OpenAI might be gearing up to launch its next major AI update—GPT-4.1—as early as next week, according to a report from The Verge. The upgrade is expected to be a refined version of GPT-4o, the company's current flagship model that supports text, audio, and image capabilities natively.
Sources suggest that alongside GPT-4.1, OpenAI could also introduce lighter versions: GPT-4.1 Mini and GPT-4.1 Nano. While not officially confirmed by OpenAI yet, these new models are speculated to offer faster performance or lower-cost usage for developers and everyday users.
Earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at two more releases—o3 reasoning model and o4 mini. Both could also be rolled out next week if things go as expected. These models, although less talked about in detail, are part of OpenAI’s wider effort to expand its suite of AI tools designed for different reasoning and performance needs.
Amid these new rollouts, OpenAI has confirmed that it is beginning to phase out the original GPT-4 model starting 30 April. According to a changelog spotted by TechCrunch, the company states that GPT-4o has consistently outperformed GPT-4 in key areas such as writing, coding, STEM tasks, and general instruction-following.
Here’s what OpenAI had to say:
“GPT 4o is our newer, natively multimodal model. In head-to-head evaluations it consistently surpasses GPT 4 in writing, coding, STEM, and more. Recent upgrades have further improved GPT 4o’s instruction following, problem solving, and conversational flow, making it a natural successor to GPT 4.”
That said, GPT-4 will still be available via API access for developers who want to continue using it in applications.
GPT-4o has recently received native image generation features as well. Users can now ask the chatbot to create images in different artistic styles—including the now-trending Studio Ghibli aesthetic.
This has pushed the internet into another round of AI-generated creativity, especially across social media.
In a separate but related update, OpenAI has rolled out a memory feature in ChatGPT that allows the chatbot to remember details from past interactions. This means it can now offer more personalised responses—whether you’re seeking advice, working on a long-term writing project, or learning something new.
Users worried about privacy can breathe easy: the memory can be turned off in settings, and there's also a "temporary chat" option if you'd prefer not to leave any trace of your conversation.
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