OpenAI enables companies to customize their most powerful AI model

OpenAI is introducing a new feature that lets enterprise customers use their own company data to customize the artificial intelligence startup’s most powerful model, GPT-4o.

The move comes at a time when startups are facing increasing competition for their enterprise AI products, and companies are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate the potential returns from AI investments.

OpenAI plans to roll out the customization capability, commonly known in the AI ​​industry as fine-tuning, on Tuesday. Fine-tuning allows existing AI models to be trained on additional information about a particular task type or field of expertise. For example, a company that makes skateboards could fine-tune an AI model so that it could be used as a customer service chatbot, answering questions about wheels and the details of caring for a board.

The capability is new to OpenAI’s flagship model: fine-tuning was previously unavailable on GPT-4o or its predecessor GPT-4. However, the company has allowed users to fine-tune many of its other models, including the GPT-4o mini, a cheaper, more streamlined version of GPT-4o.

Many tech companies offer the ability to customize AI models large and small. OpenAI is banking on making it easier for customers to customize their most powerful model by working directly with the company, rather than using a third-party service or less powerful product, said Olivier Godement, OpenAI’s lead for API product.