What you need to know
- Stardock released a major update to DesktopGPT that adds support for GPT-4o and GPT 40-Mini.
- The update also lets you use your own API key if you already pay for a premium tier of OpenAI.
- DesktopGPT is a new app from Stardock that lets you access AI with a keystroke and choose between which model you'd like to use.
Windows 11 integrates closer with AI as each day goes by. Microsoft Copilot lives in the taskbar and an increasing number of Microsoft services rely on AI in 2024. But Microsoft isn't the only tech giant in town. In fact, it can't even claim exclusive rights to placing an AI model at your fingertips through the desktop. Stardock's DesktopGPT allows you to summon AI with a keystroke, and the app just received a major update.
The latest version of DesktopGPT supports OpenAI's GPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini models. But the headline feature is that the app now lets you use your own API key if you pay for a premium tier from OpenAI. DesktopGPT will then use your available credits to perform tasks.
Some quality-of-life improvements improve the DesktopGPT experience as well, including the default hotkey for the app being set to Ctrl+Alt+O. The app lets you view your history by pressing Alt+H as well. Pressing F1 when using the app will show all available keyboard shortcuts within DesktopGPT.
- Satya Nadella admits Microsoft missed an opportunity as ChatGPT and Copilot gain popularity — even OpenAI's Sam Altman "doesn't do Google searches anymore"
- Is AI all hype? DeepSeek tumbles to #51 on Apple's App Store, weeks after dethroning ChatGPT as the most downloaded free AI app in the US — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman already promised to "obviously deliver better models"
Stardock also added support for using Markdown when having DesktopGPT works through a chat template.
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How to get DesktopGPT
DesktopGPT started as a tool used internally at Stardock. The company then decided to refine it and roll it out to the public as an app. "DesktopGPT is the evolution of a tool that we were using internally at Stardock to help us be more effective with our AI interactions," said Stardock GM of Software Brad Sams. "And at the heart of DesktopGPT are templates that are a powerful way to streamline your repetitive tasks."
At the moment, the only way to use DesktopGPT is to purchase the Object Desktop suite, which normally costs $49.99 (it occasionally goes on sale).
Copilot vs GPT
Microsoft and OpenAI have a strange relationship. The two companies are both close partners and competitors. Microsoft Copilot relies on OpenAI's tech and that OpenAI tech, in turn, relies on Microsoft Azure. Microsoft is also OpenAI's largest investor, having shipped billions of dollars to OpenAI.
The nature of the relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI may not matter to either company, as long as both see consistent growth, but there are doubts surrounding AI. ChatGPT passed 200 million weekly active users recently, but OpenAI is reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy. Despite being one of the hottest topics in tech, OpenAI is projected to lose $5 billion in 2024. OpenAI may need to call on its competitor/partner/investor Microsoft. The Redmond-based tech giant is said to be prepared to bail out OpenAI with some additional investment from Apple and NVIDIA reportedly on the way to OpenAI.
Several questions surround AI at the moment, including if the tech can be financially viable for all parties involved. High electricity and water consumption are also key concerns. Several studies have warned of AI projects being abandoned in the future. We'll have to see what's in the cards for OpenAI and Microsoft in the AI space. For now, there are several ways to bring up tools powered by those companies on the Windows 11 desktop.
