OpenAI has introduced a new premium version of ChatGPT, priced at USD 200 per month — ten times more expensive than the current paid version. ChatGPT Pro is tailored for users who have apparently exhausted every possible capability of the current version and are desperate for more computational firepower.

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o1 gets a brain boost. According to TechCrunch, the USD 200 model includes access to an upgraded o1, which offers enhanced capabilities in advanced math, programming, writing, and complex reasoning tasks. An image upload feature has also been added, along with training to be “more concise in its thinking,” said an OpenAI spokesperson, reducing the chance of error by 34%. Perhaps most impressively, the o1 model has demonstrated a 75% improvement in handling coding competition questions.

The downside: Some benchmarks, such as the MLE-Bench, which measures machine learning agent responses, show slightly lower performance compared to the o1 preview model. The AI also takes longer to respond now due to its more deliberate reasoning process. But OpenAI sees this as a positive development, with the company experimenting with models that could potentially take days or even weeks to process a task, all in pursuit of more sophisticated reasoning capabilities. You know, the same way and amount of time it would take a person to do it.

The price tag? Well, that’s just business, darling. Despite its USD 300 mn monthly revenue, OpenAI expects USD 5 bn in losses this year due to the rising costs of AI training infrastructure and staffing. This, alongside pressure from investors, is pushing the company to consider bold moves like this premium plan, doubling the existing Plus-tier subscription, and even ad integration.

Google Search is getting a makeover. Google ’s CEO Sundar Pichai announced, during the NYT’s DealBook Summit, that 2025 would see a “profound change” to Google that will enable Search to tackle far more complex questions than ever before, The Verge reports.

The plan is already in motion: Google has introduced AI generated search summaries and revamped its Lens feature to allow video-based searches, giving users a new way to look for content. Pichai also hinted at an update to Google’s Gemini AI model to make its content generation more intuitive and precise.

It’s an effort to stay ahead in the competitive AI landscape. Earlier this year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella claimed Google should have been the “ default winner ” in the AI race. Pichai’s response included highlighting Google’s independent advancements, and that Microsoft is reliant on OpenAI to power its tools.

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