One of the leading artificial intelligence tools is about to release a new version, known as GPT-5. As OpenAI finalizes development of its most advanced model to date, attention is turning to the new system’s capabilities and how it will fit into the broader evolution of generative AI. Although a release date has not yet been confirmed, the launch is already generating excitement among the tool’s users.
GPT-5: expectations, improvements and limitations
OpenAI’s GPT-5, the latest installment of the AI technology that powered the ChatGPT juggernaut in 2022, is set for an imminent release, and users will scrutinize if the step up from GPT-4 is on par with the research lab’s previous improvements.
Two early testers of the new model told Reuters they have been impressed with its ability to code and solve science and math problems, but they believe the leap from GPT-4 to GPT-5 is not as large as the one from GPT-3 to GPT-4. The testers, who have signed non-disclosure agreements, declined to be named for this story.
Scaling challenges and the limits of data availability
Rather than pursuing just raw scale, the company appears focused on refinements and task specialization. This may explain why early impressions of GPT-5 highlight improvements in reasoning and domain-specific accuracy, rather than a major overall leap. In this new phase, the emphasis appears to be less on size and more on the efficiency with which the model applies its knowledge.
GPT-4’s leap was based on more compute power and data, and the company was hoping that “scaling up” in a similar way would consistently lead to improved AI models. But OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft MSFT.O and is currently valued at $300 billion, ran into issues scaling up. One problem was the data wall the company ran into, and OpenAI’s former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever said last year that while processing power was growing, the amount of data was not.
Anticipation builds as release nears
OpenAI has not said when GPT-5 will be released, but the industry expects it to be any day now, according to media reports. Boris Power, head of Applied Research at OpenAI, said in an X post on Monday: “Excited to see how the public receives GPT-5.”
“OpenAI made such a great leap from GPT-3 to GPT-4, that ever since then, there has been an enormous amount of anticipation over GPT-5,” said Navin Chaddha, managing partner at venture capital fund Mayfield, who invests in AI companies but is not an OpenAI investor. “The hope is that GPT-5 will unlock AI applications that move beyond chat into fully autonomous task execution.”
According to recent updates, the company is preparing to simplify its product offering by consolidating features and subscriptions under the ChatGPT banner. This change would simplify user access to tools like GPTs, memory, and code interpreters.
From novelty to infrastructure: GPT’s growing role
Nearly three years ago, ChatGPT introduced the world to generative AI, dazzling users with its ability to write humanlike prose and poetry, quickly becoming one of the fastest growing apps ever. In March 2023, OpenAI followed up ChatGPT with the release of GPT-4, a large language model that made huge leaps forward in intelligence. GPT-4 then became the model to beat and the world came to terms with the fact that AI models could outperform humans in many tasks.
With growing competition and the emergence of rival AI tools, staying attuned to market needs and expectations has become essential to maintaining leadership. With the imminent release of GPT-5, OpenAI aims to reinforce its position as a pioneer in generative AI by delivering broader usability improvements and enhanced autonomous capabilities.
GCN.com/Reuters