OpenAI has launched ChatGPT-5, its most advanced AI model yet, and made it available to all users for free. The release comes as competition intensifies in the global race to lead artificial intelligence. The new model delivers smarter, faster responses and offers a broad range of skills. Millions now use it every week.
OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, called the upgrade a major leap forward. “It feels like talking to a real expert,” he said, describing ChatGPT-5 as “clearly a model that is generally intelligent.” While it does not think like a human yet, Altman believes it is a step closer.
The AI now serves nearly 700 million users weekly. Altman noted that progress toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) still needs more breakthroughs. “This is not a model that continuously learns from new information it encounters during use, which, to me, feels like it should be part of AGI,” he explained. “But the level of capability here is a huge improvement.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a recent internal memo, wrote: “As the pace of AI progress accelerates, developing superintelligence is coming into sight. I believe this will be the beginning of a new era for humanity.”
Major tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Elon Musk’s xAI, have invested billions in AI since ChatGPT’s first release in 2022. Chinese start-up DeepSeek also gained attention earlier this year with a powerful, cost-efficient AI model.
Altman compared earlier versions: “GPT-3 felt like talking to a secondary school student… GPT-4 was more like a university student. GPT-5 is the first time it really feels like you’re chatting with a PhD-level expert on any topic.” He predicted that “vibe-coding,” or creating software through conversation, would define this new era.
British AI expert Simon Willison, who tested the model early, said: “It doesn’t feel like a dramatic leap forward, but it rarely messes up, and often impresses.” Musk countered on X, claiming his Grok 4 Heavy is “smarter” than ChatGPT-5.
OpenAI’s safety research lead, Alex Beutel, said the team trained the model to be honest and avoid harmful outputs. The company also released two open-weight models this week for free download and customisation, aiming to boost transparency and challenge rivals.
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