OpenAI launches GPT-5, promising faster, smarter chatbot interactions

OpenAI has officially unveiled GPT-5, its latest artificial intelligence model powering the popular ChatGPT platform, boasting sharper reasoning skills, improved accuracy, and faster response times. The upgrade, announced on Thursday, marks another significant step in the company’s push toward creating more advanced AI assistants, though executives caution it still falls short of the much-hyped goal of “artificial general intelligence” (AGI).

The release gives all ChatGPT users access to GPT-5, but with limits for those on the free tier. Paid subscribers will have more flexibility, and OpenAI’s $200-per-month “Pro” plan offers unlimited access to the new model. For free users, GPT-5 will be the default until their question quota is exhausted, after which ChatGPT reverts to an older system.

One of GPT-5’s standout features is its enhanced “reasoning” mode. The model can now break down complex queries step-by-step before delivering an answer, an approach OpenAI says leads to better accuracy in challenging tasks, particularly in mathematics and coding. While this “chain of thought” process might appear like a glimpse into the AI’s inner workings, experts note it’s a designed behavior rather than a literal thought process.

OpenAI demonstrated GPT-5’s programming prowess during its launch, showing how just two paragraphs of instruction were enough to build a functional French tutoring website complete with word games and daily vocabulary quizzes. CEO Sam Altman called the experience of using GPT-5 akin to “talking to a PhD-level expert,” and predicted the model could make “software on demand” a reality, allowing non-programmers to create sophisticated tools quickly.

Beyond coding, GPT-5 also promises improved factual reliability. It is less likely to “hallucinate” false information, a problem that has plagued AI chatbots since their inception. Nick Turley, who leads ChatGPT development, described the model as having “better taste” when generating text, producing responses that feel more natural and polished.

Despite the advancements, GPT-5 is not the “super intelligence” some in the tech world envision. AGI, an AI capable of matching or surpassing humans in all cognitive tasks remains an elusive, and often vaguely defined, milestone. “This is a significant step forward,” Altman said, “a significant fraction of the way to something very AGI-like.”

With over 700 million weekly users, ChatGPT remains a dominant force in the AI space. GPT-5’s debut solidifies OpenAI’s ambition to stay ahead in the global AI race while keeping the world watching for what comes next.