SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI has announced the launch of GPT-5, the newest and most advanced version of its ChatGPT platform, signaling a major leap forward in artificial intelligence capabilities amid intensifying global competition.
Now available at no cost to all ChatGPT users — a base that sees nearly 700 million active participants each week — GPT-5 is described by OpenAI leadership as the closest the company has come to building a model that approaches human-level general intelligence.
Chief Executive Sam Altman characterized the update as a “substantial advancement” over its predecessors, noting that while GPT-5 is not a self-learning system, its capacity to act autonomously and handle complex tasks has grown dramatically. “We’re still far from true AGI,” he remarked, “but the scale of improvement here is undeniable.”
One of the defining upgrades in GPT-5 is its capability to function as an independent digital “agent,” able to execute multi-step computer operations without direct oversight. OpenAI says this shift will expand the tool’s utility well beyond text generation, particularly in areas like coding, data analysis, and professional research.
Altman likened the evolution of ChatGPT to an academic progression: GPT-3 resembled a high school student, GPT-4 felt like a university graduate, and GPT-5 now delivers expertise akin to a PhD-level authority across virtually any field.
The update also introduces what OpenAI calls “vibe coding” — the ability to produce functional, tailored software applications from a single user request. In one demonstration, GPT-5 built a complete French-language learning app in moments, without any traditional programming input from the user.
With rival firms such as Google and Microsoft pouring billions into AI development, OpenAI’s leadership maintains that GPT-5 currently sets the benchmark in disciplines including software engineering, content creation, and healthcare applications. However, Altman emphasized that even greater breakthroughs lie ahead — provided the company continues investing heavily in computational infrastructure.
On the safety front, OpenAI’s research division says GPT-5 has been trained with stricter safeguards to minimize misleading or harmful outputs. New evaluation systems were implemented to reduce the risk of deception, and the model is calibrated to deliver high-value responses without enabling dangerous activities.
The launch follows a separate announcement granting the U.S. government’s executive branch free access to ChatGPT Enterprise for one year under a new partnership, as well as the release of two “open-weight” AI models — gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b — that developers worldwide can download and customize.
OpenAI’s latest moves position the company at the forefront of the AI arms race, balancing rapid innovation with mounting calls for transparency and responsible deployment.
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