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ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot

Timeline of the most recent ChatGPT updates

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise.

Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.

August 2025

OpenAI to strengthen ChatGPT safeguards after teen suicide lawsuit

xAI claims Apple’s App Store practices give OpenAI an unfair advantage

OpenAI targets India with cheaper monthly ChatGPT subscription

ChatGPT mobile app hits $2B in revenue, $2.91 earned per install

OpenAI keeps multiple GPT models despite GPT-5 launch

Sam Altman addresses GPT-5 glitches and “chart crime” during Reddit AMA

OpenAI unveils GPT-5, a smarter, task-ready ChatGPT

OpenAI offers ChatGPT Enterprise to federal agencies for just $1

OpenAI returns to open

ChatGPT nears 700M weekly users, quadruples growth in a year

July 2025

ChatGPT now has study mode

Altman warns that ChatGPT therapy isn’t confidential

ChatGPT hits 2.5B prompts daily

OpenAI launches a general-purpose agent in ChatGPT

Study warns of major risks with AI therapy chatbots

OpenAI delays releasing its open model again

OpenAI is reportedly releasing an AI browser in the coming weeks

ChatGPT is testing a mysterious new feature called “study together”

Referrals from ChatGPT to news sites are rising but not enough to offset search declines

June 2025

OpenAI uses Google’s AI chips to power its products

A new MIT study suggests that ChatGPT might be harming critical thinking skills

ChatGPT was downloaded 30 million times last month

The energy needed for an average ChatGPT query can power a lightbulb for a couple of minutes

OpenAI has launched o3-pro, an upgraded version of its o3 AI reasoning model

ChatGPT’s conversational voice mode has been upgraded

ChatGPT has added new features like meeting recording and connectors for Google Drive, Box, and more

May 2025

OpenAI CFO says hardware will drive ChatGPT’s growth

OpenAI’s ChatGPT unveils its AI coding agent, Codex

Sam Altman aims to make ChatGPT more personalized

OpenAI releases its GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 mini AI models in ChatGPT

ChatGPT deep research now connects with GitHub (in beta) to answer code-related questions

OpenAI launches a new data residency program in Asia

OpenAI to introduce a program to grow AI infrastructure

OpenAI promises to make changes to prevent future ChatGPT sycophancy

April 2025

OpenAI clarifies the reason ChatGPT became overly flattering and agreeable

OpenAI is working to fix a “bug” that let minors engage in inappropriate conversations

ChatGPT helps users

OpenAI wants its AI model to access cloud models for assistance

OpenAI aims to make its new “open” AI model the best on the market

OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 may be less aligned than earlier models

OpenAI’s o3 AI model scored lower than expected on a benchmark

OpenAI unveils Flex processing for cheaper, slower AI tasks

OpenAI’s latest AI models now have a safeguard against biorisks

OpenAI launches its latest reasoning models, o3 and o4-mini

OpenAI has added a new section to ChatGPT to offer easier access to AI-generated images for all user tiers

OpenAI could “adjust” its safeguards if rivals release “high-risk” AI

OpenAI is building its own social media network

OpenAI will remove its largest AI model, GPT-4.5, from the API, in July

OpenAI unveils GPT-4.1 AI models that focus on coding capabilities

OpenAI will discontinue ChatGPT’s GPT-4 at the end of April

OpenAI could release GPT-4.1 soon

OpenAI has updated ChatGPT to use information from your previous conversations

OpenAI is working on watermarks for images made with ChatGPT

OpenAI offers ChatGPT Plus for free to U.S., Canadian college students

ChatGPT users have generated over 700M images so far

OpenAI’s o3 model could cost more to run than initial estimate

OpenAI CEO says capacity issues will cause product delays

March 2025

OpenAI plans to release a new ‘open’ AI language model

OpenAI removes ChatGPT’s restrictions on

OpenAI adopts Anthropic’s standard for linking AI models with data

OpenAI’s viral Studio Ghibli-style images could raise AI copyright concerns

OpenAI expects revenue to triple to $12.7 billion this year

ChatGPT has upgraded its

OpenAI announces leadership updates

OpenAI’s AI voice assistant now has advanced feature

OpenAI, Meta in talks with Reliance in India

OpenAI faces privacy complaint in Europe for chatbot’s defamatory hallucinations

OpenAI upgrades its transcription and voice-generating AI models

OpenAI has launched o1-pro, a more powerful version of its o1

OpenAI research lead Noam Brown thinks AI “reasoning” models could’ve arrived decades ago

OpenAI says it has trained an AI that’s “really good” at creative writing

OpenAI launches new tools to help businesses build AI agents

OpenAI reportedly plans to charge up to $20,000 a month for specialized AI ‘agents’

ChatGPT can directly edit your code

ChatGPT’s weekly active users doubled in less than 6 months, thanks to new releases

February 2025

OpenAI cancels its o3 AI model in favor of a ‘unified’ next-gen release

ChatGPT may not be as power-hungry as once assumed

OpenAI now reveals more of its o3-mini model’s thought process

You can now use ChatGPT web search without logging in

OpenAI unveils a new ChatGPT agent for ‘deep research’

January 2025

OpenAI used a subreddit to test AI persuasion

OpenAI launches o3-mini, its latest ‘reasoning’ model

ChatGPT’s mobile users are 85% male, report says

OpenAI launches ChatGPT plan for US government agencies

More teens report using ChatGPT for schoolwork, despite the tech’s faults

OpenAI says it may store deleted Operator data for up to 90 days

OpenAI launches Operator, an AI agent that performs tasks autonomously

OpenAI may preview its agent tool for users on the $200-per-month Pro plan

OpenAI tests phone number-only ChatGPT signups

ChatGPT now lets you schedule reminders and recurring tasks

New ChatGPT feature lets users assign it traits like ‘chatty’ and ‘Gen Z’

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ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot Kyle Wiggers Cody Corrall Alyssa Stringer Kate Park AM PDT · August 29, 2025 ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world

2024 was a big year for OpenAI, from its partnership with Apple for its generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, the release of GPT-4o with voice capabilities, and the highly-anticipated launch of its text-to-video model Sora.

OpenAI also faced its share of internal drama, including the notable exits of high-level execs like co-founder and longtime chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati. OpenAI has also been hit with lawsuits from Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers alleging copyright infringement, as well as an injunction from Elon Musk to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit.

In 2025, OpenAI is battling the perception that it’s ceding ground in the AI race to Chinese rivals like DeepSeek. The company has been trying to shore up its relationship with Washington as it simultaneously pursues an ambitious data center project, and as it reportedly lays the groundwork for one of the largest funding rounds in history.

Below, you’ll find a timeline of ChatGPT product updates and releases, starting with the latest, which we’ve been updating throughout the year. If you have any other questions, check out our ChatGPT FAQ here.

To see a list of 2024 updates, go here.

Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025 REGISTER NOW August 2025 OpenAI to strengthen ChatGPT safeguards after teen suicide lawsuit OpenAI, facing a lawsuit from the parents of a 16-year-old who died

Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against Apple and OpenAI, alleging that the two companies colluded to lock up key markets and shut out rivals.

OpenAI introduced its most affordable subscription plan, ChatGPT Go, in India, priced at 399 rupees per month (approximately $4.57). This move aims to expand OpenAI’s presence in its second-largest market, offering enhanced access to the latest GPT-5 model and additional features.

Since its May 2023 launch, ChatGPT’s mobile app has amassed $2 billion in global consumer spending, dwarfing competitors like Claude, Copilot, and Grok

Despite unveiling GPT-5 as a “one-size-fits-all” AI, OpenAI is still offering several legacy AI options, including GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, and o3. Users can choose between new “Auto,” “Fast,” and “Thinking” modes for GPT-5, and paid subscribers regain access to legacy models like GPT-4o and GPT-4.1.

Updates to ChatGPT:You can now choose between “Auto”, “Fast”, and “Thinking” for GPT-5. Most users will want Auto, but the additional control will be useful for some people.Rate limits are now 3,000 messages/week with GPT-5 Thinking, and then extra capacity on GPT-5 Thinking…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told Reddit users that GPT-5’s “dumber” behavior at launch was due to a router issue and promised fixes, double rate limits for Plus users, and transparency on which model is answering, while also shrugging off the infamous “chart crime” from the live presentation.

OpenAI released GPT-5, a next-gen AI that’s not just smarter but more useful — able to handle tasks like coding apps, managing calendars, and creating research briefs — while automatically figuring out the fastest or most thoughtful way to answer your questions.

OpenAI is making a major push into federal government workflows, offering ChatGPT Enterprise to agencies for just $1 for the next year. The move comes after the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) added OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to its approved AI vendor list, allowing agencies to access these tools through preset contracts without negotiating pricing.

OpenAI unveiled its first open

ChatGPT’s rapid growth is accelerating. OpenAI said the chatbot was on track to hit 700 million weekly active users in the first week of August, up from 500 million at the end of March. Nick Turley, OpenAI’s VP and head of the ChatGPT app, highlighted the app’s growth on X, noting it has quadrupled in size over the past year.

This week, ChatGPT is on track to reach 700M weekly active users — up from 500M at the end of March and 4× since last year. Every day, people and teams are learning, creating, and solving harder problems. Big week ahead. Grateful to the team for making ChatGPT more useful and…

OpenAI unveiled Study Mode, a new ChatGPT feature designed to promote critical thinking

ChatGPT users should be cautious when seeking emotional support from AI, as the AI industry lacks safeguards for sensitive conversations, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on a recent episode of This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von. Unlike human therapists, AI tools aren’t bound

ChatGPT now receives 2.5 billion prompts daily from users worldwide, including roughly 330 million from the U.S. That’s more than double the volume reported

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Agent, which completes a wide variety of computer-based tasks on behalf of users and combines several capabilities like Operator and Deep Research, according to the company. OpenAI says the agent can automatically navigate a user’s calendar, draft editable presentations and slideshows, run code, shop online, and handle complex workflows from end to end, all within a secure virtual environment.

Researchers at Stanford University have observed that therapy chatbots powered

CEO Sam Altman said that the company is delaying the release of its open model, which had already been postponed

we planned to launch our open-weight model next week.we are delaying it; we need time to run additional safety tests and review high-risk areas. we are not yet sure how long it will take us.while we trust the community will build great things with this model, once weights are…

OpenAI plans to release an AI-powered web browser to challenge Alphabet’s Google Chrome. It will keep some user interactions within ChatGPT, rather than directing people to external websites.

Some ChatGPT users have noticed a new feature called “Study Together” appearing in their list of available tools. This is the chatbot’s approach to becoming a more effective educational tool, rather than simply providing answers to prompts. Some people also wonder whether there will be a feature that allows multiple users to join the chat, similar to a study group.

Referrals from ChatGPT to news publishers are increasing. But this rise is insufficient to offset the decline in clicks as more users now obtain their news directly from AI or AI-powered search results, according to a report

OpenAI has started using Google’s AI chips to power ChatGPT and other products, as reported

Researchers from MIT’s Media Lab monitored the brain activity of

The ChatGPT app for iOS was downloaded 29.6 million times in the last 28 days, while TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X were downloaded a total of 32.9 million times during the same period, representing a difference of about 10.6%, according to ZDNET report citing Similarweb’s X post.

Sam Altman said that the average ChatGPT query uses about one-fifteenth of a teaspoon of water, equivalent to 0.000083 gallons of water, or the energy required to power a lightbulb for a few minutes, per Business Insider. In addition to that, the chatbot requires 0.34 watt-hours of electricity to operate.

OpenAI has unveiled o3-pro, an enhanced version of its o3, a reasoning model that the chatGPT maker launched earlier this year. O3-pro is available for ChatGPT and Team users and in the API, while Enterprise and Edu users will get access in the third week of June.

OpenAI o3-pro is available in the model picker for Pro and Team users starting today, replacing OpenAI o1-pro.Enterprise and Edu users will get access the week after.As o3-pro uses the same underlying model as o3, full safety details can be found in the o3 system card.…

OpenAI upgraded ChatGPT’s conversational voice mood for all paid users across different markets and platforms. The startup has launched an update to Advanced Voice that enables users to converse with ChatGPT out loud in a more natural and fluid sound. The feature also helps users translate languages more easily, the comapny said.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT now offers new funtions for business users, including integrations with various cloud services, meeting recordings, and MCP connection support for connecting to tools for in-depth research. The feature enables ChatGPT to retrieve information across users’ own services to answer their questions. For instance, an analyst could use the company’s slide deck and documents to develop an investment thesis.

OpenAI plans to purchase Jony Ive’s devices startup io for $6.4 billion. Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, thinks that the hardware will significantly enhance ChatGPT and broaden OpenAI’s reach to a larger audience in the future.

OpenAI has introduced its AI coding agent, Codex, powered

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, said during a recent AI event hosted

OpenAI said in a post on X that it has launched its GPT-4.1 and GPT4.1 mini AI models in ChagGPT.

OpenAI has launched a new feature for ChatGPT deep research to analyze code repositories on GitHub. The ChatGPT deep research feature is in beta and lets developers connect with GitHub to ask questions about codebases and engineering documents. The connector will soon be available for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users, with support for Enterprise and Education coming shortly, per an OpenAI spokesperson.

After introducing a data residency program in Europe in February, OpenAI has now launched a similar program in Asian countries including India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. The new program will be accessible to users of ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and API. It will help organizations in Asia meet their local data sovereignty requirements when using OpenAI’s products.

OpenAI is unveiling a program called OpenAI for Countries, which aims to develop the necessary local infrastructure to serve international AI clients better. The AI startup will work with governments to assist with increasing data center capacity and customizing OpenAI’s products to meet specific language and local needs. OpenAI for Countries is part of efforts to support the company’s expansion of its AI data center Project Stargate to new locations outside the U.S., per Bloomberg.

OpenAI has announced its plan to make changes to its procedures for updating the AI models that power ChatGPT, following an update that caused the platform to become overly sycophantic for many users.

OpenAI has released a post on the recent sycophancy issues with the default AI model powering ChatGPT, GPT-4o, leading the company to revert an update to the model released last week. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the issue on Sunday and confirmed two days later that the GPT-4o update was being rolled back. OpenAI is working on “additional fixes” to the model’s personality. Over the weekend, users on social media criticized the new model for making ChatGPT too validating and agreeable. It became a popular meme fast.

An issue within OpenAI’s ChatGPT enabled the chatbot to create graphic erotic content for accounts registered

OpenAI has added a few features to its ChatGPT search, its web search tool in ChatGPT, to give users an improved online shopping experience. The company says people can ask super-specific questions using natural language and receive customized results. The chatbot provides recommendations, images, and reviews of products in various categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics.

OpenAI leaders have been talking about allowing the open model to link up with OpenAI’s cloud-hosted models to improve its ability to respond to intricate questions, two

OpenAI is preparing to launch an AI system that will be openly accessible, allowing users to download it for free without any API restrictions. Aidan Clark, OpenAI’s VP of research, is spearheading the development of the open model, which is in the very early stages,

OpenAI released a new AI model called GPT-4.1 in mid-April. However, multiple independent tests indicate that the model is less reliable than previous OpenAI releases. The company skipped that step — sending safety cards for GPT-4.1 — claiming in a statement to TechCrunch that “GPT-4.1 is not a frontier model, so there won’t be a separate system card released for it.”

Questions have been raised regarding OpenAI’s transparency and procedures for testing models after a difference in benchmark outcomes was detected

OpenAI has launched a new API feature called Flex processing that allows users to use AI models at a lower cost but with slower response times and occasional re

OpenAI has rolled out a new system to monitor its AI reasoning models, o3 and o4 mini, for biological and chemical threats. The system is designed to prevent models from giving advice that could potentially lead to harmful attacks, as stated in OpenAI’s safety report.

OpenAI has released two new reasoning models, o3 and o4 mini, just two days after launching GPT-4.1. The company claims o3 is the most advanced reasoning model it has developed, while o4-mini is said to provide a balance of price, speed, and performance. The new models stand out from previous reasoning models because they can use ChatGPT features like web browsing, coding, and

Open AI introduced a new section called “library” to make it easier for users to create images on mobile and web platforms, per the company’s X post.

All of your

OpenAI said on Tuesday that it might revise its safety standards if “another frontier AI developer releases a high-risk system without comparable safeguards.” The move shows how commercial AI developers face more pressure to rapidly implement models due to the increased competition.

OpenAI is currently in the early stages of developing its own social media platform to compete with Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram and Threads, according to The Verge. It is unclear whether OpenAI intends to launch the social network as a standalone application or incorporate it into ChatGPT.

OpenAI will discontinue its largest AI model, GPT-4.5, from its API even though it was just launched in late February. GPT-4.5 will be available in a research preview for paying customers. Developers can use GPT-4.5 through OpenAI’s API until July 14; then, they will need to switch to GPT-4.1, which was released on April 14.

OpenAI has launched three members of the GPT-4.1 model — GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano — with a specific focus on coding capabilities. It’s accessible via the OpenAI API but not ChatGPT. In the competition to develop advanced programming models, GPT-4.1 will rival AI models such as Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro, Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and DeepSeek’s upgraded V3.

OpenAI plans to sunset GPT-4, an AI model introduced more than two years ago, and replace it with GPT-4o, the current default model, per changelog. It will take effect on April 30. GPT-4 will remain available via OpenAI’s API.

OpenAI may launch several new AI models, including GPT-4.1, soon, The Verge reported, citing anonymous

OpenAI started updating ChatGPT to enable the chatbot to remember previous conversations with a user and customize its responses based on that context. This feature is rolling out to ChatGPT Pro and Plus users first, excluding those in the U.K., EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

It looks like OpenAI is working on a watermarking feature for images generated using GPT-4o. AI researcher Tibor Blaho spotted a new “ImageGen” watermark feature in the new beta of ChatGPT’s Android app. Blaho also found mentions of other tools: “Structured Thoughts,” “Reasoning Recap,” “CoT Search Tool,” and “l1239dk1.”

OpenAI is offering its $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus subscription tier for free to all college students in the U.S. and Canada through the end of May. The offer will let millions of students use OpenAI’s premium service, which offers access to the company’s GPT-4o model,

More than 130 million users have created over 700 million images since ChatGPT got the upgraded

The Arc Prize Foundation, which develops the AI benchmark tool ARC-AGI, has updated the estimated computing costs for OpenAI’s o3 “reasoning” model managed

In a series of posts on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company’s new

OpeanAI intends to release its “first” open language model since GPT-2 “in the coming months.” The company plans to host developer events to gather feedback and eventually showcase prototypes of the model. The first developer event is to be held in San Francisco, with sessions to follow in Europe and Asia.

OpenAI made a notable change to its content moderation policies after the success of its new

OpenAI wants to incorporate Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) into all of its products, including the ChatGPT desktop app. MCP, an open-

The latest update of the

OpenAI expects its revenue to triple to $12.7 billion in 2025, fueled

OpenAI on Tuesday rolled out a major upgrade to ChatGPT’s

Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer, will lead the company’s global expansion and manage corporate partnerships as CEO Sam Altman shifts his focus to research and products, according to a blog post from OpenAI. Lightcap, who previously worked with Altman at Y Combinator, joined the Microsoft-backed startup in 2018. OpenAI also said Mark Chen would step into the expanded role of chief research officer, and Julia Villagra will take on the role of chief people officer.

OpenAI has updated its AI voice assistant with improved chatting capabilities, according to a video posted on Monday (March 24) to the company’s official media channels. The update enables real-time conversations, and the AI assistant is said to be more personable and interrupts users less often. Users on ChatGPT’s free tier can now access the new version of Advanced Voice Mode, while paying users will receive answers that are “more direct, engaging, concise, specific, and creative,” a spokesperson from OpenAI told TechCrunch.

OpenAI and Meta have separately engaged in discussions with Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries regarding potential collaborations to enhance their AI services in the country, per a report

Noyb, a privacy rights advocacy group, is supporting an individual in Norway who was shocked to discover that ChatGPT was providing false information about him, stating that he had been found guilty of killing two of his children and trying to harm the third. “The GDPR is clear. Personal data has to be accurate,” said Joakim Söderberg, data protection lawyer at Noyb, in a statement. “If it’s not, users have the right to have it changed to reflect the truth. Showing ChatGPT users a tiny disclaimer that the chatbot can make mistakes clearly isn’t enough. You can’t just spread false information and in the end add a small disclaimer saying that everything you said may just not be true.”

OpenAI has added new transcription and voice-generating AI models to its APIs: a text-to-speech model, “gpt-4o-mini-tts,” that delivers more nuanced and realistic sounding speech, as well as two speech-to-text models called “gpt-4o-transcribe” and “gpt-4o-mini-transcribe”. The company claims they are improved versions of what was already there and that they hallucinate less.

OpenAI has introduced o1-pro in its developer API. OpenAI says its o1-pro uses more computing than its o1 “reasoning” AI model to deliver “consistently better responses.” It’s only accessible to select developers who have spent at least $5 on OpenAI API services. OpenAI charges $150 for every million tokens (about 750,000 words) input into the model and $600 for every million tokens the model produces. It costs twice as much as OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 for input and 10 times the price of regular o1.

Noam Brown, who heads AI reasoning research at OpenAI, thinks that certain types of AI models for “reasoning” could have been developed 20 years ago if researchers had understood the correct approach and algorithms.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, in a post on X, that the company has trained a “new model” that’s “really good” at creative writing. He posted a lengthy sample from the model given the prompt “Please write a metafictional literary short story about AI and grief.” OpenAI has not extensively explored the use of AI for writing fiction. The company has mostly concentrated on challenges in rigid, predictable areas such as math and programming. And it turns out that it might not be that great at creative writing at all.

we trained a new model that is good at creative writing (not sure yet how/when it will get released). this is the first time i have been really struck

OpenAI rolled out new tools designed to help developers and businesses build AI agents — automated systems that can independently accomplish tasks — using the company’s own AI models and frameworks. The tools are part of OpenAI’s new Responses API, which enables enterprises to develop customized AI agents that can perform web searches, scan through company files, and navigate websites, similar to OpenAI’s Operator product. The Responses API effectively replaces OpenAI’s Assistants API, which the company plans to discontinue in the first half of 2026.

OpenAI intends to release several “agent” products tailored for different applications, including sorting and ranking sales leads and software engineering, according to a report from The Information. One, a “high-income knowledge worker” agent, will reportedly be priced at $2,000 a month. Another, a software developer agent, is said to cost $10,000 a month. The most expensive rumored agents, which are said to be aimed at supporting “PhD-level research,” are expected to cost $20,000 per month. The jaw-dropping figure is indicative of how much cash OpenAI needs right now: The company lost roughly $5 billion last year after paying for costs related to running its services and other expenses. It’s unclear when these agentic tools might launch or which customers will be eligible to buy them.

The latest version of the macOS ChatGPT app allows users to edit code directly in supported developer tools, including Xcode, VS Code, and JetBrains. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers can use the feature now, and the company plans to roll it out to more users like Enterprise, Edu, and free users.

According to a new report from VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), OpenAI’s AI chatbot, ChatGPT, experienced solid growth in the second half of 2024. It took ChatGPT nine months to increase its weekly active users from 100 million in November 2023 to 200 million in August 2024, but it only took less than six months to double that number once more, according to the report. ChatGPT’s weekly active users increased to 300 million

OpenAI has effectively canceled the release of o3 in favor of what CEO Sam Altman is calling a “simplified” product offering. In a post on X, Altman said that, in the coming months, OpenAI will release a model called GPT-5 that “integrates a lot of [OpenAI’s] technology,” including o3, in ChatGPT and its API. As a result of that roadmap decision, OpenAI no longer plans to release o3 as a standalone model. 

A commonly cited stat is that ChatGPT requires around 3 watt-hours of power to answer a single question. Using OpenAI’s latest default model for ChatGPT, GPT-4o, as a reference, nonprofit AI research institute Epoch AI found the average ChatGPT query consumes around 0.3 watt-hours. However, the analysis doesn’t consider the additional energy costs incurred

In response to pressure from rivals like DeepSeek, OpenAI is changing the way its o3-mini model communicates its step-

OpenAI is now allowing anyone to use ChatGPT web search without having to log in. While OpenAI had previously allowed users to ask ChatGPT questions without signing in, responses were restricted to the chatbot’s last training update. This only applies through ChatGPT.com, however. To use ChatGPT in any form through the native mobile app, you will still need to be logged in.

OpenAI announced a new AI “agent” called deep research that’s designed to help people conduct in-depth, complex research using ChatGPT. OpenAI says the “agent” is intended for instances where you don’t just want a quick answer or summary, but instead need to assiduously consider information from multiple websites and other

OpenAI used the subreddit r/ChangeMyView to measure the persuasive abilities of its AI reasoning models. OpenAI says it collects user posts from the subreddit and asks its AI models to write replies, in a closed environment, that would change the Reddit user’s mind on a subject. The company then shows the responses to testers, who assess how persuasive the argument is, and finally OpenAI compares the AI models’ responses to human replies for that same post. 

OpenAI launched a new AI “reasoning” model, o3-mini, the newest in the company’s o family of models. OpenAI first previewed the model in December alongside a more capable system called o3. OpenAI is pitching its new model as both “powerful” and “affordable.”

A new report from app analytics firm Appfigures found that over half of ChatGPT’s mobile users are under age 25, with users between ages 50 and 64 making up the second largest age demographic. The gender gap among ChatGPT users is even more significant. Appfigures estimates that across age groups, men make up 84.5% of all users.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Gov designed to provide U.S. government agencies an additional way to access the tech. ChatGPT Gov includes many of the capabilities found in OpenAI’s corporate-focused tier, ChatGPT Enterprise. OpenAI says that ChatGPT Gov enables agencies to more easily manage their own security, privacy, and compliance, and could expedite internal

Younger Gen Zers are embracing ChatGPT, for schoolwork, according to a new survey

OpenAI says that it might store chats and associated screenshots from customers who use Operator, the company’s AI “agent” tool, for up to 90 days — even after a user manually deletes them. While OpenAI has a similar deleted data retention policy for ChatGPT, the retention period for ChatGPT is only 30 days, which is 60 days shorter than Operator’s.

OpenAI is launching a research preview of Operator, a general-purpose AI agent that can take control of a web browser and independently perform certain actions. Operator promises to automate tasks such as booking travel accommodations, making restaurant reservations, and shopping online.

Operator, OpenAI’s agent tool, could be released sooner rather than later. Changes to ChatGPT’s code base suggest that Operator will be available as an early research preview to users on the $200 Pro subscription plan. The changes aren’t yet publicly visible, but a user on X who goes

OpenAI has begun testing a feature that lets new ChatGPT users sign up with only a phone number — no email required. The feature is currently in beta in the U.S. and India. However, users who create an account using their number can’t upgrade to one of OpenAI’s paid plans without verifying their account via an email. Multi-factor authentication also isn’t supported without a valid email.

ChatGPT’s new beta feature, called tasks, allows users to set simple reminders. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to remind you when your passport expires in six months, and the AI assistant will follow up with a push notification on whatever platform you have tasks enabled. The feature will start rolling out to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users around the globe this week.

OpenAI is introducing a new way for users to customize their interactions with ChatGPT. Some users found they can specify a preferred name or nickname and “traits” they’d like the chatbot to have. OpenAI suggests traits like “Chatty,” “Encouraging,” and “Gen Z.” However, some users reported that the new options have disappeared, so it’s possible they went live prematurely.

ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed

November 30, 2022 is when ChatGPT was released for public use.

Both the free version of ChatGPT and the paid ChatGPT Plus are regularly updated with new GPT models. The most recent model is GPT-4o.

There is a free version of ChatGPT that only requires a sign-in in addition to the paid version, ChatGPT Plus.

Anyone can use ChatGPT! More and more tech companies and search engines are utilizing the chatbot to automate text or quickly answer user questions/concerns.

Multiple enterprises utilize ChatGPT, although others may limit the use of the AI-powered tool.

Most recently, Microsoft announced at its 2023 Build conference that it is integrating its ChatGPT-based Bing experience into Windows 11. A Brooklyn-based 3D display startup Looking Glass utilizes ChatGPT to produce holograms you can communicate with

GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.

A chatbot can be any software/system that holds dialogue with you/a person but doesn’t necessarily have to be AI-powered. For example, there are chatbots that are rules-based in the sense that they’ll give canned responses to questions.

ChatGPT is AI-powered and utilizes LLM technology to generate text after a prompt.

Yes.

Due to the nature of how these models work, they don’t know or care whether something is true, only that it looks true. That’s a problem when you’re using it to do your homework, sure, but when it accuses you of a crime you didn’t commit, that may well at this point be libel.

We will see how handling troubling statements produced

Yes, there is a free ChatGPT mobile app for iOS and Android users.

It’s not documented anywhere that ChatGPT has a character limit. However, users have noted that there are some character limitations after around 500 words.

Yes, it was released March 1, 2023.

Everyday examples include programming, scripts, email replies, listicles, blog ideas, summarization, etc.

Advanced use examples include debugging code, programming languages, scientific concepts, complex problem solving, etc.

It depends on the nature of the program. While ChatGPT can write workable Python code, it can’t necessarily program an entire app’s worth of code. That’s because ChatGPT lacks context awareness — in other words, the generated code isn’t always appropriate for the specific context in which it’s being used.

Yes. OpenAI allows users to save chats in the ChatGPT interface, stored in the sidebar of the screen. There are no built-in sharing features yet.

Yes. There are multiple AI-powered chatbot competitors such as Together, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, and developers are creating open

OpenAI has said that individuals in “certain jurisdictions” (such as the EU) can object to the processing of their personal information

The web form for making a deletion of data about you request is entitled “OpenAI Personal Data Removal Request”.

In its privacy policy, the ChatGPT maker makes a passing acknowledgement of the objection requirements attached to relying on “legitimate interest” (LI), pointing users towards more information about requesting an opt out — when it writes: “See here for instructions on how you can opt out of our use of your information to train our models.”

Recently, Discord announced that it had integrated OpenAI’s technology into its bot named Clyde where two users tricked Clyde into providing them with instructions for making the illegal drug methamphetamine (meth) and the incendiary mixture napalm.

An Australian mayor has publicly announced he may sue OpenAI for defamation due to ChatGPT’s false claims that he had served time in prison for bribery. This would be the first defamation lawsuit against the text-generating service.

CNET found itself in the midst of controversy after Futurism reported the publication was publishing articles under a mysterious

Several major school systems and colleges, including New York City Public Schools, have banned ChatGPT from their networks and devices. They claim that the AI impedes the learning process

There have also been cases of ChatGPT accusing individuals of false crimes.

Several marketplaces host and provide ChatGPT prompts, either for free or for a nominal fee. One is PromptBase. Another is ChatX. More launch every day.

Poorly. Several tools claim to detect ChatGPT-generated text, but in our tests, they’re inconsistent at best.

No. But OpenAI recently disclosed a bug, since fixed, that exposed the titles of some users’ conversations to other people on the service.

None specifically targeting ChatGPT. But OpenAI is involved in at least one lawsuit that has implications for AI systems trained on publicly available data, which would touch on ChatGPT.

Yes. Text-generating AI models like ChatGPT have a tendency to regurgitate content from their training data.

This story is continually updated with new information.

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Kyle Wiggers AI Editor

Cody Corrall Cody Corrall was the Audience Development Producer at TechCrunch until March 2025. They also previously ran social media accounts for BuzzFeed News and WTTW’s daily flagship program on PBS, “Chicago Tonight.” When they’re not tweeting, Cody, based out of Chicago, can be found yelling about vampires on the Into the Twilight podcast. View Bio Alyssa Stringer Audience Development Manager

Alyssa Stringer was formerly the Audience Development Manager for TechCrunch. She previously worked for HW Media as Audience Development Manager across HousingWire, RealTrends and FinLedger media brands. Prior to her experience in audience development, Alyssa worked as a content View Bio Kate Park

Kate Park is a

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