GPT-5 launches with ‘PhD-level performance’
Industry leaders say GPT-5 signals a rapid advance in AI capabilities across coding, writing, and healthcare.
OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5, the latest generation of its widely used ChatGPT tool, offering what CEO Sam Altman described as a ‘huge improvement’ in capability.
Now free to all users, the model builds on previous versions but stops short of the human-like reasoning associated with accurate artificial general intelligence.
Altman compared the leap in performance to ‘talking to a PhD-level expert’ instead of a student.
While GPT-5 does not learn continuously from new experiences, it is designed to excel in coding, writing, healthcare and other specialist areas.
Industry observers say the release underscores the rapid acceleration in AI, with rivals such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Elon Musk’s xAI investing heavily in the race. Chinese startup DeepSeek has also drawn attention for producing powerful models using less costly chips.
OpenAI has emphasised GPT-5’s safety features, with its research team training the system to avoid deception and prevent harmful outputs.
Alongside the flagship release, the company launched two open-weight models that can be freely downloaded and modified, a move seen as both a nod to its nonprofit origins and a challenge to competitors’ open-source offerings.
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