OpenAI o3 and o4-mini

So at this point OpenAI has 6 reasoning models, 4 flagship chat models, and 7 cost optimized models. So that's 17 models in total and that's not even counting their older models and more specialized ones. Compare this with Anthropic that has 7 models in total and 2 main ones that they promote.

This is just getting to be a bit much, seems like they are trying to cover for the fact that they haven't actually done much. All these models feel like they took the exact same base model, tweaked a few things and released it as an entirely new model rather than updating the existing ones. In fact based on some of the other comments here it sounds like these are just updates to their existing model, but they release them as new models to create more media buzz.

They do this because people like to have predictability. A new model may behave quite differently on something that’s important for a use case.

Also, there are a lot of cases where very small models are just fine and others where they are not. It would always make sense to have the smallest highest performing models available.

I have *no idea* why you're being downvoted on this.

If I want to take advantage of a new model, I must validate that the structured queries I've made to the older models still work on the new models.

The last time I did a validation and update. Their Responses. Had. Changed.

API users need dependability, which means they need older models to keep being usable.