OpenAI announces new Mac app and improved ChatGPT-4o model for all

The AI race is in full swing, and OpenAI just fired its latest salvo with its “Spring Update” announcements. The most significant new part is a new model, ChatGPT-4o (the “o” stands for “omni”), which is faster and smarter with better multi-model capabilities, and importantly, available to all users, not just those who subscribe.

In addition, there are new tools for developers, a new GPT Store to more easily find customized GPTs, and crucially, a new Mac app (a Windows app will come later this year).

ChatGPT-4o

The focus of GPT-4o seems to be on making it easier to use for more people, but it is still OpenAI’s most capable AI product yet. Benchmarks from the company show industry-leading performance on text evaluation, automatic speech recognition, visual understanding, and more. Voice generation is improved with a more natural sound, more emotion, and the ability to do things like sing, be sarcastic, make jokes, and more.

ChatGPT now works in over 50 languages; the 4o model now processes text, vision, and audio inputs across a single model which makes it both faster and more easily able to combine data from various inputs in the same conversation. It can serve as an auto-translator between two languages or translate the image of a menu in a foreign language.

You can see more about the improvements and capabilities of ChatGPT-4o on OpenAI’s site.

ChatGPT on your Mac

Perhaps most interesting for Macworld readers is that OpenAI is finally moving its ChatGPT app beyond the iPhone and iPad. Starting today, the company is rolling out access to its new Mac app to Plus subscribers ($20 per month); free users will get access in the coming weeks, and a Windows app is coming later this year.

The app will provide a simple keyboard shortcut (Option + Space) to summon ChatGPT and ask it a question, and you can quickly supply images or take screenshots of apps to have ChatGPT help you with what it “sees.” Voice conversations will be available using the existing Voice Mode, with the new audio and video capabilities of ChatGPT-4o coming shortly.

The app also sports a streamlined interface with quicker access to past apps and a new ChatGPT Store that makes it easier to browse and find (free) customized GPTs that users and developers have built upon the ChatGPT platform.

The ChatGPT Mac app started to roll out today and is not yet available in the Mac App Store or on OpenAI’s site at the time of this writing.