When working with OpenAI models, it’s not uncommon for you to encounter errors, such as the openai.error.InvalidRequestError. This error can be particularly frustrating when attempting to access a specific model like GPT-4.
When you encounter the openai.error.InvalidRequestError with the message "The model: gpt-4 does not exist", it means that your code is attempting to access the GPT-4 model, which may not be available or activated for your account.
Solution 1: Update to Latest OpenAI Package Version
Firstly, make sure you’ve updated to the latest openai version. This helped me resolve this error when I was experiencing it the first time. GPT-4 is a newer model and chances are you’ve already tried out OpenAI API (and installed it on your computer) when it wasn’t out yet.
You can follow my installation and upgrading guide here:
🧑💻 Recommended: How to Install OpenAI in Python?
Solution 2: Apply and Wait for GPT-4 Access
Secondly, you must ensure that your OpenAI account has access to the GPT-4 model. OpenAI gradually grants customers access to the new versions of their models, so you might need to wait for the access to be extended to your account, especially if you haven’t been using their API extensively. You can regularly check the OpenAI Developer Forum or their official announcement channels for updates on the availability of GPT-4.
While waiting for access to GPT-4, it’s strongly recommended to use the available models such as GPT-3.5. Make sure to modify your code to reference the correct model identifier, like "text-davinci-002" for GPT-3.5, to avoid running into the InvalidRequestError due to an incorrect model reference.
Solution 3: Verify Endpoint URL
Thirdly, verify that you are using the correct API endpoint URL for your OpenAI account, as shown in this Microsoft Q&A discussion. Improperly configured API base URLs can also lead to the “Resource not found” error, which may be indicative of similar configuration issues.
In case you wonder how it works in the first place, follow my API tutorial here:
🧑💻 Recommended: OpenAI Python API – A Helpful Illustrated Guide in 5 Steps
While working as a researcher in distributed systems, Dr. Christian Mayer found his love for teaching computer science students.
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