ChatGPT 4.1 could launch as soon as next week – here’s why that’s a big deal

Opinion
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The next era?

ChatGPT app on an iPhone
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Primakov)
  • ChatGPT's next big upgrade could arrive next week
  • GPT-4.1 would be the successor to 4o
  • Just yesterday, Sam Altman announced major memory upgrades coming to the chatbot

The next generation of OpenAI's GPT models could launch as soon as next week, with a new report hinting at the arrival of ChatGPT 4.1 to replace 4o.

An exclusive from The Verge reveals sources close to OpenAI have confirmed that the next major ChatGPT release is just around the corner. The report claims "one source describes [the new model] as a revamped version of OpenAI’s GPT-4o multimodal model."

The source claims OpenAI will launch "GPT-4.1 alongside smaller GPT-4.1 mini and nano versions as soon as next week." This release would mark a major step forward for ChatGPT.

Over the last few months, Google Gemini and DeepSeek have continuously improved, closing the gap with OpenAI's flagship model. You'd expect these new models to propel OpenAI back to the top spot.

AI engineer Tibor Blaho found code in the new ChatGPT web app version mentioning "o4-mini", "o4-mini-high" and "o3" which would imply the new GPT models are likely to arrive very soon.

Just yesterday, OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, announced major memory upgrades coming to ChatGPT which means the AI chatbot can remember every conversation it has with a user.

This upgrade, which is likely to be part of any new GPT means ChatGPT can now take that next step to becoming your personal assistant. Whether that's referencing previous conversations or the AI having full awareness of your past interactions, a new memory upgrade is a major improvement coming to ChatGPT.

What's in a name?

The name of the incoming update is not confirmed, although The Verge believes it will be called GPT 4.1.

If OpenAI goes down the 4.1 route, it will continue to make the AI giant's model naming scheme incredibly convoluted. At the end of last year, OpenAI mentioned that the company hoped to create an all-encompassing model in the future, which would not require the user to select between models.

If ChatGPT 4.1 releases next week, we'd really be hoping to see that all-encompassing model sooner rather than later, as trying to explain the differences between 4.1, 4.5, and o3 would start to get very complicated indeed.

Naming aside, a new OpenAI AI model is a huge deal, and if these sources are correct and we see a new launch in the next week or so, it could be another major step towards the AI future these tech CEOs are pursuing.

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John-Anthony Disotto
John-Anthony Disotto
Senior Writer AI

John-Anthony Disotto is TechRadar's Senior Writer, AI, bringing you the latest news on, and comprehensive coverage of, tech's biggest buzzword. An expert on all things Apple, he was previously iMore's How To Editor, and has a monthly column in MacFormat. He's based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar. John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade, and is an award-winning journalist with years of experience in editorial.

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