Was GPT-4.5 Turbo Stealth Released by OpenAI

Speculation is growing that OpenAI may have quietly deployed an upgrade to its dominant AI assistant, GPT-4. Reports are surfacing from users who have noticed sudden improvements, with faster, higher-quality responses from the bot. Some users claim that when they ask ChatGPT about the specific version it’s running on, it identifies itself as GPT-4.5.

So does this mean GPT-4.5 is already live and OpenAI is stealth-testing it with a subset of users? Or is something else going on?

Here we’ll review the evidence and arguments around a potential under-the-radar release of the next-gen AI bot.

Let’s take a look at both sides of this developing revelation;

The Case For the Stealth GPT-4.5 Release

While OpenAI has not made any public announcement about GPT-4.5, there are several clues pointing to the possibility that a small-scale deployment is happening behind the scenes:

Sudden Improvements Noticed By Users

  • Numerous ChatGPT users have recently reported sudden and significant improvements after weeks of declining reliability.
  • Responses are faster, with higher quality answers overall.
  • The bot appears more capable of following complex instructions.

As a user wrote on Twitter X:

“Chat GPT 4 suddenly got very good again for some reason… after being unreliable & a little “dull” for weeks”

It’s Unlikely to simply be a mass hallucination, as the timing lines up well with speculation over the GPT-4.5 leaks.

The opinion is that OpenAI may be A/B testing by providing GPT-4.5 to a portion of users:

“I asked what the model was called in the API and it replied GPT-4.5 Turbo. But others ask and still get GPT-4.”

This follows a similar playbook to speculated past under-the-hood upgrades.

  • Shows precedent of upgrading models without public disclosure

Managing demand growth seems to be an influence here.

Incentive To Carefully Manage Demand

If these speculations are true, A plausible reason for upgrading without public disclosure would be;

  • GPT-4’s compute needs are immense, requiring usage limits, so it’s logical for OpenAI to test substantial upgrades quietly at first. Gradual deployment reduces risk and provides test data before public launch.

The Case Against the Stealth GPT 4.5 Turbo Release

However, there are also good reasons to remain skeptical that GPT-4.5 has been deployed yet:

No Official Confirmation From OpenAI

  • OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, bluntly called the GPT-4.5 leaks illegitimate in one word.
  • There is also no public info or announcements regarding any upgrade.

While stealth launches do occur, the firm denial leaves room for doubt.

User Reports Could Be False or Misinterpreted

  • Asking the model to identify itself isn’t foolproof proof
  • Responses claiming GPT-4.5 could be misconstrued
  • Possible the model is making educated guesses or repetitions

Without more technical verification, we can’t rule out user error.

What Happens Next for GPT-4.5

So where does this leave us? There are a few possibilities around what comes next:

  • GPT-4.5 formally launches in January to compete with Anthropic’s release.
  • Continued small-scale stealth testing until a wider announcement.
  • User reports could still be false, with no GPT 4.5 Turbo upgrade occurring yet.

Time will tell, but one take seems reasonably likely: Some degree of early, informal testing of GPT-4.5 is happening, but not yet a full launch.

This allows OpenAI to evaluate model improvements and stability while reducing hype and demand growth to more controllable levels.

Conclusion

The evidence appears mixed when it comes to whether OpenAI has already stealth-launched GPT-4.5 or not. We have plenty of signs pointing to the possibility of informal testing underway, but still reasons to question if 4.5 is truly live yet outside small test groups.

Ultimately, OpenAI’s interest in carefully pacing rollouts points more to gradual, smaller-scale deployments first. But language model capabilities can often shift in big ways behind the scenes. And ChatGPT itself went from a research project to a viral sensation overnight with its sudden launch.

So while a fully unleashed GPT-4.5 doesn’t seem here yet, increased chatter of upgrades makes sense. And OpenAI may again decide the next big leap forward is ready for the spotlight sooner than the world expects.

Do you think GPT-4.5 is already out there? What clues make you believe stealth upgrading is happening or not? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

FAQs

What is GPT 4.5?

GPT-4.5 is the theorized next advance in OpenAI’s language models, following the highly successful GPT-4 model1. It’s expected to debut before the release of any next-generation GPT-5 language models, and would likely bring certain advances to what is currently available.

Is GPT-4.5 more capable than GPT-4?

 If GPT-4.5 exists, it should represent meaningful performance improvements over GPT-4. But the extent of upgrades is still speculation and not publicly verified yet by OpenAI.

How would I know if I have access to GPT-4.5 already?

Until an official release, the best way is to directly ask your ChatGPT instance what version it identifies as. If it specifically responds with “GPT-4.5”, that suggests you are interfacing with the upgraded model under test.

When will OpenAI officially release GPT-4.5 if they are testing it now?

There is no public timeline, but many expect OpenAI may formally launch GPT-4.5 early this year to compete with rival Anthropic’s upcoming release. Early next year is one possibility for the announcement.

What risks are there to OpenAI stealth launching GPT-4.5?

Extensive stealth testing limits monitoring if issues emerge. But for smaller test groups, the risks seem manageable, and the benefits around gathering real-world data before a full debut are substantial.

Do you recommend asking ChatGPT what version number it has?

Yes! It’s a simple test and a way to directly gauge whether your instance is still on GPT-4 or has been upgraded under the hood to 4.5.

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