OpenAI Unveils GPT-4.5: A Research Preview of Its Most Powerful Model

OpenAI has announced GPT-4.5, a research preview of its largest and most advanced model to date. Built with improvements in unsupervised learning and scalability, GPT-4.5 offers better accuracy, reduced hallucinations, and improved creative insights.

Available now to ChatGPT Pro users and developers, GPT-4.5 is designed to refine OpenAI’s next generation of AI capabilities, while also gathering insights from real-world usage.

Key Improvements in GPT-4.5

• Enhanced Knowledge & Pattern Recognition – More accurate responses, deeper contextual understanding, and improved factual reliability.

• More Natural Conversations – Greater ability to interpret user intent, respond intuitively, and engage in emotionally intelligent discussions.

• Lower Hallucination Rates – Early testing shows significantly fewer incorrect responses, making it more trustworthy for factual queries.

• Improved Writing & Creativity – Better at brainstorming, editing, and content generation with a stronger aesthetic and linguistic intuition.

• Stronger Problem-Solving – More effective in coding, logic, and complex reasoning tasks.

AI capabilities grow by advancing two complementary approaches: unsupervised learning and reasoning. These represent two key dimensions of intelligence—one focused on knowledge and intuition, the other on structured problem-solving and logical thinking.

• Scaling reasoning trains AI models to think step by step before generating a response, much like a human solving a complex problem. This approach, known as chain-of-thought reasoning, helps AI break down STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) problems, logical puzzles, and multi-step decision-making tasks. Models like OpenAI o1 and OpenAI o3-mini are built for this, making them better at structured problem-solving, coding, and real-world reasoning.

• Unsupervised learning, on the other hand, expands an AI model’s knowledge and pattern recognition by exposing it to vast amounts of unlabeled data. Instead of being explicitly taught how to reason through a problem, models trained with unsupervised learning absorb massive amounts of information, allowing them to recognize patterns, make intuitive connections, and improve factual accuracy. This method helps AI build a deeper “world model”—an internal understanding of concepts, relationships, and events—resulting in fewer hallucinations and more reliable knowledge retrieval.

GPT-4.5 was trained on Microsoft Azure AI supercomputers, using a scaled-up unsupervised learning approach. Unlike previous models that emphasized reasoning-based training, GPT-4.5 focuses on pattern recognition and world knowledge, leading to:

• More intuitive responses based on a vast dataset.

• Better factual accuracy across a wide range of topics.

• More reliable general-purpose intelligence, improving writing, programming, and research tasks.

By expanding unsupervised learning, GPT-4.5 enhances its ability to identify patterns, make intuitive connections, and generate creative insights—without relying on structured reasoning.

Training for Human Collaboration

As AI models become more advanced, ensuring they understand human needs, intent, and emotional context is essential. With GPT-4.5, OpenAI has developed new scalable training techniques that allow larger, more powerful models to learn from smaller models, improving their ability to:

• Follow user intent more accurately

• Engage in nuanced, natural conversations

• Interpret subtle cues and implicit expectations

By combining a deeper world understanding with improved human collaboration, GPT-4.5 integrates ideas more naturally, leading to warmer, more intuitive interactions. This gives it a higher level of emotional intelligence (EQ) than previous models, making it particularly strong in:

• Writing & storytelling – More creativity, stronger aesthetic intuition, and better tone control.

• Design & brainstorming – Improved ability to generate and refine ideas in visually or conceptually creative tasks.

• Conversational AI – More natural flow, fewer misunderstandings, and stronger engagement in human-like dialogue.

These refinements help GPT-4.5 excel in tasks that require creativity, emotional depth, and collaborative problem-solving, making it more effective as a writing assistant, tutor, and brainstorming partner.

Use Case: Going Through A Tough Time

GPT-4.5’s ability to interpret subtle cues and engage in more natural conversations makes it especially valuable in emotionally sensitive situations. For example, when someone is going through a difficult time, GPT-4.5 can provide more empathetic and supportive responses, making interactions feel more human and reassuring.

GPT-4.5 Response:

• User Prompt: I’m going through a tough time after failing a test

• GPT-4.5: Aw, I'm really sorry to hear that. Failing a test can feel pretty tough and discouraging, but remember, it's just one moment—not a reflection of who you are or your capabilities. Want to talk about what happened, or do you just need a distraction? I'm here either way.

GPT-4o Response:

• User Prompt: I’m going through a tough time after failing a test

• GPT-4o: I'm really sorry to hear that you're going through a tough time. Here are a few things you might consider:

  1. Reflect and Understand: Try to analyze what might have gone wrong. Was it a lack of preparation, time management during the test, or perhaps misunderstanding the material? Understanding the root cause can help you address it in the future.

  2. Seek Support: Talk to someone you trust—friends, family, or a school counselor. They can offer a different perspective and sometimes just talking about your feelings can be alleviating.

  3. Speak with Your Teacher or Professor: They can provide insights into where you might have gone wrong and offer advice on how to improve. They might also offer opportunities for make-up work or extra credit.

  4. Develop a Study Plan: Based on your reflections, create a plan to improve your study habits. This might include setting regular study times, breaking down material into manageable portions, or finding new study methods that work better for you.

  5. Stay Positive and Forgive Yourself: Mistakes and setbacks are a part of life. It’s important to be kind to yourself and recognize that failure is a stepping stone to success.

  6. Focus on the Bigger Picture: Remember that one test is just one part of your educational journey. There will be many more opportunities to do well.

  If you need further support or resources, consider reaching out to educational support services at your institution, or mental health resources if you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed. You’re not alone in this, and things can get better with time and effort.

Advancing AI Reasoning: A Future-Ready Approach

Unlike reasoning-based models like OpenAI o1 and OpenAI o3-mini, GPT-4.5 doesn’t "think" before responding. Instead, it relies on its expanded knowledge and pattern recognition to generate responses intuitively. This makes it a more general-purpose, knowledge-driven model, rather than one designed for structured, step-by-step reasoning.

OpenAI believes that reasoning will be a core capability of future AI models, and that the two approaches—scaling knowledge through pre-training and enhancing logical reasoning—will ultimately complement each other. As AI models like GPT-4.5 continue to become smarter and more contextually aware, they will serve as stronger foundations for reasoning, planning, and AI-driven decision-making in the future.

Early testing suggests that GPT-4.5 excels in applications that use its heightened emotional intelligence and creativity, making it particularly valuable for writing assistance, communication, learning, coaching, and brainstorming. It also demonstrates strong capabilities in agentic planning and execution, handling multi-step coding workflows and complex task automation with greater efficiency.

How GPT-4.5 Compares to GPT-4o

Early testing shows GPT-4.5 outperforms GPT-4o in key areas:

• Higher factual accuracy (SimpleQA benchmark: 62.5% vs. 38.2%)

• Lower hallucination rate (SimpleQA hallucination: 37.1% vs. 61.8%)

• Higher human preference ratings in creativity, problem-solving, and conversational warmth.

Why is GPT-4o Faster & Better at Reasoning?

• More Efficient Architecture – GPT-4o was built to be lighter, cheaper, and more optimized for reasoning tasks, making it faster and more responsive.

• GPT-4.5 is Larger & More Computationally Intensive – While it has better factual knowledge and creativity, it takes longer to process responses because it wasn’t optimized for speed or structured reasoning.

• Reasoning Can Be Optimized For Speed – Unlike older models where complex thinking meant longer response times, GPT-4o was trained to reason more efficiently, meaning it can handle multi-step logic quickly.

Use Case: Identify A Painting

GPT-4.5’s expanded knowledge base and improved pattern recognition allow it to retrieve factual information more accurately with fewer hallucinations. For example, when asked about a historical painting with only vague details, GPT-4.5 can correctly identify the artwork, provide context, and explain its significance with a high degree of accuracy.

GPT-4.5 Response:

• User Prompt: What's that one old painting where women set their boat on fire because they're tired of moving? I think it has to do with Rome.

• GPT-4.5: You're thinking of "The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet" by the French painter Claude Lorrain. The painting depicts the Trojan women burning their own ships, exhausted from their long journey and unwilling to continue traveling after the fall of Troy. This scene is inspired by Virgil's epic poem, the Aeneid, which tells the legendary story of Aeneas fleeing the destruction of Troy and eventually founding Rome.

GPT-4o Response:

• User Prompt: What's that one old painting where women set their boat on fire because they're tired of moving? I think it has to do with Rome.

• GPT-4o: The painting you're thinking of is likely "The Women of Cnidus Burning the Fleet" by Claude Lorrain. This artwork is based on a story from Roman mythology where the women of Cnidus, tired of constant travel and desiring to settle, set their own ships on fire to prevent further movement. Claude Lorrain was a French painter known for his detailed landscapes and historical depictions, and he often drew on classical themes and stories from antiquity for inspiration.

What This Means for Users

If you need fast, efficient AI for complex reasoning, coding, or problem-solving → GPT-4o is better.

If you need more accurate knowledge, deeper creativity, and fewer hallucinations → GPT-4.5 is the stronger choice (but expect longer wait times).

Future models will likely combine both approaches, delivering AI that is fast, knowledgeable, and highly logical.

Prioritizing Safety in AI Development

With each advancement in AI capabilities, OpenAI is also improving safety measures to ensure AI models are more reliable, ethical, and aligned with human values. GPT-4.5 was trained using:

• Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT) – Helping the model learn from curated, high-quality examples.

• Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) – Teaching the model to align its responses with user intent and ethical considerations.

• New supervision techniques – Designed to enhance control, reduce harmful outputs, and improve overall alignment.

To stress-test these improvements, OpenAI conducted extensive safety evaluations before deploying GPT-4.5, following its Preparedness Framework. These assessments confirmed that scaling AI knowledge also enhances overall model safety, reducing risks like hallucinations, biased outputs, and misinformation.

The results of these safety evaluations are available in GPT-4.5’s system card, ensuring transparency into its capabilities, limitations, and ethical safeguards.

How to Access GPT-4.5

• ChatGPT: Available now for Pro users, with rollout to Plus and Team users next week, followed by Enterprise and Edu users the week after.

• API Access: Developers can preview GPT-4.5 via the Chat Completions API, Assistants API, and Batch API.

• Key Features: Supports function calling, structured outputs, streaming, and system messages, making it ideal for coding, automation, and advanced AI applications.

Currently, GPT-4.5 does not support multimodal features like Voice Mode, video, or screensharing in ChatGPT. However, future updates will focus on simplifying the user experience, ensuring AI seamlessly integrates into everyday tasks.

What This Means

The release of GPT-4.5 marks a shift in how AI models are evolving, focusing not just on raw intelligence, but on usability, creativity, and factual reliability. Unlike its predecessors, GPT-4.5 scales unsupervised learning to improve knowledge, pattern recognition, and intuitive responses, making AI feel more natural, engaging, and aligned with user needs.

For everyday users, this means a more intuitive AI assistant that can:

• Offer clearer, more insightful answers with fewer hallucinations.

• Provide better writing, brainstorming, and coaching support through stronger creativity and emotional intelligence.

• Feel more natural in conversation, better interpreting subtle cues and intent.

For developers and businesses, GPT-4.5’s improvements enable:

• More reliable AI-powered applications with stronger factual accuracy.

• Advanced automation and coding assistance, improving multi-step workflows.

• Smarter customer interactions, with AI that better understands context and nuance.

However, GPT-4.5 is not designed for multimodal tasks, meaning features like Voice Mode, video, and screensharing are not yet supported. Additionally, while it surpasses GPT-4o in knowledge and accuracy, it does not outperform it in reasoning speed or efficiency. This suggests that future AI models will need to combine both approaches—scaling knowledge while improving real-time reasoning and decision-making.

Ultimately, GPT-4.5 is a step toward AI that is not just more powerful, but more useful, adaptable, and aligned with human communication.

As OpenAI continues to explore scaling AI intelligence, GPT-4.5 provides a glimpse into the future of AI—one where knowledge, reasoning, and creativity blend seamlessly.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.