What are the different model types OpenAI offers?

OpenAI provides several types of models tailored for different tasks, each designed to handle specific developer needs. The primary categories include GPT models for text generation, DALL·E for image generation, Whisper for speech-to-text, Embeddings for semantic analysis, and the Moderation API for content filtering. These models are accessible via API endpoints, allowing developers to integrate them into applications without managing infrastructure. For example, GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 are widely used for chatbots, summarization, or code generation, while DALL·E can create images from prompts like “a futuristic cityscape at dusk.”

Beyond general-purpose models, OpenAI offers specialized tools. Whisper, an open-source model, excels at transcribing audio in multiple languages, even in noisy environments. The Embeddings API (e.g., text-embedding-ada-002) converts text into numerical vectors, useful for search, clustering, or recommendation systems. The Moderation API helps flag unsafe content, such as hate speech or violence, which is critical for platforms moderating user-generated content. These specialized models address niche requirements, reducing the need for developers to build custom solutions from scratch.

Developers can also customize outputs through parameters and model variants. For instance, GPT models come in base, instruction-tuned (e.g., text-davinci-003), and chat-optimized versions (e.g., gpt-3.5-turbo), each suited for different interaction styles. While fine-tuning is limited to older base models (like davinci), it allows training on custom datasets for domain-specific tasks. Adjusting parameters like temperature (for randomness) or max_tokens (response length) further tailors results. This flexibility lets developers balance cost, speed, and accuracy based on their application’s needs.