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How Can You Access OpenAI's Powerful o4-mini Model Without Paying a Dime?
Microsoft is testing something exciting with Copilot. I found evidence that they might give us access to ChatGPT's newest o4-mini-high model for free. This could change how we use AI tools every day.
What's Happening Right Now
Copilot has been using an older AI model called o3-mini-high. This model only knows things up to October 2023. But Microsoft started testing a newer model called o4-mini-high that knows things up to June 2024.
I tested this myself. When I asked Copilot about its knowledge cutoff date, sometimes it said October 2023. Other times it said June 2024. This tells me Microsoft is running tests with different users.
The newer model is much smarter. On math tests, the old o3-mini model scored about 87% on 2024 exams and 86.5% on 2025 exams. The new o4-mini model scored 93.4% on 2024 tests and 92.7% on 2025 tests. That's a big jump in performance.
Why This Matters for You
Getting access to o4-mini-high for free would be huge. Here's what makes this model special:
- Better at math and coding: It performs exceptionally well on challenging mathematical problems like the AIME competition, achieving 99.5% accuracy when given access to Python tools
- More recent information: Knowledge cutoff of June 2024 instead of October 2023
- Faster responses: The model is optimized for speed while maintaining high quality
- Visual understanding: Can analyze images, charts, and graphics effectively
- Tool integration: Can use web search, code execution, and file analysis
Most AI companies charge extra for their best models. OpenAI typically reserves fresh, advanced models for paying customers. If Microsoft offers o4-mini-high for free, it could pressure other companies to do the same.
The Technical Details
Let me break down the model versions and their knowledge cutoffs:
- o3-mini / o3-mini-high: October 1, 2023
- o3: June 1, 2024
- o4-mini / o4-mini-high: June 1, 2024
- GPT-4.1 family: June 2024
The "high" variant means the model spends more time thinking before answering. This improves the quality of responses. Microsoft has been using the "-high" versions for Copilot, so o4-mini-high makes sense as the next step.
What Makes o4-mini Special
OpenAI designed o4-mini to be cost-efficient while maintaining strong performance. In expert evaluations, it outperforms its predecessor o3-mini on both STEM and non-STEM tasks. The model excels in data science applications and supports higher usage limits than more expensive models.
The performance improvements are significant. On software engineering benchmarks like SWE-bench, o4-mini achieved 68.1% accuracy compared to o3-mini's 49.3%. For mathematical reasoning, o4-mini reached 92.7% on AIME 2025 versus o3-mini's much lower scores.
Current Limitations and Considerations
Right now, this appears to be an A/B test. Not everyone gets access to the newer model. Microsoft might be testing server costs, user response, and system stability before a full rollout.
The upgrade isn't guaranteed to be permanent. Companies often run limited tests before deciding on final implementations. However, the competitive pressure in the AI market suggests Microsoft wants to offer compelling free features.
What This Means Going Forward
If Microsoft makes o4-mini-high freely available, it could reshape expectations for AI chatbots. Users would get access to more current information, better reasoning capabilities, and improved accuracy without paying subscription fees.
This move could force competitors like Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude to enhance their free offerings. The AI market is becoming increasingly competitive, and free access to advanced models could be a key differentiator.
For everyday users, this means better help with coding projects, more accurate math solutions, and access to more recent information. The June 2024 knowledge cutoff covers important software releases, security updates, and current events that the October 2023 cutoff missed.
The testing phase shows Microsoft is serious about competing in the AI space. By potentially offering premium AI capabilities for free, they're positioning Copilot as a strong alternative to paid AI services.