ChatGPT-4o vs. ChatGPT-4: 5 biggest upgrades you need to knowThis week, OpenAI launched the latest version of its game-changing ChatGPT AI chatbot. While it’s not ChatGPT-5, adding the ‘o’ — which stands for ‘Omni’ — at the end is all-important. It highlights that ChatGPT-4o is more comfortable with voice, text, and vision interactions than ever before. Here are the five most significant upgrades over its predecessor.Free for All UsersThis is undoubtedly the main upgrade for casual users. Previously, the smarter GPT-4 was only accessible to those willing to fork out $20 per month for a Plus subscription. Now, thanks to improvements in its efficiency, OpenAI says that GPT-4o is free to every user.Voice Mode TransformationGPT-4 has a voice mode, but it’s pretty limited. It can only respond to one prompt at a time, making it like a souped-up Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. That has massively changed with GPT-4o, as the video below demonstrates. It’s worth watching yourself, but in summary, ChatGPT is not only capable of coming up with a “bedtime story about robots and love” in jaw-dropping real-time, but it can also respond to interruptions asking for amendments on the fly.Enhanced Vision CapabilitiesThe impressive voice mode presentation led to an even more impressive demo of the vision capabilities. GPT-4o was able to help solve a written linear equation captured via a phone camera in real-time. Crucially, it did so without giving away the answer as requested. At the end of the demo, the AI is flattered when “I ❤️ ChatGPT” is written down for it to ‘see’.Improved SpeedAlthough astonishingly quick, ChatGPT-4 certainly lets you see the cogs turn, especially on more complex queries. ChatGPT-4o is “much faster,” according to OpenAI, and it’s certainly noticeable in use. A 488-word answer appeared in under 12 seconds in GPT-4o, while a similar response “would require nearly a minute of generation under GPT-4 at times”.Desktop App AvailabilityThe web version may well be enough for most people, but there’s good news for those who crave a desktop app. OpenAI has released a dedicated Mac app that’s currently available in early access to Plus subscribers. It’s a staggered rollout, however, so you’ll have to wait until you get an email from OpenAI with a download link. What about Windows? Well, OpenAI says that a Windows app should be ready by the end of 2024.