Is GPT-4o the Future of Education?

On May 13th, OpenAI released an updated version of GPT-4, named GPT-4o. The “o” stands for “omni,” meaning all-encompassing or versatile.

Compared to previous GPT models, GPT-4o feels… well, eerily human. The most striking change is its multimodal capability, able to process text, images, and audio inputs with an average reaction time of 232 milliseconds, closely mirroring human response time.

Despite this, there was no mention during the launch event of crushing or outperforming competitors. OpenAI simply stuck to its usual “show, not tell” approach by demonstrating GPT-4o’s performance in areas like speed, tone variation, and video calls.

One of the most impressive moments was watching GPT-4o tutor a child on math homework.

OpenAI invited the founder of Khan Academy and his son to solve math problems together. The child opened ChatGPT on an iPad, using a split-screen with a notes app, while GPT-4o instantly transformed into a personal tutor.

As the child sketched on a triangle, GPT-4o provided voice guidance, just like a real teacher would.

When the child encountered a problem calculating the sine of an acute angle α, GPT-4o patiently walked him through the solution. It started by identifying angle α, guiding the child to recognize the hypotenuse and opposite side. With knowledge of the sine function (or a quick explanation), the answer naturally followed.

Compared to human teachers, GPT-4o never loses patience. Its knowledge base is wider and more accurate than any living teacher. Even if you make mistakes, it won’t scold, shout, or belittle you. Instead, GPT-4o gently nudges you toward the right answer.

Imagine having this tutor when I was a kid—setting the rule not to give me the answer directly, but to help me find the method.

Admittedly, ChatGPT can still make factual errors, but it remains the most powerful tutor available today.

GPT occasionally outputs confident misinformation due to the nature of its probabilistic model. It must assign a probability to every possible outcome, even if none fit perfectly.

But does this really hinder GPT’s path to “general intelligence”? While there’s always a small chance GPT makes an error, with each iteration, the likelihood of mistakes inches closer to zero—eventually far less than human error rates.

GPT-4o isn’t just about general knowledge—it excels in specific fields too. As the model scales, the probability of accurate answers increases.

This happens because GPT is essentially a master of a language game where the goal is to find related words and concepts from a starting point and build meaningful connections. Through extensive reading and learning, GPT-4o understands how to connect words and ideas.

When you ask, “How do bees make honey?”, GPT identifies keywords like “bees” and “honey” and finds related concepts like “pollen,” “nectar,” and “hive.” Then, it constructs a grammatically and logically sound answer:

While some initially doubted this approach, OpenAI discovered that when data size reaches a critical point, the model unexpectedly develops a strong ability to understand and generate accurate responses. This phenomenon is known as “emergence.”

Both learning a concept and learning how to learn are critical. In time, GPT-4o will become the optimal tool for children and adults alike to learn anything. While it might be wrapped in different skins or interfaces, large models like GPT are undeniably the future of education.

This is the true potential of personalized learning. Every child learns at a different pace and in different ways. How can we expect a classroom full of students to learn at the same rate from a single teacher?

Some children will inevitably learn faster, while others may fall behind. But this isn’t the students’ fault.

GPT-4o represents a step toward a world where AI can offer personalized, patient, and wide-ranging educational experiences. It may make mistakes, but its ability to guide learners far outweighs these errors. As technology evolves, AI like GPT-4o will undoubtedly become an indispensable tool in education.