OpenAI Launches o3-Mini Reasoning Model with Free ChatGPT Access

San Francisco, CA — OpenAI has officially launched its latest reasoning model, o3-mini, which is now available in ChatGPT and through API services. For the first time, a version of this advanced model will be accessible to free ChatGPT users, albeit with rate limits.

o3-Mini Delivers Faster, Smarter Responses

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had hinted two weeks ago that o3-mini would be released soon, and today it’s live. Originally announced during OpenAI’s “12 Days of Ship-mas” in December, o3-mini is engineered to match the performance of the earlier o1 model in math, coding, and science—but with a significant boost in speed and accuracy. OpenAI claims o3-mini responds 24% faster than o1-mini while offering more precise answers. Like its predecessor, o3-mini explains the reasoning behind its responses, enhancing transparency.

Benchmark Results Highlight Improvements

Early benchmarks provided by OpenAI indicate that the o3 model outperformed o1 in December, and the newly launched o3-mini continues this trend. The model excels in coding and reasoning tasks, offering lower costs and reduced latency for developers using OpenAI’s API services including Chat Completions API, Assistants API, and Batch API.

Advanced Options for Paid Users

For paid users, OpenAI is offering o3-mini-high, described as the “best coding option in ChatGPT.” This variant delivers higher intelligence responses, though they may take slightly longer to generate. Additionally, o3-mini integrates search capabilities, providing answers linked to credible web sources.

Free Access for ChatGPT Users

This marks the first time that free ChatGPT users can experience OpenAI’s advanced reasoning models. This move follows Microsoft’s recent decision to make o1 free for all Copilot users and the growing competition from AI platforms like DeepSeek. Free users can try o3-mini by selecting the Reason feature in the chat bar, with rate limits similar to GPT-4o.

Expanded Availability and Increased Limits

Starting today, o3-mini is available to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users worldwide. OpenAI is tripling the message limits for Plus and Team users to 150 messages per day. Pro users, who pay $200 a month, will enjoy unlimited access to o3-mini.

Additionally, Microsoft has announced that o3-mini is now available via the Azure OpenAI Service, GitHub Copilot, and other GitHub models.

Read More: Impossible to Block Deepseek? Why Stopping China’s AI Growth is Harder Than Ever for OpenAI

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Munazza Shaheen
Munazza Shaheen
Munazza Shaheen is a distinguished technology researcher and writer with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry. Her career is fueled by a deep passion for exploring and shaping the future of technology. She serves as the Chief Content Strategist at Techi.com.

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