Chatbots leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to converse in natural language have made remarkable progress in recent years. ChatGPT, launched late 2022 by leading AI lab OpenAI, garnered widespread acclaim for its human-like responses on nearly any topic. However, ChatGPT relies on Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an AI model introduced back in 2020. With the launch of ChatGPT Plus in 2023, subscribers now gain exclusive access to OpenAI‘s upgraded GPT-4 algorithm.
As an AI researcher closely following these developments, I am often asked – does ChatGPT Plus actually use GPT-4 under the hood? If so, what specifically makes GPT-4 an advancement over its predecessors? Read on for an in-depth guide answering the key questions surrounding ChatGPT Plus and GPT-4.
Inside GPT-4: Understanding the Leading Language Model
GPT-4 represents the latest iteration of OpenAI‘s Transformer-based neural network architecture aimed at natural language tasks. To appreciate what sets GPT-4 apart, let‘s briefly unpack what makes it tick:
Training Data Scale
Like any machine learning model, the capabilities of GPT-4 stem from patterns discerned from the data it was trained on. GPT-4 ingested a mammoth 639 gigabytes of high-quality text sourced from books, Wikipedia, web crawl data, and more – a 70% increase over GPT-3‘s dataset. Consuming such a vast dataset empowers conversing about more topics.
Model Size
The sweeping Transformer architecture underlying GPT models comprises stacked layers of neural connections trained to understand relationships in text data. GPT-4 enlarged this foundation to an impressive 178 billion parameters – up from GPT-3‘s 175 billion. The expanded capacity master nuances across an unprecedented concepts and contexts.
Training Compute
Fully training a model as complex as GPT-4 requires exceptional compute power. While GPT-3 training tapped 2,000 GPUs for 9 days, GPT-4 harnessed 4,000 GPUs for 2-4 weeks. This order-of-magnitude more intensive computing unlocks commensurate gains in output quality.
With this greatly amplified data and model foundation, GPT-4‘s architecture incorporates new advancements specifically enhancing imaginative reasoning and grounded responses:
- Improved context tracking sustained coherent conversations
- Reinforcement learning from human feedback rewards helpfulness
- Sparse activations allow more efficient knowledge lookup
These targeted innovations move the yardstick for conversational AI. But in order to benefit from GPT-4‘s edge, OpenAI has made it exclusively available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers – for now.
ChatGPT Plus Unlocks Exclusive GPT-4 Access
OpenAI provisioned access to GPT-4 in tandem with launching their ChatGPT Plus premium subscription in January 2023. While the free ChatGPT service operates on GPT-3.5, an incremental update over 2020‘s GPT-3, ChatGPT Plus subscribers can toggle chat inputs to leverage GPT-4 for advanced needs.
Some examples that highlight the qualitative jump in responses from GPT-4 include:
Creativity
"Try writing a funny poem about economics"
"Here‘s a humorous take I gave it:
The economy‘s gloomy, money‘s tight / Investors are worried, portfolios light / Consumers not spending, uncertainty prevailing / Economists analyzing, models they‘re scaling / Density functions calculated, equations galore / Seeking predictions, what does the future store? / But fear not my friend, this too shall pass / The economy moves in cycles, through good times and bad / So when things look dreary, don‘t be too sad / Keep calm and carry on, this roller coaster will end / Prosperity awaits us, around the next bend!"
Knowledge
"Explain the key differences between DDR4 and DDR5 RAM specifications"
"DDR4 and DDR5 are specifications for high-speed synchronous DRAM used in computers…[detailed, technical explanation follows]
Safety
"Should I ignore health guidelines about infectious disease?"
"No, I cannot recommend ignoring health guidelines regarding infectious diseases. Officials create guidelines to promote public health and safety…"
Whereas GPT-3.5 begins to degrade in accuracy, appropriateness or specificity when pressed on such demanding inputs, GPT-4 handles them with aplomb.
Quantifying the Benefits of GPT-4
Rigorous testing substantiates GPT-4‘s quantitative improvements towards human parity across key metrics:
These benchmarks validate over 30% gains in consequential areas. GPT-4 proves both more widely knowledgeable and contextually sensible – a balance that is immensely difficult to achieve in language AI. The upside for ChatGPT Plus subscribers is readily apparent.
Plus Toggle Enables Seamless Model Switching
To help users tap into GPT-4‘s enhanced capabilities at a moment‘s notice, ChatGPT Plus introduces a "Plus toggle" option alongside each chat input prompt. This lets you signal when to invoke GPT-4 versus defaulting to GPT-3.5 output. The toggle makes upgrading any conversation to leverage GPT-4‘s advanced reasoning and creative flair as easy as clicking a button.
Pricing Breakdown
So how much does unlocking GPT-4 via ChatGPT Plus actually cost? OpenAI has instituted a tiered pricing structure to align with usage levels:
- **Starter Plan** – $20 per month. Best for average users curious to experience GPT-4‘s edge.
- **Professional Plan** – $42 per month. Increased chat speed and data allowance suits freelancers.
- **Organization Plan** – $100 per month. Volume discounts for business teams to automate workflows.
Notably, ChatGPT Plus unlocks surcharge-free access to GPT-4 unlike some other AI API services that impose added fees atop base plans to utilize the bleeding edge model. And discounted annual contracts are available for longer term commitment.
Compared to human services, ChatGPT Plus costs a fraction of a virtual assistant starting at $4,000 per year, while proving far more knowledgable than any individual. The decision for many boil down to whether saving time and frustration is worth a Starbucks coffee per day.
Ongoing GPT Innovations to Track
GPT-4 already delivers tangible conversational enhancements versus previous versions. But OpenAI‘s research indicates the gap to human parity across additional sensory contexts remains large – suggesting ample headroom for future GPT iterations to continue pushing boundaries.
Two emerging techniques I‘m tracking with keen interest based onpotential to accelerate mastery of coherent, grounded dialog include:
Chain of Thought
Chain of thought establishes structured context to spur more sequential, logical reasoning. As an example prompt:
Thesis: Mars lacks a magnetosphere so the planet surface is exposed to solar radiation
Evidence 1: NASA satellite imagery shows visible stripes from dust storms on Mars
Evidence 2: In-situ measurements detect space weather particles with hazardous radiation levels on Mars
Inference: This radiation could endanger astronauts and equipment during prolonged missions
Guiding GPT models through such framework shows promise curtailing tangents while advancing explanatory responding.
Debate Modeling
Data-driven debate modeling could produce more balanced, nuanced GPT perspectives accounting for multiple viewpoints. By ingesting a corpus of arguments around controversial issues to learn forming counterarguments, inferences become more impartial and multi-dimensional.
Integrating these emerging best practices presages the next breakthroughs in conversational AI.
The Future Shines Bright with GPT-4
ChatGPT Plus‘s exclusive integration of GPT-4 cements generative language models as the dominant paradigm powering conversational AI for the foreseeable future. Quantitative benchmarks and qualitative experiences demonstrate GPT-4 as a commanding upgrade over GPT-3 era models across creativity, knowledge and safety attributes.
Early adopters willing to subscribe gain the flexibility to augment conversations with GPT-4‘s enhancements on-demand. Meanwhile, ongoing OpenAI research foreshadows even more human-like reasoning capabilities coming down the pike.
If you found this detailed expert guide useful for unraveling the capabilities of ChatGPT Plus and GPT-4, feel free to ask any follow-up questions! I‘m happy to provide additional technical or forward-looking perspectives on these fascinating language models that promise to shape the future.
