OpenAI released free ChatGPT-5 to all users, as announced in a media briefing. With nearly 700 million weekly users, the model is lauded for smarter, faster responses across coding, writing, healthcare, and more.
CEO Sam Altman described it as “clearly a model that is generally intelligent,” likening it to a “PhD-level expert” compared to GPT-3’s high schooler and GPT-4’s college student. Despite this, Altman noted it lacks continuous learning, a key trait for artificial general intelligence (AGI).
The launch intensifies the global AI race, with tech giants like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and xAI investing billions since ChatGPT’s 2022 debut. Chinese startup DeepSeek raised the stakes earlier this year with its affordable, high-performing model.
Sam Altman and the OpenAI team demonstrated the new GPT-5 Reasoning Model, which will be free for all ChatGPT users starting today. pic.twitter.com/kKTWJvfBMp
— CNET (@CNET) August 8, 2025Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, in an internal memo, hailed the dawn of a “new era” with superintelligence on the horizon. Altman emphasised ongoing investment in computing power, stating, “There are orders of magnitude more gains to come on the road to AGI.”
ChatGPT-5 excels in “vibe-coding,” enabling software creation through natural conversation, a hallmark of its era, per Altman. British AI expert Simon Willison, with early access, noted, “It’s just good at stuff… it rarely messes up.” OpenAI’s safety lead, Alex Beutel, highlighted its training to be honest and avoid harmful tasks, using “safe completions” to limit sensitive outputs. Additionally, OpenAI released two open-weight models to promote transparency, aligning with its nonprofit roots.
While ChatGPT-5 marks a significant step, it falls short of AGI due to its inability to learn continuously post-deployment. Elon Musk claimed on X that his Grok 4 Heavy outperforms it, fueling debate. The model’s rollout to 700 million users underscores its global impact, but achieving AGI requires further innovation. Industry experts see it reshaping work and daily life, though ethical and technical challenges remain.
