Microsoft brings GPT-4 to its Azure OpenAI service

Even Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service is getting AI features faster than the entire user base of Google.

In a blog post, Microsoft has recently announced that it has made GPT-4 available in Azure OpenAI Service. This announcement comes just a few weeks after the company made ChatGPT available on the same platform. GPT-4 is the latest version of OpenAI’s popular language model, which promises to be even more powerful and versatile than its predecessor as it can now understand images in addition to text inputs.

In the announcement, the company did note that GPT-4 is only available in preview so customers will need to apply for early access. Microsoft also says that Azure customers can now also access other AI Models like GPT-3.5, ChatGPT, and DALL•E 2.

Today, we are excited to announce that GPT-4 is available in preview in Azure OpenAI Service. Customers and partners already using Azure OpenAI Service can apply for access to GPT-4 and start building with OpenAI’s most advanced model yet. With this milestone, we are proud to bring the world’s most advanced AI models—including GPT-3.5, ChatGPT, and DALL•E 2—to Azure customers, backed by Azure AI-optimized infrastructure, enterprise-readiness, compliance, data security, and privacy controls, along with many integrations with other Azure services.

Customers looking to get access can start applying today. The company noted that Billing for all GPT-4 usage begins April 1, 2023, at the following prices:

Microsoft originally brought ChatGPT to its Azure OpenAI service a few weeks ago, highlighting businesses like The Home Depot which have used the technology to improve its chatbot for its human resources team. The company says it was able to use ChatGPT to improve its document review process and generate job descriptions.

[The Office Depot Corporation] is building a ChatGPT-powered chatbot to support our internal business units, specifically HR. The chatbot has been successful in improving HR’s document review process, generating new job descriptions, and enhancing associate communication. By utilizing ChatGPT’s natural language processing and machine learning capabilities, [The Office Depot Corporation] aims to streamline its internal operations and drive business success.

Of course, by bringing GPT-4 to Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft is giving enterprise customers an even more powerful language model to use for apps and services offered by those companies. The company also just announced Microsoft 365 Copilot for its productivity suite.