OpenAI drops GPT-4.5... But there’s a catch.

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Hello and welcome to the Automated, your AI tour guide.

OpenAI just dropped GPT-4.5 (code-named Orion), and while it’s their largest and most knowledgeable AI model yet, it’s not exactly the revolution some were expecting.

Think of it as a really good sequel—better graphics, smoother gameplay, but not quite a next-gen console.

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • 🦾 GPT-4.5: Perks, Pitfalls, and What You Need to Know.

  • 🚀 TikTok One Is Here—Say Goodbye to Creator Marketplace!

  • 🔥 The hottest AI models, what they do, and how to use them.

  • 🛠️ How to build AI Agents that actually work (Anthropic's rules revealed).

  • 🤖 ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: YouTube video ideas.

🦾 GPT-4.5: Perks, Pitfalls, and What You Need to Know.

AI nerds (and casual lurkers), OpenAI has finally released GPT-4.5 (aka Orion), its largest model yet.

But before you expect a god-tier AI upgrade, let’s break it down—because the hype vs. reality is... interesting.

But first, Who gets access? 

If you’re a ChatGPT Pro user ($200/month) or a developer on OpenAI’s paid API, congrats—you can use GPT-4.5 right now as part of a research preview.

But, if you’re on ChatGPT Plus or Team, you’ll have to wait a few more days—likely sometime next week.

So, What’s New?

According to OpenAI, GPT-4.5 is smarter (thanks to even more data and computing power), has "higher emotional intelligence," "understands the world" better, and responds in a warmer, more natural way.  

It also hallucinates less, meaning it should be more reliable. Still, I’d fact-check before quoting it in my thesis.

GPT-4.5 excels at factual questions, supports features like file and image uploads with ChatGPT’s canvas tool, and performs exceptionally well on creative tasks like writing and design.

Fun fact: When asked to generate a unicorn in SVG (a graphic format), it was the only model that actually made a unicorn. The others? Let’s just say their "unicorns" were... questionable.

Now for the Not-So-Great News…

It’s insanely expensive.

Running GPT-4.5 costs OpenAI 30x more than GPT-4o, which is why they’re not even sure how long they’ll keep it in the API.

For context:

  • OpenAI is charging developers $75 per million input tokens (~750,000 words) and $150 per million output tokens.

  • Compare that to GPT-4o ($2.50 per million input tokens, $10 per million output), and you start to see the problem.

It also lacks some features of GPT-4o, like ChatGPT’s two-way voice mode, making it less of an all-in-one upgrade than some had hoped.

How Does It Compare?

While GPT-4.5 outperforms GPT-4o in factual accuracy and creative tasks, it struggles with complex reasoning.

And yes, it holds its own in some coding tasks, even matching GPT-4o and o3-mini. But on harder problems, it loses to DeepSeek and Anthropic’s models.

However, when it comes to math and science, it performs well against non-reasoning models.

But Here’s the Real Takeaway:

OpenAI seems to have hit a limit with just "scaling up" AI. That’s why they—and the entire AI industry—are shifting toward reasoning models that take longer to "think" but provide better answers.

The real game-changer will likely be GPT-5, (expected later this year), which will merge GPT-4.5 with OpenAI’s more advanced reasoning models.

So, Is GPT-4.5 a Must-Have?

It’s a solid upgrade—but not earth-shattering.

If you’re already paying for OpenAI’s top-tier plans, it’s worth exploring. But if not? You’re not missing out on the future just yet—that’s coming with GPT-5.

🎉 Join the Excitement – Early Subscribers Are Raving!

Yesterday, we officially launched The Lo Down Premium Experience, my AI deep dives newsletter, and guess what?

The first members are in and are already loving it! But why, you ask? Well, they now get:
✅ Weekly deep dives: Actionable insights and analysis.
🧠 Expert guest columns: Fresh takes from leading AI and business minds I know
🎁 Exclusive bonus: The AI Insider Playbook ($14.99 value) for all subscribers.
💬 1:1 Call Bonus ($500 value): First 10 annual subscribers get a private AI strategy session with me.

And instead of offering 30 minutes as planned, I threw in an extra 30 minutes as well.

And all for the steal price of $3.99/month or $39/year (that’s like getting 2 months free!).

If you’re ready to join the excitement and reap all these exclusive benefits, now’s your chance!

👉 Subscribe here and become one of the first 10 annual members to score that personal 1:1 call strategy session with me.

Looking forward to welcoming you.🙌

Cheers,

Tak Lo (Editor at The Automated, AI entrepreneur and thought leader. More at thetaklo.com)

 🚀 TikTok One Is Here—Say Goodbye to Creator Marketplace!

Say goodbye to TikTok’s Creator Marketplace—but don’t worry, something bigger (and smarter) is taking its place!

TikTok is sunsetting its creator-brand collaboration platform and replacing it with TikTok One, a more powerful creative hub packed with AI tools to help brands, marketers, and creators make the most out of the platform.

🤷‍♂️ What does this mean?

  • No more new creator invites or campaigns on Creator Marketplace starting this Saturday.

  • Full shutdown on April 1—after that, the website will redirect to TikTok One.

  • Brands & creators can still connect, but now through TikTok One, which offers more creative tools and insights.

🤖 What’s New with TikTok One?

TikTok One isn’t just a replacement—it’s an upgrade, featuring AI-powered tools designed to:

  • Help creators research trends, discover top content, and connect with experts.

  • Provide insights into popular hashtags, songs, and user-generated content.

  • Offer AI-assisted video creation, helping brands make TikTok-native content faster than ever.

One of the biggest changes?

The Video Generator tool is shutting down and being replaced with Symphony Creative Studio, TikTok’s AI-powered content creation suite.

🎼 Symphony is TikTok’s new AI-powered creative suite, featuring:

  • 🎤 Symphony Assistant – AI that helps summarize trends, brainstorm ideas, and create TikTok-native scripts.

  • 🎬 AI Video Generator – Instantly generates TikTok-style ads, either remixing a brand’s footage or using AI avatars.

  • 🎶 AI-powered voiceovers, captions, stickers, and music – Helping brands create engaging videos in multiple languages.

  • 📜 Script Generator – Brands can input product details, and AI will generate a full TikTok script!

📢 What This Means for Creators & Advertisers:

  • 🚀 More AI-driven tools to speed up ad creation and content production.

  • 📈 Better insights on TikTok trends to make videos that actually perform well.

  • 🔄 Data migration required – Advertisers need to move their campaigns from Creator Marketplace and the Creative Challenge dashboard before the shutdown.

TikTok first announced this transition back in May 2023, but now the change is happening for real.

TikTok One is set to be a game-changer for brands and creators looking to boost engagement and ad performance—and AI is at the heart of it all.

If you’ve been using Creator Marketplace, now’s the time to get familiar with TikTok One before April 1! 🚀

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🧱Around The AI Block

  • CapCut AI: AI-powered video editor with auto-captions, effects, and background removal.

  • Leonardo AI: AI image generator for creating stunning artwork, game assets, and concept designs.

  • Genmo AI: AI tool that turns text prompts into dynamic animations and interactive visuals.

  • Kits AI: AI-powered music tool for generating instrumentals, stems, and AI voice models.

  • CoverQuick AI: AI tool for instantly generating professional resumes and cover letters.

🤖ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: YouTube video ideas.

Great content starts with great ideas! Whether you're building brand awareness, educating your audience, or driving sales, a strong YouTube strategy can take your business to the next level.

With the right prompt, you can generate compelling video concepts tailored to your industry, audience, and brand identity.

Here’s a prompt that can help unlock high-impact video ideas:

Pretend you're a content creator and strategist specializing in long-form YouTube content creation for [type] businesses. Create [number] compelling YouTube video ideas for [company] focusing on [topic]. Each idea should include a catchy title, a brief 1-2 sentence description of the video's content, and an explanation of how it aligns with [company]'s brand and target audience.The ideas should vary in format (e.g., how-to tutorials, expert interviews, product demonstrations) to appeal to different viewer preferences. Here are some examples of successful YouTube videos in this industry that have the style and impact we're aiming for: (Insert examples). Ensure that each idea provides value to the audience while showcasing (company)'s expertise or products. (Insert information about the company’s audience, brand, expertise, and or products).

We've Compiled a List of Over 100 ChatGPT Power Prompts.

This should help streamline your interactions with ChatGPT and get the results you need more efficiently.

Best of all, It's free!

That's all we've got for you today.

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