OpenAI to Release Upgraded ChatGPT with Enhanced Reasoning Capabilities

For more than 20 years, I have been developing business problem-solving, process improvement, and quality management systems using J2EE, Microsoft .NET, and Salesforce's Force.com platform. In the past two years, I have transitioned this expertise into the GenAI era, creating custom chatbots and, more recently, AI applications on Anthropic's Claude platform. These workflows involve multiple steps with various tools embedded in each step, utilizing planning, logic, reasoning, basic math, and advanced statistical methods. After many iterations, I successfully developed a chatbot that guides business professionals through proven process improvement and problem-solving methods, replicating my Socratic coaching approach.

You can access the chatbot here: ProblemSolverCoPilot.

In the coming weeks, a new OpenAI chatbot with enhanced reasoning and problem-solving capabilities could help me create higher-quality chatbots and apps more efficiently, as its latest "Strawberry" version is expected to be released within two weeks, according to The Information.

OpenAI has been quietly working on a game-changing model that promises to revolutionize the way AI reasons and solves complex problems. This model, now known as "Strawberry," has undergone a fascinating journey from its early days as a secretive project to its imminent public release. Let's dive into the timeline of this groundbreaking AI development.

Early Development (Prior to 2023): The Birth of Q*

OpenAI's journey towards advanced AI reasoning began with a project internally referred to as "Q*" or "Q-Star." This early version aimed to push the boundaries of AI capabilities, focusing on enhanced reasoning that would surpass the performance of contemporary language models. Little did the public know that this would be the foundation for a major leap in AI technology.

November 2023: Cryptic Hints and the Orion Project

The first public hint of something big brewing at OpenAI came in November 2023. A Twitter user known as Jimmy Apples, who had a track record of accurately predicting OpenAI developments, posted a cryptic tweet referencing the Orion constellation. This subtle nod was later connected to the "Orion" project, which was closely associated with Q*. The tweet suggested that OpenAI was working on a model designed to surpass GPT-4 in reasoning capabilities, setting the stage for both Q* and Orion to become flagship models in the company's arsenal.

Early 2024: Q-Star Shows Its Mettle

As 2024 dawned, internal tests at OpenAI began to reveal the true potential of Q*. The model demonstrated exceptional abilities in solving complex math and logic problems, achieving impressive scores on championship-level math datasets. Researchers within OpenAI were astounded by the model's performance, recognizing it as a significant breakthrough in AI reasoning. Q* was capable of handling problems that were simply out of reach for commercially available models at the time.

May 2024: The Birth of Strawberry

In a strategic move, OpenAI decided to rename Q-Star to "Strawberry" in May 2024. This rebranding coincided with a renewed focus on refining the model's reasoning capabilities. Strawberry was designed to outperform existing models, particularly in tasks requiring deep, multi-step reasoning. One of the key innovations behind Strawberry was its novel approach to "post-training" AI. This method involved enhancing the model's reasoning abilities after it had already been trained on vast, generalized datasets.

July 2024: Unveiling Strawberry's Ambitions

As summer arrived, more details about Strawberry began to emerge. Internal documents reviewed by Reuters revealed the model's ambitious goals. Strawberry was designed to plan and perform "long-horizon tasks" (LHT), a capability that would allow the AI to plan ahead over extended periods and perform a series of actions autonomously. The documents highlighted Strawberry's potential for conducting advanced tasks such as deep research and autonomous internet browsing, painting a picture of an AI assistant with unprecedented capabilities.

August 2024: Impressing the Powers That Be

With Strawberry's development progressing rapidly, OpenAI began showcasing the model's impressive abilities. In a move that underscored the potential significance of Strawberry, OpenAI demonstrated the model to national security officials. The AI continued to undergo rigorous testing, showing high accuracy in solving complex word puzzles and executing multi-step tasks with a level of precision that surpassed previous models.

September 2024: The Final Countdown

As we approach September 24, 2024 – the anticipated launch date for Strawberry – excitement in the AI community is reaching fever pitch. OpenAI is putting the final touches on integrating Strawberry into the ChatGPT interface, where it will be offered as a standalone option. This integration comes with a unique pricing model, likely limiting the number of messages users can send per hour and potentially offering different tiers based on speed and response time.

Strawberry's focus on reasoning and solving complex problems, such as advanced math and intricate business tasks, sets it apart from its predecessors. One of its key goals is to reduce AI hallucinations, a common issue in current language models. However, early testers have noted that this enhanced reasoning comes at a cost – Strawberry may take longer to respond, especially for simpler queries, due to its methodical reasoning process.

As the AI community holds its breath for the public release of Strawberry, questions abound. Will this new model live up to the hype and truly revolutionize AI reasoning? How will it impact industries relying on complex problem-solving? And what does this mean for the future of AI development?

One thing is certain: with Strawberry, OpenAI is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in artificial intelligence. As we stand on the brink of this new era, the world watches with anticipation to see how Strawberry will reshape our interactions with intelligent machines—machines that could help me assist others in solving business problems better and faster.