OpenAI has unveiled its newest artificial intelligence model, GPT-5, during a livestreamed event on Thursday, positioning the release as a significant step forward in its effort to stay ahead of growing global competition in the AI race.
Described as a powerful tool for creative writing, advanced reasoning, and computer programming, GPT-5 marks a “major upgrade” over previous iterations. “For the first time,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, “it really feels like talking to an expert in any topic.”
OpenAI will make GPT-5 available to all free ChatGPT users and most paid subscribers immediately, while enterprise and education users will get access starting next week. Paid users will receive higher usage limits.
The company, which launched ChatGPT nearly three years ago using GPT-3.5, has since rapidly evolved its technology through several generational updates. Its current offerings include tools designed for reasoning, coding, and autonomous agent workflows.
Altman Admits Feeling ‘Useless’ Compared to GPT-5
The release of GPT-5 has been long anticipated, with expectations heightened by Altman’s previous statements. In April, he remarked that the model would be “much better” than initially expected. More recently, he reflected on its intellectual abilities compared to his own.
“I got emailed a question that I didn’t quite understand and I put it in the model — this is GPT-5 — and it answered it perfectly,” Altman said on a podcast. “I felt useless relative to the AI.”
According to Nick Turley, head of OpenAI’s ChatGPT team, the new model is not only faster in responding but also more accurate in handling user queries. “When you’re talking to this thing, it feels just a little bit more natural,” he said.
To personalize interactions, OpenAI has introduced four pre-set personalities in ChatGPT: Cynic, Robot, Listener, and Nerd. These modes are available as a research preview.
GPT-5 also has the ability to autonomously decide how deeply it should analyze a user’s question, without requiring manual user input to toggle between simple or complex processing modes. OpenAI believes this will optimize server resources and enhance user experience.
AI-Powered Coding Takes Center Stage
One of GPT-5’s standout features is its advanced programming capability, part of a broader trend known as “vibe coding.” Tech firms and startups are increasingly leveraging AI to build tools that assist developers in writing, testing, and debugging code more efficiently.
“This idea of software on demand will be a defining part of the new GPT-5 era,” said Altman.
In a live demo, an OpenAI researcher created a web-based French learning app in minutes. The prompt requested an interactive application with flashcards, quizzes, and a Snake-style game. GPT-5 delivered, generating both the UI and game logic on the spot.
Early testers included Anysphere, known for its AI coding assistant Cursor, and Lovable, a Swedish startup. Lovable’s co-founder and CEO Anton Osika said GPT-5 outperformed other AI models at generating production-ready apps, like a financial planner with a built-in chatbot. He noted that the code GPT-5 generates is easier to maintain and particularly effective at bug fixing.
OpenAI continues to face competition from major players including Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and xAI — the latter led by OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk. Meanwhile, Meta and Chinese AI firm DeepSeek are making notable strides in model development and talent acquisition.
To maintain its competitive edge, OpenAI — currently valued at $300 billion — has raised billions for infrastructure and staffing. It is reportedly in talks for a new employee stock sale valuing the company at $500 billion.
ChatGPT remains OpenAI’s central offering and has helped the company build a large user base, now reaching nearly 700 million weekly users and over 5 million business customers.
As part of efforts to expand institutional adoption, OpenAI announced it will offer ChatGPT access to U.S. federal agencies for just $1 per year. The company also released two open-source models earlier this week to compete with offerings from DeepSeek and Meta.
