OpenAI ramps up developer push with more powerful models in its API 

OpenAI unveiled new API updates at its Dev Day on Monday, introducing GPT-5 Pro, its latest language model, its new video generation model Sora 2, and a smaller, cheaper voice model.  

The updates were part of a series of announcements geared towards wooing developers to OpenAI’s ecosystem, including the launch of an agent-building tool and the ability to build apps in ChatGPT. 

The addition of GPT-5 Pro might appeal to developers building applications in finance, legal, and healthcare – industries that need “high accuracy and depth of reasoning,” per OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. 

Altman also noted that voice capabilities will be essential in the future as it quickly becomes one of the primary ways people use to interact with AI. To that end, OpenAI is launching “gpt-realtime mini,” a smaller, cheaper voice model in API that supports low-latency streaming interactions for audio and speech. The new model is 70% cheaper than OpenAI’s previous advanced voice model but promises the “same voice quality and expressiveness.” 

Finally, creators involved in OpenAI’s developer ecosystem can now tap into Sora 2 in preview in the API. OpenAI released Sora 2, its latest audio and video generator, last week alongside the Sora app, a TikTok competitor filled with short AI-generated videos. The Sora app allows users to generate videos of themselves, friends, or anything based on a prompt, and share it via a TikTok-style algorithmic feed.  

“[Developers] now have access to the same model that powers Sora 2’s stunning video outputs right in your own app,” Altman said. 

Sora 2 builds on its previous generation with more realistic, physically consistent scenes with synchronized sound and greater creative control – from detailed camera direction to stylized visuals.  

“For example, you can take the iPhone view and prompt Sora to expand it into a sweeping, cinematic wide shot,” Altman said. “But one of the most exciting things that we’ve been working on is how well this new model pairs sound with visuals, not just speech, but rich soundscapes, ambient audio, synchronized effects that are grounded in what you’re seeing.” 

Sora 2 is pitched as a tool for concept development, whether it’s a visual starting point for an ad based on the general vibe of a product, to a Mattel designer turning a sketch into a toy concept – an example Altman provided at Dev Day that sheds light on OpenAI’s deal with the Barbie-maker to bring generative AI into the toy-making pipeline.