OpenAI plans to release its next big AI model by December

OpenAI plans to launch Orion, its next frontier model, by December, according to The Verge, which cites sources. Unlike GPT-4o and o1, Orion will not initially be released widely through ChatGPT; OpenAI plans to grant access first to companies it works closely with, according to a source familiar with the plan. A second source said Microsoft engineers are preparing to host Orion on Azure as early as November. OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix later told The Verge the company doesn't "have plans to release a model code-named Orion this year," though the company plans to release other technology.