OpenAI Unveils GPT-4.1 Flagship Model, Says It’s More Affordable Than GPT-4o

The GPT-4.1’s launch comes days after OpenAI said it would phase out the long-running GPT-4 model in favour of GPT-4o.

The organization OpenAI plans to launch GPT-4.1 as the following foundational model which will replace GPT-4o before too long. GPT-4.1 provides users with a wider context option that allows them to submit extended and more complex inquiries to the system. It also delivers major performance improvements compared to GPT-4o. During a live-streamed event, OpenAI announced that GPT-4.1 is now available to developers, with a version for general users expected to roll out in the coming days.

The GPT-4.1 model has two smaller models: GPT-4.1 Mini and GPT-4.1 Nano, which will find their application in different types of applications. The latter, particularly, is the company’s smallest, fastest, and cheapest model, which will appeal to developers more.

OpenAI said GPT-4.1 is 26 per cent cheaper than GPT-4o, but did not reveal how much its development cost the company. The debate around the cost-effectiveness of AI models was sparked by the entry of Chinese startup DeepSeek, which shook up the entire AI industry with its chatbot built at a fraction of cost OpenAI poured into the development of the GPT-4 model. The argument around GPT-4.1’s economical appeal lies on the sentiment that foundational models do not have to cost billions of dollars.

The GPT-4.1’s launch comes days after OpenAI said it would phase out the long-running GPT-4 model in favour of GPT-4o. Launched two years ago, GPT-4 has been the baseline for all ChatGPT-related developments, but the quick advancements in the AI industry, driven by increasing competition, prompted OpenAI to come up with a “natural successor.”