Human-level AI reasoning is getting ever closer. And why this matters to Communications professionals.

AI fatigue is real, but don’t be mistaken—technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. And why this matters to you as a communicator can be summed up in one word: reasoning.

If reasoning and strategic thinking are central to your role—as they are for most knowledge workers like consultants, PR professionals, legal advisors, researchers, scientists, and software developers—then OpenAI’s recent launch of its o1 model is well worth your attention.

What sets o1 apart is that it’s designed to spend more time thinking before responding. It doesn’t just deliver quick answers—it takes a moment to analyse, reason, and respond thoughtfully, much like a human would.

Unlike other GPT models that give instant results, o1 takes a few extra seconds to process prompts more deeply. This considered approach leads to more nuanced and comprehensive outputs, closely mimicking the kind of reasoning you’d expect from an expert.

Since the original ChatGPT was released in late 2022, I’ve tested many AI models. Honestly, o1 is the best I’ve come across so far. It carefully examines questions from multiple angles before delivering well-thought-out responses, resulting in higher quality and relevance.

Because it’s trained on high-value, non-public datasets and from trusted sources the likes of Financial Times, Associated Press, and Le Monde, o1 provides deeper insights and more specialised knowledge.

For professions rooted in strategic thinking, like communications, PR, or consulting, o1 has significant potential. A large part of our work involves sorting through complex information to build coherent, strategic narratives. o1 doesn’t just skim the surface—it digs deeper, helping us craft more insightful and effective communication strategies.

From my test of the o1-preview model (available on the ChatGPT Plus subscription), it excels in crisis management. In high-pressure situations, it doesn’t just react—it evaluates and processes the circumstances, providing well-considered responses exactly when needed.

And that’s not all. o1 also enhances content creation, allowing us to draft high-quality material with deeper reasoning for more polished results.

When it comes to planning, its thoughtful approach helps develop smarter, more strategic plans. And in brainstorming and collaboration, its advanced reasoning capabilities make it a more valuable partner than previous models.

While o1 has received a lot of attention for its use in scientific research and coding, I believe it’s equally transformative for those of us in PR, communications, and marketing. Its deep thinking and reasoning skills can help us considerably elevate our work.

Full details about OpenAI's o1-preview model can be found here.

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