This holiday season, OpenAI is treating its community to a series of exciting announcements through its “12 Days of OpenAI” event. Starting December 5, 2024, the company is rolling out a mix of game-changing innovations and delightful surprises. Every weekday, OpenAI livestreams its announcements at 10 a.m. PT, promising something new—whether it’s a groundbreaking tool, a futuristic AI model, or festive updates. Here’s everything revealed so far and why you should stay tuned for what’s next
What’s OpenAI’s 12 Days All About?
OpenAI launched this event to showcase a blend of major releases and smaller “stocking stuffers.” From AI tools designed for creative tasks to advancements in reasoning capabilities, these announcements aim to enhance how we interact with AI. The event has already garnered global attention, setting a festive tone for technological innovation.
Day 1: o1 and ChatGPT Pro
For the “12 Days of OpenAI,” Day 1 focuses on the introduction of OpenAI o1, a reasoning model with notable enhancements. This model boasts improved performance across coding, mathematical, and writing tasks and integrates new capabilities in image analysis. Compared to the o1-preview, it achieves a 34% reduction in significant errors on complex queries and offers faster response times. Access to the model is initially available for Plus and Team users, with future rollouts planned for Enterprise and educational users
Additionally, ChatGPT Pro was launched alongside this, offering exclusive features for $200/month. Subscribers gain unlimited access to models like o1 and o1-mini, a Pro Mode for advanced reasoning tasks, and priority for upcoming resource-intensive functionalities
Day 2: Upgraded o1 Reasoning Model
The second day brought us updates to OpenAI’s o1-series reasoning model, a system designed for solving complex problems in science, math, and programming.
The improvements focus on making the model more precise and versatile, enabling it to handle tasks like debugging complex code or solving higher-level mathematical problems with ease. These updates reinforce OpenAI’s commitment to pushing AI capabilities beyond basic conversational skills into more specialized domains.
Day 3: Sora AI Takes Center Stage – Text-to-Video Generation for Everyone
On the third day of OpenAI’s 12 Days, the spotlight turned to Sora AI, a cutting-edge tool that transforms text descriptions into fully realized videos. Whether you’re generating original videos, remixing assets, or enhancing existing footage, Sora is here to revolutionize creative workflows.
What sets Sora apart is its versatility. It builds on the success of DALL-E and GPT models, blending advanced AI with user-friendly tools. From marketing teams crafting compelling ads to educators creating dynamic lessons, Sora empowers everyone to bring ideas to life visually.
The tool is now available to the public, moving beyond its research preview phase. This transition highlights its readiness to meet diverse user demands. It’s not just a tool for professionals—anyone with a vision can use Sora to create, experiment, and innovate like never before.
Sora, OpenAI’s innovative video generation model, remains unavailable worldwide, with its access currently limited to specific regions as OpenAI continues to expand its infrastructure and refine the technology.
Day 4: Introducing Canvas – A New AI Playground for Creatives
On Day 4 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the spotlight shines on Canvas, a groundbreaking tool designed to redefine how people approach creative projects. Canvas offers a collaborative environment where users can seamlessly merge text, images, and video to craft compelling content. With an intuitive interface, it encourages experimentation by providing real-time AI suggestions and adaptive templates tailored to various artistic or professional needs.
This innovative tool is especially suited for artists, marketers, and educators looking to enhance their storytelling and visualization capabilities. By integrating learnings from models like DALL-E and GPT, Canvas empowers users to explore their creativity in new dimensions while maintaining accessibility and precision. It’s not just a platform; it’s a creative ecosystem built to inspire and innovate
Day 5: ChatGPT’s Deep Apple Integration Unveiled
Day 5 brought an exciting development for Apple enthusiasts: ChatGPT is now deeply integrated into Apple devices. With the latest iOS 18.2 update, users can leverage ChatGPT directly from Siri, gaining advanced AI capabilities like enhanced text and image understanding. This marks a significant leap in making AI more accessible on mobile devices, further blurring the line between personal assistants and generative AI technologies
Day 6: Advanced Voice Capabilities and Santa Mode
Day 6 of the “12 Days of OpenAI” introduced exciting features that make interactions with AI more immersive and playful. Users can now engage with advanced voice capabilities, enabling seamless transitions between visual and audio content, such as voice-driven summaries of videos or detailed image descriptions. Additionally, the festive Santa Mode allows for a creative twist in conversations, perfect for the holiday season. These updates emphasize OpenAI’s commitment to versatile and entertaining AI interactions
Day 7: Introducing Projects – A New Era of AI Collaboration
Day 7 unveiled Projects, a powerful feature designed to streamline collaboration and creativity. With Projects, users can create, organize, and manage their AI-related work all in one place. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, tracking progress, or sharing results with a team, Projects brings structure and efficiency to workflows.
This feature also integrates seamlessly with OpenAI’s suite of tools, allowing for smoother transitions between tasks like text generation, coding, or image creation. By fostering collaboration and organization, Projects is particularly valuable for teams exploring AI’s potential in professional or creative environments
Day 8:ChatGPT’s search functionality
On Day 8 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company announced that ChatGPT’s search functionality is now available to all users, both free and paid. This feature enables ChatGPT to provide up-to-date information by accessing the web, enhancing its ability to answer questions with current data. Previously, this capability was limited to paid subscribers, but as of December 16, 2024, it has been rolled out to all users with a logged-in account.
In addition to the expanded search functionality, improvements have been made for mobile users. The mobile interface now presents search results in a more traditional search engine format, including lists of results, images, ratings, hours, and detailed information such as maps and directions directly within the app. This enhancement aims to provide a more intuitive and comprehensive search experience for users on mobile devices.
These updates are part of OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities and accessibility, making it a more powerful tool for users seeking real-time information and assistance.
For a detailed demonstration of the updated search features, you can watch the official announcement below:
Day 9: Little Dev Day – Empowering Developers with Advanced Tools
n Day 9 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company hosted a “Little Dev Day,” unveiling a suite of tools and updates tailored for developers and businesses building AI solutions. Key announcements included:
- Enhanced API Capabilities: OpenAI introduced new API tools designed to streamline the integration of AI into applications, offering developers greater flexibility and efficiency.
- Developer Program Expansion: The developer program was expanded, providing more resources and support for startups and developers to build and scale AI-driven products.
- Advanced Model Access: Developers now have access to the latest models, including the o1 model with vision capabilities, enhancing the ability to analyze and interpret visual data.
These updates aim to empower developers with the tools necessary to create innovative AI applications, reflecting OpenAI’s commitment to fostering a robust AI development ecosystem.
For a detailed overview, you can watch the official announcement below:
Day 10:1-800-CHAT-GPT
On Day 10 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company introduced 1-800-CHAT-GPT, a service that allows users to interact with ChatGPT via a toll-free phone number. By dialing 1-800-CHAT-GPT, users can engage in voice conversations with the AI, making it more accessible to those who prefer or require voice interaction over text-based communication. This initiative aims to broaden the reach of AI assistance, ensuring that more individuals can benefit from ChatGPT’s capabilities.
Additionally, OpenAI announced the integration of ChatGPT with WhatsApp, enabling users to interact with the AI directly within the popular messaging platform. This integration provides a convenient way for users to access ChatGPT’s features without leaving their preferred communication app.
These developments reflect OpenAI’s commitment to enhancing the accessibility and usability of AI, allowing users to engage with ChatGPT through multiple channels that suit their preferences and needs.
For a detailed demonstration of these features, you can watch the official announcement below:
Day 11: Expanding ChatGPT’s Integration with Third-Party Applications
On Day 11 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company announced significant enhancements to ChatGPT’s integration capabilities, focusing on seamless connectivity with popular third-party applications.
Key Highlights:
- Enhanced Integration Support: ChatGPT now offers improved support for applications such as Apple Notes, Quip, and Notion, enabling users to interact with these platforms directly through the ChatGPT interface.
- Streamlined Workflow: These integrations allow users to create, edit, and manage content within their preferred applications without leaving the ChatGPT environment, enhancing productivity and user experience.
- Real-Time Collaboration: The updates facilitate real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work simultaneously on documents and projects, thereby improving team efficiency.
These advancements reflect OpenAI’s commitment to making AI more accessible and functional within the tools that users already utilize daily, bridging the gap between AI capabilities and practical application.
For a detailed overview, you can watch the official announcement below:
Day 12:o3 and o3 mini
On Day 12 of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company unveiled its latest advancements in AI reasoning models, introducing o3 and o3-mini. These models represent a significant leap in AI capabilities, particularly in complex problem-solving and reasoning tasks.
Key Features of o3 and o3-mini:
- Enhanced Reasoning Abilities: Building upon the foundation laid by previous models, o3 and o3-mini exhibit superior reasoning skills, enabling them to tackle intricate challenges with greater accuracy.
- Deliberative Alignment: These models incorporate OpenAI’s new alignment strategy, allowing them to be directly taught safety specifications and reason over them, enhancing their decision-making processes.
- Performance Excellence: The o3 model has demonstrated exceptional performance in various domains, including coding tests, competitive programming, math competitions, and expert-level science problems, showcasing its versatility and advanced capabilities.
OpenAI plans to collaborate with the research community to rigorously test these models before a full public release, ensuring their robustness and reliability. The anticipated public availability is slated for early 2025, marking a new era in AI development.
For a comprehensive overview, you can watch the official announcement below:
Stay Tuned: The Best Is Yet to Come
The excitement is far from over! OpenAI has promised several more days of announcements, with each one designed to push the boundaries of what AI can do. From practical tools to delightful surprises, every update offers a glimpse into the future of technology.
Make sure to:
- Catch the livestreams every weekday at 10 a.m. PT to see the announcements in real time.
- Bookmark this post, as we’ll be updating it daily with fresh details from each reveal.
- Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments—what features or tools are you most excited to see next?
Join us as we count down the remaining days of OpenAI’s holiday celebration. The journey so far has been incredible, and there’s no doubt the upcoming announcements will be even more transformative.