OpenAI’s “12 Days of Shipmas”: Feature Realease

OpenAI’s “12 Days of Shipmas” campaign is capturing attention across the tech world, showcasing exciting advancements in artificial intelligence. The releases underline OpenAI’s focus on pushing the boundaries of AI technology. Here’s what they released.

Day 1: Launching the o1 Model and ChatGPT Pro

The campaign began with a bang as OpenAI unveiled the o1 model, also known as “Strawberry.” This advanced reasoning AI is engineered for tackling complex problem-solving tasks with remarkable efficiency. Accompanying this was the launch of ChatGPT Pro, a premium subscription tier priced at $200 per month, which provides unlimited access to the o1 model. While the cost raised eyebrows, the offering is tailored for professionals and enterprises seeking enhanced reasoning capabilities.

Day 2: Reinforcement Fine-Tuning Alpha Program

On the second day, OpenAI expanded its Reinforcement Fine-Tuning Alpha Program. This initiative invites researchers and enterprises to refine OpenAI’s models for specialized use cases. By opening access to early-stage tools, the program empowers users to optimize the performance of AI systems tailored to specific needs.

Day 3: Sora – AI-Powered Text-to-Video

Day three introduced Sora, a groundbreaking text-to-video AI model that can generate high-quality videos from textual prompts. Sora aims to redefine content creation, offering a powerful tool for marketers, filmmakers, and creatives across industries. Its ability to produce detailed and visually appealing videos from simple descriptions marks a significant leap forward for AI in the media space.

Day 4: Canvas – A Collaborative Visual Tool

The fourth announcement unveiled Canvas, a visual tool designed to enhance collaboration and creativity. Canvas integrates with ChatGPT, allowing users to co-create presentations, designs, and visual narratives interactively. This feature is particularly appealing to professionals in creative industries, offering a dynamic way to bring ideas to life.

Day 5: ChatGPT Integration with Apple

Day five saw OpenAI bringing ChatGPT into the Apple ecosystem. Users can now access ChatGPT through Siri and other Apple services, making AI-powered assistance more seamless and accessible. This integration reflects OpenAI’s commitment to embedding AI in everyday tools and devices.

Day 6: Voice and Video Enhancements with Santa Mode

In a nod to the festive season, OpenAI announced improvements to ChatGPT’s voice and video capabilities. These include more advanced voice functionalities and the addition of Santa Mode, a playful seasonal feature for lighthearted holiday interactions.

Day 7: ChatGPT Projects – Organizing Conversations and Workflows

On the seventh day, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Projects, a feature designed to help users organize and manage their AI-driven workflows. Projects act as smart folders, enabling users to group related conversations, upload and manage files, and set custom instructions tailored to specific tasks. Whether organizing resources for a collaborative project or managing personal workflows, this feature transforms ChatGPT into a versatile project management companion. Currently rolling out to Plus, Pro, and Teams users, Projects marks a significant step in making AI assistance more streamlined and accessible.

Day 8: ChatGPT Search – Real-Time Answers, Now for Everyone

OpenAI unveiled updates to ChatGPT Search, now rolling out to all logged-in free users globally. Search delivers faster results, rich visuals, and interactive maps while integrating seamlessly with voice mode for spoken queries. Users can also set ChatGPT as their default search engine for quicker navigation. This expansion transforms ChatGPT into a versatile, real-time information hub for users worldwide.

Day 9: Developer Tools

On Day 9 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company introduced a series of developer-focused updates. The o1 model is now fully available in the API, bringing advanced features like function calling, structured outputs, and developer messages. A new reasoning effort parameter optimizes performance for complex tasks. Developers can now process vision inputs, enabling applications for form error detection and scientific analysis. The Realtime API has been enhanced with WebRTC support for seamless real-time voice experiences, alongside significant price reductions for GPT-4 tokens. Additionally, a new Preference Fine-Tuning method allows developers to align models with specific user preferences, improving performance in areas like customer support and creative writing. Finally, OpenAI released official Go and Java SDKs to further simplify API integration.

Day 10: ChatGPT for phone calls and WhatsApp

On Day 10 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of Shipmas,” accessibility took center stage with the announcement of ChatGPT for phone calls and WhatsApp. U.S. users can now call 1-800-CHAT-GPT for real-time voice interactions, while users worldwide can text ChatGPT on WhatsApp for assistance with tasks like translations, recipes, and more. OpenAI emphasized its mission to make AI accessible to all, with features designed to work even on older devices like flip phones and rotary phones.

Day 11: ChatGPT desktop apps

On Day 11 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of Shipmas,” the spotlight turned to ChatGPT desktop apps, introducing new levels of productivity and integration. The native apps for Mac (available now) and Windows (coming soon) are designed to provide lightweight and resource-efficient solutions for users. Key updates include the ability to integrate ChatGPT with desktop applications like Warp, Xcode, Apple Notes, Notion, and Quip. With user permission, ChatGPT can now pull context directly from these apps, enabling seamless workflows for coding, document editing, and research. Additionally, advanced voice mode allows conversational interaction with documents and code for real-time insights. These updates underscore OpenAI’s vision of ChatGPT as a collaborative assistant, actively enhancing productivity across various tasks. The features are available now on Mac, with Windows support arriving soon.

References

• OpenAI (2024). 12 Days of Shipmas. Available online. Accessed: 14 December 2024.
• Tom Warren and Kyle Robison (2024). OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘shipmas’ include Sora and new reasoning model. The Verge. Available online. Accessed: 14 December 2024.
• John Werner. (2024). OpenAI Gives Us New 12 Days Of Christmas List. Forbes. Available online. Accessed: 7 December 2024.
• Lakshmi Varanasi, Ana Altchek, and Jordan Hart (2024). All the announcements OpenAI has made so far for its 12 days of 'Shipmas. Business Insider. Available online. Accessed: 7 December 2024.