The Times Australia
The Times World News

.

why GPT-4 is notable, but not groundbreaking

  • Written by Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney
why GPT-4 is notable, but not groundbreaking

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence (AI) research company behind ChatGPT and the DALL-E 2 art generator, has unveiled the highly anticipated GPT-4 model. Excitingly, the company also made it immediately available[1] to the public through a paid service.

GPT-4 is a large language model (LLM), a neural network trained on massive amounts of data to understand and generate text. It’s the successor to GPT-3.5, the model behind ChatGPT.

The GPT-4 model introduces a range of enhancements over its predecessors. These include more creativity, more advanced reasoning, stronger performance across multiple languages, the ability to accept visual input, and the capacity to handle significantly more text.

More powerful than the wildly popular ChatGPT, GPT-4 is bound to inspire an in-depth exploration of its capabilities and further accelerate the adoption of generative AI.

Improved capabilities

Among many results[2] highlighted by OpenAI, what immediately stands out is GPT-4’s performance on a range of standardised tests. For example, GPT-4 scores among the top 10% in a simulated US bar exam, whereas GPT-3.5 scores in the bottom 10%.

This table from the OpenAI technical report shows the performance of the model on a range of simulated standardised tests. GPT-4 often performs in the top 20% range. OpenAI

GPT-4 also outperforms GPT-3.5 on a range of writing, reasoning and coding tasks. The following examples[3] illustrate how GPT-4 displays more reliable commonsense reasoning than GPT-3.5.

An AI model that sees the world Another significant development is that GPT-4 is multimodal, unlike previous GPT models. This means it accepts both text and image inputs. Samples provided by OpenAI reveal GPT-4 is capable of interpreting images, explaining visual humour and providing reasoning based on visual inputs. Such skills are beyond the scope of previous models. GPT-4 can explain the meaning behind funny memes. OpenAI This ability to “see” could provide GPT-4 a more comprehensive picture of how the world works – just as humans acquire enhanced knowledge through observation. This is thought to be an important ingredient for developing sophisticated AI that could bridge the gap between current models and human-level intelligence. In fact, GPT-4 isn’t the first language model with these capabilities. A few weeks ago, Microsoft released Kosmos-1[4], a language model that accepts visual inputs the same way GPT-4 does. Google also recently expanded its PaLM[5] language model to be able to take in image data and sensor data collected from robots. Multimodality is a growing trend in AI research. Longer texts GPT-4 can take in and generate up to 25,000 words of text, which is much more than ChatGPT’s limit of about 3,000 words. It can handle more complex and detailed prompts, and generate more extensive pieces of writing. This allows for richer storytelling, more in-depth analysis, summaries of long pieces of text and deeper conversational interactions. In the example below, I gave the new ChatGPT (which uses GPT-4) the entire Wikipedia article about artificial intelligence and asked it a specific question, which it answered accurately. GPT-4 answers a question relating to a Wikipedia article on artificial intelligence. Author provided Limitations Even though the GPT-4 technical report[6] controversially provides no details about how the model was developed, all signs indicate it’s essentially a scaled-up version of GPT-3.5 with safety improvements. In other words, it’s not a new paradigm in AI research. OpenAI has itself said GPT-4 is subject to the same limitations[7] as previous language models, such as being prone to reasoning errors and biases, and making up false information. That said, OpenAI’s results on GPT-4 suggest it’s at least more reliable than previous GPT models. OpenAI used human feedback to fine-tune GPT-4 to produce more helpful and less problematic outputs. GPT-4 is much better at declining inappropriate requests and avoiding harmful content when compared to the initial ChatGPT release. Its arrival will continue a crucial debate among critics[8]. That being whether alternative approaches are required to fundamentally solve issues of truthfulness and reliability, or whether[9] throwing more data and resources at language models will eventually do the job. One could argue GPT-4 represents only an incremental improvement over its predecessors in many practical scenarios. Results showed human judges preferred GPT-4 outputs over the most advanced variant of GPT-3.5 only about 61% of the time. GPT-4 also shows no improvement over GPT-3.5 in some tests, including English language and art history exams. Bing AI Soon after GPT-4’s launch, Microsoft revealed[10] its highly controversial Bing chatbot was running on GPT-4 all along. The announcement confirmed speculation[11] by commentators who noticed it was more powerful[12] than ChatGPT. This means Bing provides an alternative way[13] to leverage GPT-4, since it’s a search engine rather than just a chatbot. Read more: Gaslighting, love bombing and narcissism: why is Microsoft's Bing AI so unhinged?[14] However, as anyone looped in on AI news knows, Bing started to go a bit crazy. But I don’t think the new ChatGPT will follow since it seems to have been heavily fine-tuned using human feedback. In its technical report, OpenAI shows how GPT-4 can indeed go completely off the rails without this human feedback training. Commercial applications One notable aspect of GPT-4’s release has been that, in addition to Bing, it’s already being used by companies and organisations such as Duolingo[15], Khan Academy[16], Morgan Stanley[17], Stripe[18] and the Icelandic government[19] to build new services and tools. Its commercial deployment will further heat up competition between major AI labs, and fuel investors’ appetite[20] for generative technologies. References^ immediately available (help.openai.com)^ results (openai.com)^ examples (cs.nyu.edu)^ Kosmos-1 (dailynous.com)^ PaLM (ai.googleblog.com)^ technical report (cdn.openai.com)^ same limitations (www.theguardian.com)^ crucial debate among critics (garymarcus.substack.com)^ whether (lastweekin.ai)^ revealed (blogs.bing.com)^ confirmed speculation (www.nytimes.com)^ more powerful (oneusefulthing.substack.com)^ alternative way (oneusefulthing.substack.com)^ Gaslighting, love bombing and narcissism: why is Microsoft's Bing AI so unhinged? (theconversation.com)^ Duolingo (blog.duolingo.com)^ Khan Academy (blog.khanacademy.org)^ Morgan Stanley (openai.com)^ Stripe (openai.com)^ Icelandic government (openai.com)^ investors’ appetite (www.economist.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/evolution-not-revolution-why-gpt-4-is-notable-but-not-groundbreaking-201858

Times Magazine

Headless CMS in Digital Twins and 3D Product Experiences

Image by freepik As the metaverse becomes more advanced and accessible, it's clear that multiple sectors will use digital twins and 3D product experiences to visualize, connect, and streamline efforts better. A digital twin is a virtual replica of ...

The Decline of Hyper-Casual: How Mid-Core Mobile Games Took Over in 2025

In recent years, the mobile gaming landscape has undergone a significant transformation, with mid-core mobile games emerging as the dominant force in app stores by 2025. This shift is underpinned by changing user habits and evolving monetization tr...

Understanding ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 Project Management Synergy

Key Highlights ITIL 4 focuses on IT service management, emphasising continual improvement and value creation through modern digital transformation approaches. PRINCE2 project management supports systematic planning and execution of projects wit...

What AI Adoption Means for the Future of Workplace Risk Management

Image by freepik As industrial operations become more complex and fast-paced, the risks faced by workers and employers alike continue to grow. Traditional safety models—reliant on manual oversight, reactive investigations, and standardised checklist...

From Beach Bops to Alpine Anthems: Your Sonos Survival Guide for a Long Weekend Escape

Alright, fellow adventurers and relaxation enthusiasts! So, you've packed your bags, charged your devices, and mentally prepared for that glorious King's Birthday long weekend. But hold on, are you really ready? Because a true long weekend warrior kn...

Effective Commercial Pest Control Solutions for a Safer Workplace

Keeping a workplace clean, safe, and free from pests is essential for maintaining productivity, protecting employee health, and upholding a company's reputation. Pests pose health risks, can cause structural damage, and can lead to serious legal an...

The Times Features

Tricia Paoluccio designer to the stars

The Case for Nuturing Creativity in the Classroom, and in our Lives I am an actress and an artist who has had the privilege of sharing my work across many countries, touring my ...

Duke of Dural to Get Rooftop Bar as New Owners Invest in Venue Upgrade

The Duke of Dural, in Sydney’s north-west, is set for a major uplift under new ownership, following its acquisition by hospitality group Good Beer Company this week. Led by resp...

Prefab’s Second Life: Why Australia’s Backyard Boom Needs a Circular Makeover

The humble granny flat is being reimagined not just as a fix for housing shortages, but as a cornerstone of circular, factory-built architecture. But are our systems ready to s...

Melbourne’s Burglary Boom: Break-Ins Surge Nearly 25%

Victorian homeowners are being warned to act now, as rising break-ins and falling arrest rates paint a worrying picture for suburban safety. Melbourne residents are facing an ...

Exploring the Curriculum at a Modern Junior School in Melbourne

Key Highlights The curriculum at junior schools emphasises whole-person development, catering to children’s physical, emotional, and intellectual needs. It ensures early year...

Distressed by all the bad news? Here’s how to stay informed but still look after yourself

If you’re feeling like the news is particularly bad at the moment, you’re not alone. But many of us can’t look away – and don’t want to. Engaging with news can help us make ...