One writes a blog post.
One solves a math proof.
One draws a chart.
Who’s who?
Let’s break it down with a quick, practical guide to what each OpenAI model does best—so you know exactly which one to turn to for your next task.
GPT-4o: The Multitasking Powerhouse
Best for: Everyday tasks like brainstorming, summarizing, emails, and creative content
Superpower: Fully multimodal — understands and generates text, images, documents, spreadsheets, audio, video, and more.
Plugged in: Yes — GPT-4o works seamlessly with all GPT plugins and tools.
Try prompts like:
- “Summarize meeting notes into key action items.”
- “Draft a follow-up email after our project kickoff.”
- “Proofread my report.”
- “Brainstorm a launch plan in real time” (even with screenshots or sketches!).
GPT-4.5: The Creative Collaborator
Best for: Writing with emotional intelligence — blogs, copywriting, customer messaging
Superpower: Smooth, expressive language that resonates with readers
Team player: Ideal for collaborative brainstorming sessions
Try prompts like:
- “Create an engaging blog post about AI trends.”
- “Write a product description for our new feature launch.”
- “Develop a customer partnership letter with an empathetic tone.”
o4-mini: The Fast, Technical Assistant
Best for: Quick STEM tasks, programming help, visual problem-solving
Superpower: Lightning-fast responses for technical queries and data work
Try prompts like:
- “Extract key data points from this CSV.”
- “Give me a quick summary of this scientific article.”
- “Fix this Python traceback for me.”
o4-mini-high: The Precision Engineer
Best for: Deep technical work — advanced coding, complex math, scientific concepts
Superpower: High accuracy in problem-solving and detailed technical explanations
Try prompts like:
- “Solve this complex math problem and explain each step.”
- “Draft SQL queries to pull customer data.”
- “Explain quantum entanglement in layman’s terms.”
GPT-4 (o3): The Strategic Analyst
Best for: Big-picture thinking — long documents, multi-step plans, and deep analysis
Superpower: Handles complex logic, long context, and visual reasoning
Try prompts like:
- “Develop a market-expansion risk analysis.”
- “Review this 100-page document and extract compliance concerns.”
- “Forecast next quarter using this CSV and generate charts.”
- “Visualize our sales funnel and recommend optimizations.”
So, who’s who?
- The blog post? GPT-4.5.
- The math proof? o4-mini-high.
- The chart? GPT-4 (o3).
And that multitasking bar magician juggling docs, screenshots, and CSVs in real time?
That’s GPT-4o.
Ready to pick your model and get started?
Know what you need — then choose the right AI for the job.