anticipation for Google's forthcoming announcements regarding Gemini, the tech titan's competing AI tool, set to rival ChatGPT.

Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer, expressed enthusiasm during the highly anticipated launch event in San Francisco, stating, "We're thrilled to introduce GPT-4o to our free user base."

The enhanced model, dubbed GPT-4o, will gradually integrate into OpenAI's suite of products in the coming weeks, according to the company.

Murati and OpenAI engineers showcased GPT-4o's capabilities during the virtual event, engaging with the upgraded ChatGPT to tackle queries and challenges.

"We aim to enhance the interaction experience by maintaining natural and effortless communication," Murati remarked ahead of the demonstration.

Highlights included conversing with a human-like ChatGPT in Italian, prompting the bot to decipher facial expressions, and solving complex mathematical equations.

This event adds to the ongoing AI competition, where Microsoft, backed by OpenAI, recently surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company.

OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google are fiercely competing to dominate the generative AI landscape, with Meta and Anthropic also emerging as significant contenders.

The companies are devising strategies to offset the substantial costs associated with generative AI, a significant portion of which is attributed to Nvidia's powerful GPU semiconductors.

Presently, less advanced versions of OpenAI and Google's chatbots are freely available, raising questions about widespread willingness to subscribe for continued access to the technology.