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

AI models are eradicated at a dizzying pace, by everyone from large technology companies such as Google to startups such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Keeping the newest can be overwhelming.

Adding to the confusion is that AI models are often promoted on the basis of industrial benchmarks. But these technical statistics often do not reveal much about how real people and companies actually use them.

To cut the noise, TechCrunch has compiled an overview of the most advanced AI models released since 2024, with details about how to use them and what they are best for. We also keep this list updated with the latest launches.

There are literally more than a million AI models that exist: cuddle the face, for example, for example hosts more than 1.4 million. So this list can miss some models that perform better in one way or another.

AI models released in 2025

OpenAi’s GPT 4.5 ‘Orion’

OpenAi has so far called Orion their greatest model and praises its strong ‘world knowledge’ and ’emotional intelligence’. However, it performs at the back of certain benchmarks compared to newer reasoning models. Orion is available for subscribers of the $ 200 per monthly plan from OpenAI.

Claude Sonnet 3.7

Anthropic says that this is the first ‘hybrid’ reasoning model of the industry, because it can both fire fast answers and really think of things when needed. It also gives users control over how long the model can think, Per anthropic. Sonnet 3.7 is available for all Claude users, but heavier users need a pro -plan of $ 20 per month.

Xai’s Grok 3

Grok 3 is the newest flagship model of the startup Xai, based on Elon Musk. Are claim to Outpesting other leading models about mathematics, science and coding. The model requires x premium (that is $ 50 per month.) After one examination found Grok 2 leaned to the left, musk promised To shift “politically neutral”, but it is not yet clear whether that has been achieved.

OpenAI O3-Mini

This is the latest reasoning model from OpenAi and is optimized for voice-related tasks such as coding, mathematics and science. Are Not the most powerful in OpenAI model but because it is smaller, the company out They are considerably lower costs. It is available for free, but requires a subscription for heavy users.

OpenAI deep research

The deep research by OpenAi has been designed to do profound research into a subject with clear quotes. This service is only available with the Pro subscription of Chatgpt $ 200 a month. Openi recommends it For everything, from science to store research, but beware that hallucinations remain a problem for AI.

Mistral Le Chat

Mistral has launched app versions of Le Chat, a personal AI assistant from Multimodal AI. Mistral claims Le Chat responds faster than any other chatbot. It also has a paid version with Up-to-date journalism From the AFP. Tests from Le Monde Found the performance of Le Chat impressive, although it made more mistakes than Chatgpt.

OpenAi operator

The Operator of OpenAi is intended as a personal trainee who can do things independently, as help you buy groceries. It requires a $ 200 per month Chatgpt Pro subscription. AI agents have a lot of promise, but they are still experimental: a Washington Post -Recent says operator Only decided to order a dozen eggs for $ 31, paid with the reviewer’s credit card.

Google Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental

The long -awaited flagship model of Google Gemini says it excels in coding and understanding general knowledge. It also has a super long context window of 2 million tokens and helps users who have to process huge pieces of text quickly. The service requires (at least) a Google One AI Premium subscription of $ 19.99 per month.

AI models released in 2024

Deepseek R1

This Chinese AI model conquered Silicon Valley Stormender. The Deepseek’s R1 performs well on coding and mathematics, while the open source nature means that everyone can perform the room. Moreover, it is free. However, R1 integrates the censorship of the Chinese government and is confronted with increasing prohibitions for the possible to send user data back to China.

Gemini Deep Research

Deep research summarizes the search results of Google in a simple and well -cited document. The service Is useful for students and everyone who needs a quick summary of the research. However, its quality is not nearly as good as a real peer-reviewed paper. Deep research requires a Google One AI Premium subscription of $ 19.99.

Meta Llama 3.3 70b

This is the newest and most advanced version of the Open Source Lama AI models from Meta. Meta has been recommended This version As the cheapest and most efficient so far, especially for mathematics, general knowledge and instructions that follow. It is free and open source.

OpenAI Sora

Sora is a model that makes realistic videos based on text. Although it can generate whole scenes instead of just clips, OpenAi admits That it often generates ‘unrealistic physics’. It is currently only available on paid versions of chatgpt, starting with plus, that is $ 20 a month.

Alibaba QWEN QWQ-32B preview

This model is one of the few that Openai’s O1 Evenit with certain industrial benchmarks, excel in mathematics and coding. Ironically for a ‘reasoning model’, the ‘room for improvement in common sense’, has the ‘room for improvement’, Says Alibaba. It also contains Chinese government censorship, WAN tests shows. It is free and open source.

Anthropic’s computer use

Claude’s computer use is intended to take control of your computer to complete tasks such as coding or a flight ticket, making it a precursor to the OpenAI operator. Computer use, however, remains in beta. Prices are via API: $ 0.80 per million tokens of input and $ 4 per million tokens from output.

X.ai’s grok 2

Elon Musk’s Ai Company, X.Ai, has launched an improved version of his flagship Grok 2 Chatbot claims is “three times faster.” Free users are limited to 10 questions every two hours, while subscribers to X’s Premium and Premium+ plans enjoy higher usage limits. X.AI also launched a image generator, Aurora, who produces very photorealistic images, including some graphic or violent content.

OpenAI O1

The O1 family of OpenAi is intended to produce better answers by ‘thinking’ through reactions through a hidden reasoning function. The model excels in coding, mathematics and safety, OpenAi claimsBut also has problems that people cheat. The use of O1 requires subscribing to Chatgpt Plus, which is $ 20 per month.

Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.5

Claude Sonnet 3.5 is a model anthropic claims as the best in the classroom. It is known for its coding options and is considered that of a tech insider Chatbot of your choice. The model is free of charge on Claude, although heavy users need a monthly PRO subscription of $ 20. Although it can understand images, it cannot generate them.

OpenAI GPT 4O-Mini

OpenAi has recommended GPT 4o-Mini as the most affordable and fastest model, but thanks to the small size. It is intended To make a wide range of tasks possible, such as customer service chatbots. The model is available at the free level of chatgpt. It is better suited for simple tasks with a large volume compared to more complex.

Colhere command R+

Hills Command R+ Model excels with complex pickmented generation (or VOD) applications for companies. That means that the specific pieces of information can really find and quote. (The inventor of day Actually works at CochereYet Rag does not fully solve the hallucination problem of AI.