When to use each model

GPT-4o

Excels at everyday tasks: Brainstorming, summarizing, emails, and creative content. Fully multimodal: supports almost all capabilities (GPTs, data analysis, search, image generation, canvas, advanced voice) and inputs (documents, images, CSV files, audio, and video).

Example Prompts

"Summarize meeting notes into key action items."

"Draft a follow-up email after a project kickoff."

"Proof read my report."

"Brainstorm a launch plan in real time—feel free to upload sketches or screenshots."

GPT-4.5

Ideal for creative tasks: Emotional intelligence, clear communication, creativity, and a more collaborative, intuitive approach to brainstorming.

Example Prompts

"Create an engaging LinkedIn post about AI trends."

"Write a product description for a new feature launch."

"Develop a customer apology letter with an empathetic tone."

OpenAI o4-mini

Fast technical tasks: Quick STEM-related queries, programming, visual reasoning.

Example Prompts

"Extract key data points from a CSV file."

"Provide a quick summary of a scientific article."

"Quick-fix this Python traceback for me."

OpenAI o4-mini-high

Detailed technical tasks: Advanced coding, math, scientific explanations, thinks longer for higher accuracy.

Example Prompts

"Solve a complex math equation and explain the steps."

"Draft SQL queries for data extraction."

"Explain a scientific concept in layman’s terms."

OpenAI o3

Complex, or multi step tasks: Strategic planning, detailed analyses, extensive coding, advanced math, science, coding, and visual reasoning.

Example Prompts

"Develop a risk analysis for market expansion."

"Draft a business strategy outline based on competitive data."

"Run a multi-step analysis on this CSV—forecast next quarter and plot the trend."

"Review pipelines metrics, visualize the data, and search for new top of funnel strategies"

OpenAI o1 pro mode

Complex reasoning: takes a bit longer to think but delivers the accuracy you need for complex tasks.

Example Prompts

"Draft a detailed risk-analysis memo for an EU data-privacy rollout."

"Generate a multi-page research summary on emerging technologies."

"Create an algorithm for financial forecasting using theoretical models."

Summary:

GPT-4o - Omni model for real-time, multimodal reasoning in everyday workflows.

GPT-4.5 - Broader knowledge and better tone control—ideal for writing, coding and quick problem-solving.

o4-mini - Fast, cost-efficient reasoning for code, math and visual tasks.

o4-mini-high - o4-mini with extra depth for more thorough technical answers.

o3 - Their most powerful engine for complex, multi-step analysis.

o1-pro - Legacy model tuned for high-stakes, long-form analytic work.