What is OpenAI o1? And how does it compare to GPT-4o?

The OpenAI o1 model family is a new series of models that aim to improve the performance of large language models (LLMs) by slowing down and working through complex problems rather than just running with the first idea it has. The o1 models are significantly better at logical reasoning tasks compared to other LLMs like GPT-4o, but come at a higher cost due to increased training time and computing resources required. There are three versions of the o1 model: o1-preview, which is available through ChatGPT Plus subscribers or the API; o1-mini, optimized for speed; and the full o1 model, currently unavailable. The o1 models use Chain of Thought reasoning (CoT) to break down complex prompts into simpler steps before creating an output. While they offer improved logical performance, existing LLMs will still have their uses, and OpenAI is working on a system to automatically route prompts to the most appropriate model.