OpenAI to Launch Next Model Orion by December
OpenAI plans to launch Orion, its next frontier model, by December, The Verge has learned.
Unlike the release of OpenAI’s last two models, GPT-4o and o1, Orion won’t initially be released widely through ChatGPT. Instead, OpenAI is planning to grant access first to companies it works closely with in order for them to build their own products and features, according to a source familiar with the plan.
Another source tells The Verge that engineers inside Microsoft — OpenAI’s main partner for deploying AI models — are preparing to host Orion on Azure as early as November. While Orion is seen inside OpenAI as the successor to GPT-4, it’s unclear if the company will call it GPT-5 externally. As always, the release plan is subject to change and could slip. OpenAI and Microsoft declined to comment for this story.
That timing lines up with a cryptic post on X by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in which he said he was “excited for the winter constellations to rise soon.” If you ask ChatGPT o1-preview what Altman’s post is hiding, it will tell you that he’s hinting at the word Orion, which is the winter constellation that’s most visible in the night sky from November to February.
The release of this next model comes at a crucial time for OpenAI, which just closed a historic $6.6 billion funding round that requires the company to restructure itself as a for-profit entity. The company is also experiencing significant staff turnover: CTO Mira Murati just announced her departure along with Bob McGrew, the company’s chief research officer, and Barret Zoph, VP of post training.
Discussion with Experts
Panel Guests:
- Dr. Emily Chen, AI Ethics Expert
- John Smith, Tech Industry Analyst
- Anne-Marie Roberts, Business Development Strategist
We gathered a group of professionals to discuss the implications of OpenAI’s upcoming launch. Here are some highlights from our discussion:
Dr. Emily Chen:
“The decision to limit initial access to Orion raises questions about the ethics of AI accessibility and potential monopolization in the industry.”
John Smith:
“Structuring early access for partner companies can lead to increased innovation but may also alienate smaller developers.”
Anne-Marie Roberts:
“Considering the existing market dynamics, this could give Microsoft an upper hand in the enterprise AI segment.”
Moderator:
What do you think about OpenAI’s strategy? Should they consider a wider, more inclusive approach during the launch?
Join the conversation! Share your thoughts in the comments below.