OpenAI’s 'Strawberry' Tease: Bold Move or just a misdirection?

Do you remember the internet trend where AI wasn't able to identify how many Rs were there in the world Strawberry? This has pointed towards a very serious buy within the current AI system. But OpenAI, the leader of the AI sphere, has created a solution.

OpenAI is reportedly preparing to release a new AI model called "Strawberry" within the next two weeks. Unlike the other ChatGPT models, the all new Strawberry model is promised to possess phenomenal reasoning capabilities, particularly in tasks requiring logical and critical thinking. Can you image what it would be like if it could get a logic puzzle right on the first try? This is the promise of Strawberry.

But it's not just about math and programming. Strawberry can tackle subjective topics too, from marketing strategies to complex word puzzles.

Slow but smarter

According to a report by The Information, OpenAI plans to integrate the Strawberry model into ChatGPT soon, marking a potential milestone in AI functionality. The model is said to focus on handling complex queries by leveraging improved reasoning skills. This would allow the AI model to solve problems that they haven't seen before. As reported by India Today, Strawberry has undergone pre-training on extensive datasets to enhance its decision-making abilities.

One notable feature of Strawberry is its deliberate response time, ranging from 10 to 20 seconds. This delay reflects its advanced processing power, distinguishing it from other AI models.

But the issue being that the AI will take 10-20 seconds to think regardless of what type of questions you ask, be it an easy question or a hard question. But I would foresee that to be an issue because who would want their AI machine to take 20 seconds to answer "What would the weather be like today?"

Early testers of the beta model have also pointed out that it isn't worth the extra wait given that the answers that are given are just slightly better. They have also speculated that the price of this new model could be rather steep, which would be another reason that might deter users from using it.

What we know thus far about Strawberry

At this point, there is still very little information that is made public about the new Strawberry model. But one thing we know for sure is that the Strawberry model won't be able to process images; it will solely respond to text prompts.

Users could also expect a heftier price tag on the model as well, thanks to the need for more computational resources to train the model.

Reports also suggest that rate limits may be imposed, restricting the number of prompts users can send per hour.

Release during a rocky time for OpenAI

However, details and a clear timeline for the reported technology remain unknown. It's also possible that Altman’s post is merely an effort to generate buzz during a challenging period for OpenAI. This week saw co-founder John Schulman resign, while fellow co-founder Greg Brockman announced a sabbatical—adding to the growing list of executives who have either left or taken leave. Coupled with concerns about a potential AI bubble and waning interest on Wall Street, OpenAI’s future appears more uncertain.

Since the initial success of ChatGPT, progress at OpenAI has seemingly slowed. While Altman has promoted GPT-5 as a "significant leap forward," there’s been no update on its release timeline. Researchers have noted that AI models may be hitting a data ceiling, and reports suggest OpenAI is facing significant financial losses, casting further doubt on the near-term rollout of new products.

Altman’s tweet about the Strawberry model could hint at an official announcement soon—or it could simply be a strategic move to keep excitement alive. Given Altman's reputation for bold claims, it may be wise to approach these developments with some skepticism.