GPT OSS Safeguard 20B
GPT OSS Safeguard 20B is a 20-billion parameter open-source safety model from OpenAI, designed to classify and filter content for harmful or policy-violating material in AI application pipelines.
import { streamText } from 'ai'
const result = streamText({ model: 'openai/gpt-oss-safeguard-20b', prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?'})Playground
Try out GPT OSS Safeguard 20B by OpenAI. Usage is billed to your team at API rates. Free users (those who haven't made a payment) get $5 of credits every 30 days.
Providers
Route requests across multiple providers. Copy a provider slug to set your preference. Visit the docs for more info. Using a provider means you agree to their terms, listed under Legal.
P50 throughput on live AI Gateway traffic, in tokens per second (TPS). Visit the docs for more info.
P50 time to first token (TTFT) on live AI Gateway traffic, in milliseconds. View the docs for more info.
Direct request success rate on AI Gateway and per-provider. Visit the docs for more info.
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| 1M | 2.8s | 63tps | $5.00/M | $30.00/M | Read: $0.5/M Write: — | $10.00/K + input costs | — |   | 04/24/2026 | ||||
| 400K | 1.2s | 155tps | $0.75/M | $4.50/M | Read:$0.07/M Write:— | $10.00/K + input costs | — | | 03/17/2026 | ||||
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| 1.1M | 1.0s | 65tps | $2.50/M | $15.00/M | Read: $0.25/M Write: — | $10.00/K + input costs | — | | 03/05/2026 | ||||
| 128K | 0.7s | 95tps | $1.25/M | $10.00/M | Read:$0.13/M Write:— | $10.00/K + input costs | — | | 11/12/2025 | ||||
| 131K | 0.1s | 2131tps | $0.35/M | $0.75/M | Read:$0.25/M Write:— | — | — |    +5 | 08/05/2025 |
About GPT OSS Safeguard 20B
GPT OSS Safeguard 20B was released on December 1, 2024 on AI Gateway as a specialized safety model in OpenAI's open-source initiative. Unlike general-purpose language models, it is designed specifically to classify content for safety and policy compliance.
The model operates as a guardrail layer in AI application pipelines. It evaluates text for categories of harmful content, policy violations, and other safety concerns, returning classification results that downstream logic can use to filter, flag, or modify responses. This dedicated safety evaluation is more reliable than relying solely on the generation model's built-in safety measures.
Open weights enable teams to inspect exactly how the model makes safety determinations and audit its behavior against their own safety requirements. This transparency is particularly valuable in regulated industries where safety measures must be documented and verifiable.
What To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: GPT OSS Safeguard 20B is not a general-purpose language model. It's a specialized classifier designed to evaluate content for safety and policy compliance. Deploy it as a filter layer alongside generation models.
- Configuration: Open weights let you inspect the safety criteria and audit the model's behavior.
- Zero Data Retention: AI Gateway supports Zero Data Retention for this model via direct gateway requests (BYOK is not included). To configure this, check the documentation.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
When to Use GPT OSS Safeguard 20B
Best For
- Content moderation: Classifying user inputs and model outputs for harmful or policy-violating material
- Safety guardrails: Adding a dedicated safety layer to AI application pipelines
- Policy enforcement: Ensuring AI-generated content meets organizational or regulatory standards
- Pre-screening pipelines: Filtering inputs before they reach generation models
Consider Alternatives When
- General-purpose tasks: Any GPT model for chat, generation, or analysis tasks
- Built-in safety: Many GPT models include safety measures natively; use this model when you need an additional dedicated layer
- Proprietary moderation: OpenAI's moderation endpoint for a managed, non-open-source alternative
- Different model scales: Consider whether the 20B parameter scale is sufficient for your moderation needs
Conclusion
GPT OSS Safeguard 20B adds a transparent, customizable safety layer to AI application pipelines. As an open-source safety classifier available through AI Gateway, it enables teams to implement and audit content safety measures with full visibility into the model's behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GPT OSS Safeguard 20B a general-purpose language model?
No. It's a specialized safety classifier that evaluates content for harmful or policy-violating material. Use it alongside general-purpose models as a guardrail layer.
What types of content does it classify?
It evaluates text for categories of harmful content and policy violations. The specific categories are documented in the model's open-source materials.
Can I customize the safety criteria?
Open weights let teams inspect and adapt the classifier for organization-specific policies and safety requirements.
How do I integrate GPT OSS Safeguard 20B into my pipeline?
Deploy it as a filter layer that evaluates inputs before they reach your generation model and/or evaluates outputs before they reach users. Route requests through AI Gateway.
How does AI Gateway handle authentication for GPT OSS Safeguard 20B?
AI Gateway accepts a single API key or OIDC token for all requests. You don't embed OpenAI credentials in your application; AI Gateway routes and authenticates on your behalf.
What are typical latency characteristics?
This page shows live performance metrics measured across real AI Gateway traffic.