ChatGPT-5: release date, price, and what we know so far

In a recent conversation between the CEOs of Microsoft and OpenAI, it was revealed by Sam Altman that ChatGPT-5 is expected to receive significant updates to its speech, images, and eventually video capabilities.

On his “Unconfuse Me” podcast, Bill Gates, along with Altman, explored the future of artificial intelligence, including its improved reasoning ability and general reliability. “Multimodality will be important,” Altman said, hinting at a future where artificial intelligence (AI) can perform increasingly complex tasks and potentially reshape various sectors, including programming, healthcare, and education.

Anticipation is building for the next iteration of ChatGPT, known as GPT-5. This advanced large language model is seen as a crucial milestone on the path to achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), enabling machines to mimic human thought processes.

Here’s what to expect with the next version of GPT.

Will there be a ChatGPT-5 and what can it do?

As Altman has suggested, ChatGPT-5 is already in development as an updated version of its predecessor, GPT-4. The OpenAI CEO stated, “Right now, GPT-4 can reason only in extremely limited ways, and its reliability is also limited,” hence the aim is to improve its current functionality.

GPT, which stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” is a deep learning-based language model designed to produce text that resembles human writing. It boasts more natural language processing skills and finds widespread use across numerous applications.

On top of being dependable, Altman stipulated that “customizability and personalization will also be very important.

“People want very different things out of GPT-4; different styles, different sets of assumptions – we’ll make all that possible,” he added.

Altman highlighted that GPT-5’s ability to utilize personal data, including understanding emails, calendar details, appointment scheduling preferences, and integrating with external data sources, will be among the key advancements.

Multi-modal AI is designed to learn from and use a variety of content types such as images, audio, video, and numerical data. OpenAI has stated that GPT-4 is a multi-modal model, capable of processing both text and image inputs, although it is restricted to generating outputs in text form only, but GPT-5 would use more data to train on.

“We launched images and audio, and it had a much stronger response than we expected. We’ll be able to push that much further, but maybe the most important areas of progress will be around reasoning ability,” Altman told Gates on his podcast.

OpenAI has already indicated that it is working on a “supersmart” assistant to run a computer for its user. It is said to rival Microsoft and Google’s own AI workplace assistant but these programs are said to be in their infancy.

When will ChatGPT-5 be released?

However, Altman has not revealed a specific date for its release. He told the Financial Times in November that teams were working on the large language model, but did not state when this would be due.

Speaking at the World Governments Summit (WGS) in Dubai this week, Altman then reiterated that ChatGPT-5 is “going to be smarter.”

“It’s not like that this model is going to get a little bit better, it’s because we’re going to make them all smarter, it’s going to be better across the board,” he continued. He also spoke to Bloomberg, saying that he expected the company to “take its time” and make sure it can launch a product that they can feel “good about and responsible about.”

Despite the quick release of GPT-4 following ChatGPT, it underwent more than two years of training, development, and testing. Should GPT-5 follow a similar timeline, its arrival might be sometime in 2025. Nonetheless, this does not mean that we will not see any updates with GPT-4. OpenAI is expected to further develop GPT-4 and may even introduce an interim update, potentially labeled GPT-4.5, in the meantime.

Sam Altman addresses GPT-5 speculation during a recent Bloomberg interview:

“I don’t know what we’re going to call our next model…I don’t want to be like shipping iPhone 27…I expect us to take our time (developing)”#ChatGPT #ai #genai pic.twitter.com/BLMugmbhfp

— Equity Sesame (@EquitySesame) February 6, 2024

However, the impact of last year’s upheaval at OpenAI on the situation remains uncertain. On November 17th, Altman was removed from his position by the company’s board of directors. After five days of ambivalence, showcasing conflicting perspectives on AI’s future, Altman returned to lead the company, along with a newly formed board. Hence, this may have caused a delay to its initial training.

We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.

We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 22, 2023

Will ChatGPT-5 be free?

While there is a free version of ChatGPT, it is unclear whether ChatGPT-5 will require a subscription like its predecessor. The ChatGPT Plus subscription plan is $20 a month, providing subscribers with exclusive benefits including priority access during high-traffic periods, enhanced response times, the ability to use plugins, and exclusive access to GPT-4. Users also have access to its in-house AI image model DALL·E.

It’s also important to note that current language models are already expensive to train and maintain. This means that when GPT-5 is eventually released, access to it will likely require a subscription to ChatGPT Plus or Copilot Pro.

Ultimately, the launch of GPT-5 could lead to GPT-4 becoming more affordable and accessible. In the past, the high cost of GPT-4 has deterred a number of users. However, once it becomes cheaper and widely available, ChatGPT’s capability to handle complex tasks such as coding, translation, and research could significantly improve.

OpenAI has been approached for further comment.

Featured image: DALL·E / Canva

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