OpenAI Launches ChatGPT-5: What Makes It Special?

In a major leap forward for artificial intelligence, OpenAI launches ChatGPT-5, calling it a powerful and transformative upgrade to its popular AI tool. The rollout, which began Thursday, marks a milestone moment in the global AI race, with ChatGPT-5 now available free for all users.

Used by nearly 700 million people weekly, ChatGPT has long been at the centre of AI conversations, and this latest version is being described as a “PhD-level” virtual assistant that can code, converse, write, and reason with greater sophistication than ever before.

CEO Sam Altman described GPT-5 as “clearly a model that is generally intelligent,” but added that it does not yet meet the full criteria for artificial general intelligence (AGI). “There’s still more to do,” he admitted, highlighting that the new model does not learn from real-time interactions, a key capability for true AGI.

A smarter, safer, and more independent AI

ChatGPT-5 stands out most for its enhanced ability to act as a true agent, one that can independently carry out complex computer tasks. This includes features like “vibe-coding,” which allows users to create software simply by describing what they want. In a live demo, OpenAI engineers showcased GPT-5 building a French language learning app in real-time.

Michelle Pokrass, part of the model’s development team, highlighted the significant step up in accuracy and task execution. “This is more than just chat, it’s hands-on, autonomous capability,” she said.

In terms of safety, OpenAI has built extensive guardrails. Alex Beutel, from the safety research team, explained that GPT-5 has been designed to avoid deceptive or harmful responses, with in-built evaluations to promote honesty and restraint.

The launch follows OpenAI’s recent agreement with the U.S. government, offering ChatGPT Enterprise to federal agencies at $1 for a year. It also comes alongside the release of two open-source AI models, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, available for free download and modification.