In the tech world, the first-mover advantage is a powerful thing. Companies that innovate and bring groundbreaking products to market often enjoy early success and, in some cases, market dominance. OpenAI seemed poised to become the undisputed champion in the conversational AI domain with its GPT series, particularly ChatGPT. However, despite their early lead, there is a growing sentiment that OpenAI has squandered its first-mover advantage.
Failing to Deliver on Multi-Modal Promises
One of the most glaring examples of OpenAI’s missteps is the failure to deliver on its promises of a multi-modal GPT-4. Multi-modal models are the next logical step in the evolution of AI, combining various types of input like text, images, and even sound to provide more contextual and nuanced responses. OpenAI’s promotional materials around GPT-4 made a big deal of this feature. But where is it? We got a slick promotional video and blog posts but, multi-modal GPT-4 has yet to hit the market.
It is this delay that has allowed competitors to catch up. While Sam Altman has been flying around the world on his, “please regulate me” tour and promising to halt work on the successor to GPT-4, competitors have been hard at work on their own models. When the details of GPT-4 were leaked out months ago confirming a Mixture of Experts (MoE) approach, it was inevitable.
Capping GPT-4 for Paying Customers
You would think that paying customers would get the most out of GPT-4, but surprisingly that’s not the case. There is a glaring issue of GPT-4 still being capped for paying ChatGPT users. The artificial constraints on the system significantly reduce its utility, thereby discouraging premium adoption and experimentation. The GPT-4 API, however, doesn’t have such limitations.
Competitors are Catching Up
While OpenAI has been languidly teasing the world with GPT-4’s potential, competitors, most notably Google, have aggressively been working on their own conversational models. Google’s resources, which are colossal compared to most other players in the field, have enabled them to make strides in AI development at a dizzying pace.
Reports suggest that Google’s conversational AI models are not only catching up to GPT-4 but are also poised to surpass it in both functionality and performance. These aren’t just stripped-down imitations; Google’s Gemini is rumoured to be multimodal and able to handle a multitude of tasks, showing promise in multi-modality, which OpenAI seemed to have a monopoly on—at least on paper.
Where Does OpenAI Go from Here?
OpenAI faces a tough road ahead. They’ve lost the unchallenged lead they initially had, and the clock is ticking.
It’s not enough to rest on the laurels of early success. OpenAI needs to aggressively work towards not only fulfilling but exceeding the promises they’ve made to the tech community. This means prioritising the rollout of a commercial-ready, multi-modal GPT-4, removing unnecessary limitations for paying customers, and staying ahead of the curve in innovation to prevent competitors like Google from stealing the limelight.
Conclusion
OpenAI’s ChatGPT was a marvel when it first hit the market. It offered a glimpse into a future where conversational AI would be seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. However, unfulfilled promises and a lack of innovation have chipped away at the company’s first-mover advantage. As competitors like Google nudge closer to taking the crown, OpenAI must make decisive moves to regain its lead, lest they become a case study in squandered potential.
The lesson here is clear: first-mover advantages are ephemeral. Companies that fail to evolve and deliver on their promises risk falling into obscurity, overtaken by competitors that are willing to do what it takes to meet and exceed market demands.
