OpenAI has introduced o1-pro, an enhanced version of its o1 “reasoning” AI model, now available in its developer API. The company claims that OpenAI o1-pro utilizes more computing resources than its predecessor, delivering more consistent and accurate responses. However, access is limited to developers who have spent at least $5 on OpenAI API services, and the pricing is significantly higher than previous models.
Developers interested in leveraging o1-pro will face steep costs. OpenAI is charging:
- $150 per million input tokens (~750,000 words)
- $600 per million output tokens
For comparison, this pricing is twice the cost of OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 for input and ten times higher than the standard o1 model. The company is banking on the improved performance of OpenAI o1-pro to justify these hefty fees.
A spokesperson for OpenAI said: “o1-pro in the API is a version of o1 that uses more computing to think harder and provide even better answers to the hardest problems. After getting many requests from our developer community, we’re excited to bring it to the API to offer even more reliable responses.”
Despite OpenAI’s confidence, early user feedback has been mixed. The model has been available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers since December, and some users reported underwhelming performance in solving Sudoku puzzles and optical illusion jokes.
Additionally, OpenAI’s internal benchmarks from late 2023 suggested that o1-pro only slightly outperformed the standard o1 in coding and math problems. However, the model did demonstrate more reliability in answering complex questions.
Is OpenAI o1-Pro Worth the Investment?
While o1-pro offers a stronger reasoning capability, its high costs and mixed initial feedback raise questions about its value. Developers will need to weigh its benefits against its steep pricing before integrating it into their workflows.
