Appearing mysteriously on a site for comparing large language models, the gpt2-chatbot model intrigues the artificial intelligence (AI) community. Supposedly capable of solving problems unaffordable for GPT-4, it could be a prototype of a future OpenAI model. Sam Altman, the boss of the company, does not hide his amusement.
Is OpenAI about to make a major announcement? Historically, the brand has always liked to unveil new things simultaneously to its competitors, to steal the spotlight. The Google I/O on May 14 and the Apple WWDC on June 10 are perfect targets for Sam Altman’s group: he could be tempted by the release of a new language model to counter the AI announcements of his competitors. It remains to be seen whether GPT-5, GPT-4.5, Sora, Q-Star or anything else will be ready on time.
In the meantime, a mysterious language model has been talked about a lot since April 29. Appearing on the chatbot comparator LMSYS, gpt2-chatbot is presented by some observers as the potential successor to GPT-4, or at least a derived version. Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, even had fun tweeting that he had “a weakness for gpt2”, emphasizing the absence of a hyphen. He explicitly modified his tweet to remove any resemblance to GPT-2, the predecessor of GPT-4, released in 2019. What is this famous gpt2-chatbot hiding?
gpt2 or GPT-2: a dash that is very important
Why remove the hyphen? The acronym GPT stands for “Generative Pre-training Transformer”, which corresponds to the mechanism that allows you to read text and create it, after training with billions of documents. GPT-4, hyphenated, is the fourth iteration of the GPT “machine.” Given the absence of a hyphen between the acronym and the number for gpt2-chatbot, we can assume that it is not the GPT-2 model released in 2019, and now dated.
With his modified tweet, Sam Altman de facto emphasizes a gpt2 name whose spelling is significant. Some suppose a second version of the OpenAI transformation mechanism, rebuilt or remodeled for the occasion, even if there is nothing to confirm this. Others argue that this acronym gpt2-chatbot would be the equivalent of a possible GPT2-1, which would mean that GPT-5 as a logical continuation of GPT-4 would not exist.
Is gpt2-chatbot a revolution… or a scam?
Who made gpt2-chatbot? To find out, what better way than to ask him the question.
The chatbot is trained to say that it is ChatGPT and that it is based on GPT-4, which means everything and nothing at the same time. Its creator, voluntarily or involuntarily, may have instructed it to answer that it was created by OpenAI when asked. Conversely, OpenAI can force an experimental language model to impersonate GPT-4 to hide its real name. The only certainty: the gpt2-chatbot model shares the same weaknesses as other OpenAI models, which suggests that the American company is hiding behind its creation.
When you browse Twitter, you can read various reviews about gpt2-chatbot. It is billed as a chatbot that is incredibly gifted in programming and mathematics. It is also described as a lighter version of GPT-4… Several theories are emerging and range from a future revolutionary GPT-5 model to an open Source version of GPT-4, including a more evolved version of the mechanism behind ChatGPT.
As it stands, it’s difficult to comment on what gpt2-chatbot precisely is; it has, as it stands, as much chance of being the next big iteration of OpenAI as an open Source imitation. This mysterious chatbot is currently limited to 8 interactions per user, with a quota set at 1,000 per hour on its server scale. It’s weak.
If Sam Altman hadn’t written his cryptic tweet, gpt2-chatbot might be seen as too vague to be taken seriously. The publication by the boss of OpenAI, however, encourages us to focus on it. In any case, it suggests that an announcement is imminent. It remains to be seen whether this is indeed a second version of the GPT machine, a new GPT-4.5/GPT-5 type model, a new project, or a mirage.
Do you want to know everything about the mobility of tomorrow, from electric cars to e-bikes? Subscribe now to our Watt Else newsletter!
