How do I correctly pass image data to the gpt-4-vision-preview API using Node.js?

Below is an explanation and workarounds based on current guidance from OpenAI’s documentation:

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What’s Happening

The error:

“content has no overload for accepting type and image_url”

occurs because the Node.js OpenAI library (and the underlying API) expects every message’s content to be a string. The code snippet you provided is attempting to pass an object (with a type and image_url field) as the value for "content", which isn’t supported.

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How to Fix It

1. Use a String as Content

   At the moment, the chat completions endpoint only supports string content in messages. This means you cannot directly send a JSON object with an image URL (or a base64-encoded image) in the “content” field.

2. Separate Image Input Handling

   For the GPT-4 vision model, image input is handled differently compared to text:

   • The vision model is designed to accept images as a separate input. The normal chat completions endpoint does not automatically handle complex types like image payloads.
   • Depending on how the feature is implemented (and which preview instructions you have received), you may need to use a different endpoint or provide the image as a file upload.
   • If you have documentation or instructions from your account or invite that explain the proper mechanism for image input, follow those guidelines since this capability is in preview and might have special requirements.

3. Check for Library Updates

   Since you’re working with a preview feature (gpt-4-vision-preview), it is possible that:

   • The Node.js library or API documentation will eventually update to support a standardized way to pass image data.
   • In the meantime, verify you’re using the latest version of the library and review any related announcements from OpenAI.

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Example with Only Text Content

Until image support is officially provided in the Node.js library, you might work around by restricting your messages to text. For instance:

JAVASCRIPTCopied
const { data: chatCompletion, response: raw } = await openai.chat.completions.create({
  messages: [
    {
      role: 'system',
      content: "You are a latex code generator. However, note that the current implementation cannot process image inputs directly."
    },
    {
      role: 'user',
      content: "I have an image (base64 or URL) but the API does not support it in this call. What can I do?"
    },
  ],
  model: 'gpt-4-vision-preview',
}).withResponse();

This approach simply avoids the unsupported type for now.

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Next Steps

• Confirm Documentation: Double-check your invitation or developer documentation for GPT-4 vision to see if there’s a special method or endpoint to handle image data (for example, uploading images separately).
• File a Support Request: If you believe your implementation should work as described in the preview documentation, contacting OpenAI support might clarify whether a new API version or a workaround is available.
• Monitor Updates: Keep an eye on the OpenAI API documentation for any updates regarding the support of image inputs on the vision-capable models.

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This should help address the current error by understanding that the Node.js version of the API expects a string for “content” in messages. For image support with GPT-4 vision, you’ll need to follow the specific instructions for image input as provided in your preview documentation.