Barely a year after the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI strikes again with GPT-4.1, a major advancement that redefines the boundaries of generative artificial intelligence. This update brings significant improvements in coding, contextual understanding, and multimodal processing.
What is GPT-4.1?
Overview
GPT-4.1 represents the latest evolution of OpenAI's language models, succeeding GPT-4o with substantially improved performance. This model is part of the family of large language models (LLM) optimized for various tasks ranging from natural language processing to image analysis and advanced coding.
OpenAI has deployed three distinct variants:
- GPT-4.1: full version with all capabilities
- GPT-4.1 mini: intermediate version offering a good performance/cost balance
- GPT-4.1 nano: lightweight version for applications requiring fewer resources
Each variant has been designed to meet specific needs, allowing developers and businesses to choose the solution best suited to their technical and budgetary constraints.
Since he started, Chatgptfrancais.org offers users the ability to access previous versions of ChatGPT for free and without registration via our platform. This initiative has allowed thousands of French-speaking users to discover and experiment with the capabilities of the GPT-3.5, GPT-4 and GPT-4o models without technical constraints or access barriers, while benefiting from a fully localized interface.
History and context
The evolution of GPT models perfectly illustrates the rapid progress of artificial intelligence in recent years:
- GPT-4 (March 2023): First multimodal model capable of processing text and images
- GPT-4o (May 2024): Major improvement in speed and cost
- GPT-4.5 (October 2024): Interim update with targeted improvements
- GPT-4.1 (April 14, 2025): Last iteration with significant advances
Officially released on April 14, 2025, GPT-4.1 represents more than a year of research and development since the release of GPT-4o. This version builds on the solid foundations of previous models while introducing substantial innovations in several key areas.
Key improvements in GPT-4.1
Coding performance
GPT-4.1's programming ability made a remarkable leap, reaching 54,6% on the benchmark SWE-bench Verified, an improvement of 21,4% compared to GPT-4o. This progression allows the model to:
- Solve complex programming problems in multiple languages
- Understand and modify existing code bases with increased accuracy
- Generate optimized solutions that comply with good development practices
- Detect and fix subtle bugs in the code
Developers can now task GPT-4.1 with tasks like refactoring legacy code, building complete features, or even designing consistent software architectures. The model excels particularly well in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, and Rust.
Understanding the long context
One of the most dramatic advances in GPT-4.1 is its ability to process up to 1 million tokens, the equivalent of about 750 words or 000 pages of text. This significant improvement (GPT-1 was limited to 500 tokens) enables entirely new applications:
On the “Needle in a Haystack” benchmark, which assesses the ability to find specific information in a very long document, GPT-4.1 achieved a score of 92,3%, compared to 67,8% for GPT-4o.
The test “OpenAI-MRCR” (Multi-Round Contextual Reasoning) demonstrates that GPT-4.1 maintains reasoning consistency even after multiple complex exchanges based on a context of several hundred thousand words.
This capability radically transforms the analysis of large documents such as legal contracts, medical reports or technical documentary databases.
Follow the instructions
GPT-4.1 demonstrates significantly superior understanding of complex and nuanced instructions, with impressive results on leading benchmarks:
- 38,3% on MultiChallenge (vs. 29,1% for GPT-4o)
- 87,4% on IFEval (vs. 78,2% for GPT-4o)
This increased accuracy in following instructions translates into greater reliability in demanding professional tasks such as:
- Technical writing following strict guidelines
- Creating marketing content that accurately reflects a brand's voice and values
- Automation of business processes requiring multiple conditional steps
- Compliance with regulatory constraints in document generation
Image understanding
GPT-4.1's visual capabilities have also seen substantial improvements, with remarkable performance on specialized benchmarks:
- MMMU (Massive Multimodal Understanding): 76,2% (compared to 64,5% for GPT-4o)
- MathVista (solving math problems from images): 69,8% (vs. 58,3% for GPT-4o)
This progression allows for practical applications such as:
- Detailed analysis of graphs and data visualizations
- Understanding technical diagrams and architectural plans
- The accurate interpretation of handwritten or printed documents
- Visual assistance for the visually impaired
Comparison with previous versions
GPT-4.1 vs GPT-4o
| Characteristic | GPT-4.1 | GPT-4o | Performance |
| Coding (SWE-bench) | 54,6% | 33,2% | + 21,4 % |
| Context (max tokens) | 1 000 000 | 128 000 | × 7,8 |
| Instruction Following (IFEval) | 87,4% | 78,2% | + 9,2 % |
| Vision (MMMU) | 76,2% | 64,5% | + 11,7 % |
| Inference speed | 42 tokens/s | 36 tokens/s | + 16,7 % |
| Cost per million tokens | € 6,50 | € 5,00 | + 30 % |
The comparison highlights significant improvements across all performance areas, with a slightly higher cost that is nevertheless justified by the gains achieved.
GPT-4.1 vs GPT-4.5
Although GPT-4.5 brought some targeted improvements over GPT-4o, GPT 4.1 stands out with more substantial and balanced advances:
- Creativity : GPT-4.1 generates more original and nuanced content, with a better understanding of cultural and stylistic subtleties.
- Reasoning : GPT-4.1 excels at solving complex mathematical and logical problems, outperforming GPT-4.5 by 18% on reasoning benchmarks.
- Multilingualism : While GPT-4.5 had improved support for Asian languages, GPT-4.1 offers near-native quality in over 30 languages.
Overall, GPT-4.1 represents a more comprehensive evolution than the incremental update that was GPT-4.5.
Uses and Applications of GPT-4.1
For developers
GPT-4.1 transforms the developer experience with capabilities that touch every phase of the software development lifecycle:
- Design : Generation of detailed technical specifications from needs expressed in natural language
- Implementation : Creation of functional and well-documented code in major programming languages
- Debugging: Accurate identification of errors and suggestion of appropriate corrections
- Optimization: Performance analysis and refactoring to improve code efficiency
- Documents : Automatic generation of clear and comprehensive technical documentation
The ability to process large code bases with the context of a million tokens now makes it possible to analyze entire projects in a single query, making it easier to understand complex systems.
For companies
Organizations can leverage GPT-4.1 to optimize many business processes:
- Data analysis : Processing and interpretation of large data sets with extraction of relevant insights
- Customer service : Intelligent automation capable of handling complex queries and maintaining context over long conversations
- Literature search : Efficient exploration of large document bases with precise extraction of information
- Competitive intelligence : Trend analysis and detection of weak signals in sector data
- Compliance : Automated verification of document compliance with regulatory requirements
Improved instruction tracking allows for fine-grained customization of outputs based on the specific needs of each business.
For content creators
Creative professionals also benefit from significantly improved tools with GPT-4.1:
- Multilingual writing : Creation of authentic content in many languages, preserving cultural nuances
- Adaptation of tone : Generation of texts that precisely respect a defined editorial voice
- In-depth research : Synthesis of information from various sources to create rich and documented content
- Multimedia production : Analysis and detailed description of images, generation of texts adapted to different formats
- Smart SEO : Content optimization respecting current best practices while prioritizing editorial quality
Improved understanding of context helps maintain editorial consistency across large-scale projects.
Price and availability
Pricing of models
| Model | Price (entrance) | Price (exit) | Max tokens | Ideal use case |
| GPT-4.1 | 6,50 €/M | 19,50 €/M | 1 000 000 | Demanding professional applications |
| GPT-4.1 mini | 3,20 €/M | 9,60 €/M | 256 000 | General purpose with good value for money |
| GPT-4.1 nano | 1,20 €/M | 3,60 €/M | 128 000 | High volume applications, budget constraints |
OpenAI also introduced a discount system for caching: repeated identical queries receive a 50% to 80% discount depending on the volume, allowing substantial savings for recurring use cases.
Access via API
Currently, is exclusively available via the OpenAI APIDevelopers can access it by registering on the OpenAI platform and configuring their account to use the new models.
The model is not yet integrated into the ChatGPT interface, even for Plus or Team subscribers. OpenAI has announced that it plans to integrate this in the coming months, likely before the end of summer 2025.
For developers interested in testing GPT-4.1, OpenAI is offering an initial €25 credit for new accounts, allowing them to explore the model's capabilities before fully committing.
Future prospects and conclusion
Expected evolution
Based on our sources and trend analysis, here is what we can anticipate for the future of GPT-4.1 and beyond:
- Incremental updates to GPT-4.1 are planned quarterly, with improvements targeted to specific areas
- Integration with ChatGPT is announced for Q2025 XNUMX
- Specialized models derived from GPT-4.1 (legal, medical, financial) are expected to be unveiled before the end of the year.
- Contrary to some rumors, GPT-5 is not expected before 2026, with OpenAI prioritizing consolidation and optimization of the current architecture.
It is also likely that we will see the emergence of tools that make it easier for non-developers to use GPT-4.1, particularly through no-code interfaces and simplified integrations with common professional tools.
Conclusion
GPT-4.1 undeniably marks a significant step towards more powerful and versatile artificial intelligence. With its expanded capabilities in coding, contextual understanding, instruction following, and visual analysis, this model opens up new possibilities for developers, businesses, and content creators.
While its slightly higher cost may be a barrier to some large-scale uses, the productivity and quality gains it often enables more than justify the investment. The current API-only access should gradually expand, democratizing these new capabilities.