It’s non-stop. In recent days, the world of Artificial Intelligence has witnessed an actual earthquake..
In this case, once again, and after the many launches that took place last week, OpenAI has once again decided to give a blow to the table, presenting its O3 model, the direct evolution of O1 (and purposely skipping the “O2” in order not to compete with the English telecommunications company).
This new model promises deeper reasoning, surprising programming capabilities, and a novel approach to security and “deliberative alignment”.
In today’s content I will tell you, in a simple and straightforward way, why O3 is such an important breakthrough, how it fits into the race towards AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and what it all implies for the future of technology and society.
First, don’t miss the OpenAi video where Sam Altman himself, Mark Chen, and Hongyu Ren present the new model.
What is the ARC AGI benchmark?
To understand the hype around O3, we must first learn about the ARC AGI (Advanced Reasoning Corpus – Artificial General Intelligence) benchmark. This demanding test designed to measure whether an AI model can reason flexibly and move out of its “training zone” when faced with new problems.
- More than a math test: ARC AGI is not limited to assessing numerical operations,, but tests logical inferences, abstract reasoning ,and the ability to combine information from different areas.
- A high score here suggests that the AI does not stay with the “question-answer” mechanics but “thinks” and chains logical steps to arrive at more elaborate conclusions.
With O3, OpenAI claims to have achieved a major leap in this benchmark, tripling the score of its predecessor O1 in low-power reasoning mode. Even in reasoning-intensive configurations (which consume more time and resources), O3 achieves figures that some see as an indicator that we are approaching AGI… although there are still nuances to consider.
Are we facing the arrival of AGI?
The big question that haunts every new AI breakthrough is whether we have already reached General Artificial Intelligence: a system capable of mastering any intellectual task at the same level as a human being.
- What’s new about O3: It’s a more “deliberative” model. Instead of answering immediately, it invests seconds (or even minutes) in “ruminating” its answers, analogous to how a person would do it by reflecting.
- Increased accuracy and reasoning: By spending more time on each problem, you can check your own reasoning and correct errors on the fly, resulting in results that far exceed O1 in math, programming, and answering complex questions.
Now, does this mean that we have already reached AGI?
- I thinkthe short answer is no… at least for the time being. Several experts, including creators of these benchmarks, emphasize that O3 still fails at tasks that, for a human, are trivial. Moreover, achieving true AGI implies that the AI is fully autonomous, creative, and flexible in almost any context, and that remains to be seen.
- That said, the speed of progress is undeniable. The fact that O3 has improved so much over O1 in just a few months suggests that we are moving much faster than was thought possible a couple of years ago.
Why are O3 and O3 Mini better than O1?
OpenAI has not limited itself to a single model; it has also launched O3 Mini, designed for applications seeking high performance but lower operating costs. This is what makes this new generation so unique:
Deep mode” reasoning:
- O3 and O3 Mini can be configured to spend more “thinking” time on challenging problems. This increases accuracy on complex tasks, such as programming, physics, or advanced logic problems.
Impressive results in mathematics and coding:
- Internal (and some external) tests show a jump of about 20-22% over O1 in programming tasks.
- In advanced mathematics, O3 scores close to 96.7% correct, which is incredibly close to perfection on higher-level exams.
New security approach and “deliberative alignment”:
- OpenAI has introduced a “self-check” method for the model to reason about whether an answer may be harmful or incorrect before giving it.
- This process makes it more difficult to “trick” O3 into generating malicious content or violating security and ethical standards.
Staggered availability:
- For now, O3 Mini will be available to a limited group (mainly security researchers). If testing is successful, a wider release is expected in late January.
- The full version of O3 would follow this. This staggered approach seeks to thoroughly test security before offering mass use.
Cost vs. Benefit:
- While these models may require more computing power for their “deep reasoning mode”, they also offer lighter (Mini) versions that balance speed and budget. It is ideal for applications that don’t need to push every response to the max.
While O3 is not yet the perfect embodiment of AGI, it does represent a decisive step towards more sophisticated and reliable AI, capable of logical breakdown and multi-step planning. All indications are that the line between human capabilities and those of an AI model is blurring at a rapid pace.
In addition, we cannot overlook the intense duel between the technological giants. Google, with its Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking model, and OpenAI, with O3, are challenging each other in a real “battle of reasoning”. For society, this means accelerated growth in the possibilities of AI: better programming tools, support for scientific research, support for education, and much more.
The result? We’re still without an IA that does everything perfectly, but with each passing month, it feels like we’re taking a quantum leap in the direction of that reality.
We are living in a historic moment for technology. It is natural to remain in awe, but we must not forget the responsibility of aligning these advances with ethical and safety values so that they make a difference in everyone’s lives.
And in your case:
Do you think AI will become truly general (AGI) in the near future? Or do you think there will always be a boundary between human reasoning and that of an AI model? What do you see as the most critical challenge facing AI today?
Leave me your comments and suggestions on what you would like me to cover on my blog.
I look forward to hearing from you so I can continue to create content that you find helpful and interesting.
Thanks for reading and have a good week and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
