OpenAI on Wednesday launched a new subscription tier for its flagship ChatGPT service, setting a $200 monthly price tag for a package that includes unlimited access to the company's advanced O1 model and an exclusive "pro mode" designed for tackling the toughest reasoning tasks. This move not only underscores OpenAI's push to expand revenue streams but also signals a strategic bet that some businesses, developers, and power users will pay a premium for more sophisticated artificial intelligence capabilities.
The new offering, dubbed ChatGPT Pro, positions itself above the existing $20-per-month Plus tier. It builds upon the O1 reasoning model that OpenAI has been refining since its limited preview in September-when it was code-named "Strawberry"-and folds in features like GPT-4o and Advanced Voice mode. "In evaluations from external expert testers, o1 pro mode produces more reliably accurate and comprehensive responses, especially in areas like data science, programming, and case law analysis," OpenAI says. This emphasis on accuracy and domain-specific utility suggests the company wants ChatGPT to move closer to a reliable research or decision-support tool.
OpenAI said the new O1 model, now out of preview, is faster, more powerful, and more accurate, while also being notably better at coding and math. It can handle complex reasoning tasks and process uploaded images with heightened detail, transforming how users approach visual analysis. "The company said that compared to o1-preview, users can expect a faster, more powerful, and more accurate model that is better at coding and math. It can also provide 'reasoning' responses to images. And OpenAI promises it's been trained to be more concise," reads one company statement.
In addition to the O1 model's enhancements, ChatGPT Pro includes what OpenAI calls a "pro mode" that applies more compute resources to deliver optimized responses. This tier is aimed at professionals who rely heavily on ChatGPT's reasoning abilities, particularly in areas like programming, research, data analysis, and even specialized applications such as legal case reviews. The move is part of OpenAI's broader effort to cater to a variety of user groups, from casual chatters to enterprises requiring robust, industry-grade solutions.
OpenAI also plans to bring O1 to its Enterprise and Edu users next week, expanding its reach into markets where large-scale users-such as universities, research groups, and corporations-may appreciate the AI's enhanced accuracy and problem-solving abilities. The existing $20 Plus subscription remains available, offering early access to new features and models, but without the most advanced version of O1 and the added compute of pro mode. By maintaining multiple tiers, OpenAI appears to be segmenting its user base according to varying needs and budgets.
Future developments look set to broaden ChatGPT's utility further. OpenAI says it will roll out support for web browsing and file uploads, as well as an application programming interface (API) that can integrate vision, function calling, developer messages, and structured outputs. These additions would expand the platform's use cases well beyond text-based Q&A, positioning it as a multifaceted productivity and analysis engine.
The company has also launched a ChatGPT Pro Grant Program, awarding 10 grants of the Pro subscription to medical researchers at top-tier institutions, and plans to issue similar grants across other disciplines. Such initiatives hint at an ecosystem designed not only to generate revenue but also to encourage cutting-edge research and application development in fields where AI could enhance insight and innovation.
This week's announcement falls within what OpenAI informally calls its "12 Days of OpenAI," a showcase period during which the firm plans to introduce new features, products, and demonstrations. These include Sora, the company's long-awaited text-to-video AI tool, and other announcements revealing what it has been developing over the past 11 months.
