Today, OpenAI announced that its Decisions API has entered public beta. The company is making gpt-6-luna the sole model available for the API. Decisions evaluates text, images, or both, and it returns typed answers about 10x faster than the Responses API.
What the Decisions API Does
The API answers three kinds of questions: a probability that a condition is true, a choice from a fixed set, and a score against a rubric. These answers can be put to work classifying content, directing requests, or sorting priorities inside your application. The company pushes testing in the Playground before writing code as a best practice.
The Three Parts of a Request
A request has three parts: the model, the input, and the questions. The model is gpt-6-luna; the input can be text, image, or both; and each question must have a unique name. The array of responses has names attached to each answer, so the API can identify which answer belongs to which question.
Choice vs. Score
Both choice probabilities and score returns operate across discrete options, and the company offers guidance on which one to use. Choice is for categories without an order, such as departments. Score takes the probability-weighted average of their numeric indices to produce a score that can fall between levels; it is the right choice for ordered levels, such as severity.
When to Use Decisions
Decisions is the tool to use when your application needs one of the answer types described above. Structured Outputs with the Responses API are the right choice when you need to generate an object that follows your own JSON schema, such as extracted fields or a written explanation. Function calling should be used when you need a model to request a tool call with arguments.
A Predicate Example
The firm offers an illustration of a predicate query. It examines a product picture for any visible damage, such as a crack, tear, or dent. The request joins the image with directions to overlook shadows and damage to the packaging. The supplier included SDK samples in Python, JavaScript, Go, Ruby, and Java, with particular versions demanded for each of them.
The Subscription Questions
The company also included a list of subscription questions:
- Please cancel my subscription before the next renewal.
- Can I switch to annual billing and keep my current plan?
- I don’t need this anymore. How do I stop future charges.
Public Beta and the Road Ahead
OpenAI is currently running the Decisions API in public beta testing, with general availability expected in the coming weeks.
Key Facts at a Glance
| API | Purpose | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions | Typed answers, 10x faster than Responses | gpt-6-luna |
| Responses | Object generation and function calling | Not specified in the announcement |
Our View
The announcement offers little in the way of specifics while leaning heavily on marketing language. It encourages developers to test the Playground and work through the SDK examples. The subscription questions are prompts, not API requests. According to the company, the Decisions API is 10x faster than the Responses API.
General availability is expected in the coming weeks, according to the company. That covers the full account. The event takes place later in October.
The API is up and available for anyone to use. The SDK examples are genuine code, not mockups. The company now has a new product and a new name to go with it. The one fact worth watching is the claim that it is 10x faster than the Responses API.
Source material: “Decisions API is in public beta,” openai.com.
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