OpenAI has announced its long-awaited GPT-5 model. They say it’s a major improvement from earlier versions of their AI chat, which has recently gone viral. The new model is “smarter, faster, and more useful.” Co-founder and CEO Sam Altman says it heralds a new era for ChatGPT.
According to Altman, GPT-5 represents a leap in performance, providing expertise comparable to that of a PhD in various subjects, including coding and writing. This new version will eventually roll out to all users. This underscores OpenAI’s stated mission to ensure that cutting-edge AI innovation benefits all of humanity.
GPT-5 is coming out in a more competitive environment. AI Regulation Tech companies are in a mad dash to build the fastest, smartest, most sophisticated AI chatbots. Last week, Elon Musk was making the same boast about his AI chatbot, Grok, baked into X, the company formerly known as Twitter. Like all new technologies, AI is advancing quickly, and companies such as OpenAI are in a mad race to expand the limits of what can be done.
In related news, OpenAI this week drew considerable fire for a May update that left ChatGPT sounding dangerously “fawning.” Responding to the backlash, Altman said the company is working on fostering a more positive relationship between users and the chatbot. “AI can feel more responsive and personal than prior technologies, especially for vulnerable individuals experiencing mental or emotional distress,” stated OpenAI representatives.
Altman, known for his appreciation of the 2013 film “Her,” expressed his belief that GPT-5 marks a transformative moment in AI history. He noted, “I think having something like GPT-5 would be pretty much unimaginable at any previous time in human history.”
He touched on the progress that’s been made in the technology. He said that where earlier models were like conversing with high school or college kids, this GPT-5 was like something else. “GPT-5 is the first time that it really feels like talking to an expert in any topic, like a PhD-level expert,” he said.
Even with these remarkable developments, experts are already raising doubt over how meaningful a release of GPT-5 should really be. This issue was raised by Professor Carissa Véliz from the Institute for Ethics in AI, who spoke about how making these systems profitable is a huge concern. “These systems, as impressive as they are, haven’t been able to be really profitable,” she remarked. Véliz warned against the danger of creating unrealistic expectations about AI technology. “There is a fear that we need to keep up the hype, or else the bubble might burst, and so it might be that it’s mostly marketing.”
OpenAI simultaneously continues to develop GPT-5 in anticipation of its eventual public release. Now, we’ll see if it can live up to the lofty promises made by Altman and others. Only now over the next few days will we know whether GPT-5 actually lives up to its anticipated hype.
OpenAI is still committed to promoting the safe and responsible development of AI technologies. Earlier this year, Altman himself warned of potential dangers with such advanced AI systems. “This is not all going to be good. There will still be problems,” he warned. He acknowledged that users might develop problematic parasocial relationships with AI, urging society to establish new guardrails around these interactions. Even still, he is hopeful on the potential upsides, saying flatly, “The upsides will be tremendous.”