GPT-NeXT: The AI Model “100 Times More Powerful” Than GPT-4

About a year and a half after the release of GPT-4 in March of 2023, users have been told that they can expect the launch of a new and improved version of Chat-GPT in the near future. In the very, very near future, in fact – before the end of 2024.

Indeed, Tadao Nagasaki, the CEO of OpenAI in Japan, revealed information about the much-anticipated successor of  GPT-4, a model that’s been named GPT-NeXT.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of GPT-NeXT, however. The project was first unveiled in May this year at a tech event in Paris, but at that point, OpenAI was tight-lipped about how it would be different from previous models and exactly what it would be capable of doing.

Although Nagasaki hasn’t exactly spilt all the (metaphorical) beans, he certainly has given us a whole lot more than we knew before, and from the information he shared at the KDDI Summit a few days ago, it seems like GPT-NeXT is expected to do great things.

What Did Tadao Nagasaki Reveal About GPT-NeXT? 

It should come as no surprise to those familiar with the tech industry that this “big news” about OpenAI’s exciting new model wasn’t exactly all revealing. In a similar fashion to the way most tech giants seem to enjoy sharing news on new products, it was more of a teaser. Just a little more information about the impending release that we didn’t have before to get us hooked.

But, let me tell you, it sure was a teaser of epic proportions because it came hand in hand with an almighty assertion.

Nagasaski stated very clearly that not only is GPT-NeXT expected to be better than GPT-4, it’s anticipated to be a whopping 100 times more powerful.

And if that’s not enough to pique your interest, I’m not sure what is.

So, what does that mean? What does 100 times more power mean for AI and how would that even work?

What Will Make GPT-NeXT So Powerful?

A lot of what was revealed at KDDI regarding NeXT came in the form of a slideshow (or, to be specific, a single slide), but even so, that provided a whole lot more than anyone knew before.

GPT-NeXT, which is expected to exist separately from other future models including GPT-40 and GPT-5 Strawberry, is set to make use of a smaller version of Project Strawberry.

Project Strawberry (other than having a name comparable to something that may have been thought up by a hungry toddler) is a project that was launched by OpenAI and has gained much attention since. It makes use of a specialised method that aims to improve the performance of AI models to become more specific after they’ve been trained on highly generalised data.

On top of that, the seriously enhanced performance of NeXT is set to be a result of improvements in the architecture of the platform rather than a mere increase in computing resources.

Previously known as Project Q (or Q-Star), Project Strawberry is believed to represent OpenAI’s attempt to move towards creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

And Artificial General Intelligence is a doozy.

In theory, it’s a subset of AI that has the potential to surpass human intelligence and general capabilities.

Naturally, since Project Strawberry is thought to be making a move towards achieving AGI and GPT-NeXT is set to make use of Project Strawberry in one way or another, it certainly seems like OpenAI is quite ambitious. But, if they’re successful, then multiplying the power of GPT-4 by 100 may very well be on the cards.

What Can We Expect from GPT-NeXT?

At the moment, all we have to go on is a combination of speculation and some big promises about what GPT-NeXT is going to be capable of, so it’s hard to say for sure.

But if Nagasaki and OpenAI are right about what they’re hoping to achieve, that would mean big things for the future of artificial intelligence.

Earlier this year, Mira Murati, the CTO of OpenAI, made comments about future versions of GPT, comparing their levels of intelligence with that of humans of different ages.

Murati made references to “the new model”, which, at the time, was ambiguous. However, we can now reasonably assume that was a nod to GPT-NeXT after Nagasaki’s recent assertion that NeXT is set to be 100 times more powerful than previous models.

Mira Murati compared GPT-3 to having the intelligence of a toddler, GPT-4 to having the cognitive abilities of a high school student and most significantly, “the new model” (AKA GPT-NeXT) having the potential to be more intelligent adult humans.

And not just ordinary, reasonably intelligent adults – PhD-level adults. Another indication that OpenAI’s new model is aiming for Artificial General Intelligence.

So, is that what we have to look forward to later this year? A brand new model of artificial intelligence that could be way smarter than we are?

Admittedly, it’s a little frightening to consider. Are we finally reaching the point at which AI will be smarter than us? Are robots about to take over the world?

Probably not.

Undoubtedly, OpenAI has made some incredible progress with its new and improved models, improving in leaps and bounds more quickly than we could possibly have imagined a decade ago. And, it’s certainly likely that their new model is going to be impressive and significantly smarter than GPT-4.

However, having said that, policymakers all over the world are trying very hard to implement AI regulations that can keep everything in check, even if they don’t always get things right.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what the rest of the year brings until we can all make our own judgements on whether or not GPT-NeXT really does live up to the hype.