OpenAI Launches GPT-5: Its Smartest and Most Human AI Yet

OpenAI has officially launched GPT-5 — its most advanced and powerful artificial intelligence model to date — and it’s now available to everyone, including free users.

The company announced the release on Thursday, marking a major leap in AI performance, usability, and safety. According to OpenAI, GPT-5 is significantly more intelligent, faster, and helpful than previous versions, especially in fields like writing, coding, healthcare, and education.

With this update, OpenAI’s ChatGPT — already used by hundreds of millions worldwide — is about to feel more like a real thinking assistant than ever before.

A Major Leap in AI Performance

In live demos, GPT-5 demonstrated what OpenAI calls “vibe coding” — the ability to build fully functional apps from plain language prompts. For example, when asked to create a French-learning web app with quizzes, flashcards, and progress tracking, GPT-5 built two versions in seconds.

While the generated apps had a few rough edges, OpenAI said users can easily customize them further — a glimpse into how accessible software creation could become with this tech.

But GPT-5 isn’t just creative — it’s logical. Enterprise users like Box reported that GPT-5 can now handle long, complex documents with better memory, reasoning, and mathematical understanding. “A complete breakthrough,” said Box CEO Aaron Levie, adding that previous models failed many of the company’s more demanding logic tests.

Smarter, Safer, and More Human

OpenAI emphasized that GPT-5 comes with major safety improvements. The model was tested for over 5,000 hours and is designed to reduce hallucinations — a term used when AI invents facts. GPT-5 is also better at knowing when not to answer a question, avoiding speculation, and explaining its limitations clearly.

Rather than simply rejecting questions deemed risky, GPT-5 offers “safe completions” — high-level responses that respect safety boundaries but still provide useful information.

“It feels much more human,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “It’s like having a team of Ph.D.-level experts available 24/7.”

Available to Everyone, Including Free Users

In a surprise move, OpenAI is making GPT-5 available not just to paid subscribers, but to everyone, starting Thursday. This marks the first time that free-tier users will gain access to a full reasoning model — meaning an AI that actively “thinks” before responding.

If free users exceed their usage cap, they’ll still be able to access GPT-5 Mini, a lightweight version designed for efficiency.

Meanwhile, Plus users will get higher usage limits, and Pro users will enjoy full access to GPT-5 and GPT-5 Pro. Business and education platforms like ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu will receive the update within a week.

GPT-5 Expands Beyond ChatGPT

Microsoft, a key partner of OpenAI, confirmed that GPT-5 is rolling out across its product ecosystem as well — including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, and consumer tools. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted how far AI has come since GPT-4’s launch just two years ago.

In addition, OpenAI is releasing three versions of GPT-5 for developers via its API: GPT-5, GPT-5 Mini, and GPT-5 Nano. Each is tailored to different latency and cost needs, offering businesses new ways to integrate smarter AI into their tools.

OpenAI Eyes the Future

As GPT-5 rolls out globally, OpenAI says it’s on track to reach 700 million weekly active users on ChatGPT. The company is also in talks with investors about a possible stock sale that could value it at $500 billion, according to CNBC.

With GPT-5’s launch, OpenAI is not just releasing another model — it’s redefining what AI can do in everyday life, across every device and industry.