Apple is set to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT with Siri and other iOS features, rolling out in December with iOS 18.2. Beta testers of iOS 18.2 have discovered an option in the Settings app allowing users to subscribe directly to ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI’s premium plan, for $20 a month. This move offers Apple users a streamlined way to access ChatGPT‘s advanced features, which include more capable AI models and additional voice and image options.
Free users of ChatGPT will still face some limitations, including restricted access to OpenAI‘s most advanced models and fewer image generations per day. However, OpenAI could see a surge in paid subscriptions from the partnership as Apple’s exposure could drive substantial user interest in ChatGPT Plus.
The specifics of the financial terms between Apple and OpenAI are unclear. Apple isn’t reportedly paying OpenAI directly, relying instead on enhanced exposure, though questions remain about any potential revenue sharing. Apple’s broader AI plans indicate it will also include models from other developers in future updates, possibly incorporating Google’s Gemini.
In the background, OpenAI is working to secure additional funding amidst a period of rapid change, including the departure of key executives and a recent $6.6 billion funding round, which Apple reportedly declined to join following unexpected shifts at OpenAI.
OpenAI has introduced new search functions to its popular ChatGPT, making it a direct competitor with Google, Microsoft’s Bing, and other emerging AI-driven search tools. Instead of launching a separate search engine, OpenAI chose to integrate search capabilities directly into ChatGPT, which will pull information from the web and relevant sources based on user questions.
Initially, ChatGPT’s search feature will be available to Plus and Team users, with plans to expand access to enterprise and educational users, as well as free users, in the coming months. OpenAI’s partnerships with major publishers like Condé Nast, Time, and the Financial Times aim to provide a rich pool of content for ChatGPT’s search.
This launch follows OpenAI’s selective testing of SearchGPT, an AI-based search prototype, earlier in the year. With its recent funding round boosting its valuation to an estimated $157 billion, OpenAI continues to strengthen its standing as a leading private AI company.
OpenAI is reportedly set to launch a powerful new AI model, code-named Orion, with an initial release expected by December. Unlike its predecessors, Orion will be selectively available at first, with trusted partner companies given early access to integrate the model into their products. OpenAI’s primary partner, Microsoft, is preparing to host Orion on its Azure platform as early as November.
While some within OpenAI view Orion as a successor to GPT-4, it is unclear whether it will be formally named GPT-5. OpenAI has not confirmed the launch date, and CEO Sam Altman recently downplayed the existence of Orion. Nonetheless, speculation continues as an executive hinted that Orion may be up to 100 times more powerful than GPT-4, moving the company closer to its ambitious goal of artificial general intelligence.
Reports suggest that synthetic data from OpenAI’s 0.1 model, released earlier this year, helped train Orion. OpenAI has teased the model’s arrival through cryptic social media posts, with Altman recently referencing the upcoming “winter constellations” — a possible allusion to Orion, a prominent winter constellation.
Orion’s anticipated release aligns with OpenAI’s completion of a $6.6 billion funding round, with restructuring towards a for-profit model. The company, however, is facing notable internal changes, including the recent departures of CTO Mira Murati and other key research leaders, amid the heightened focus on this next-generation AI model.
Miles Brundage, a veteran policy researcher and senior adviser at OpenAI, has left the company to pursue independent work in the nonprofit sector. In a post on X and an essay, Brundage explained his decision, stating he believes he can have a greater impact on AI policy and research outside of the industry, where he will have more freedom to publish his findings.
Brundage joined OpenAI in 2018 and played a key role in the company’s policy research, particularly in the responsible deployment of AI systems like ChatGPT. His departure signals ongoing shifts within OpenAI, with the company reorganising its economic research and AGI readiness teams. While OpenAI expressed support for Brundage’s decision, it did not specify who will take over his responsibilities.
Brundage’s exit is part of a broader trend of high-profile departures from OpenAI, with several key figures, including CTO Mira Murati and chief research officer Bob McGrew, having recently resigned. The departures reflect internal disagreements about the company’s direction, especially as it faces criticism over balancing commercial ambitions with AI safety.
OpenAI’s latest AI model, code-named Orion, is reportedly set to debut by December, with limited access initially granted to a few corporate partners, according to sources. Unlike previous releases available broadly on ChatGPT, Orion will first be shared with select companies, including key partner Microsoft. Engineers at Microsoft are preparing to deploy Orion on Azure by November, suggesting early access could be imminent.
Although Orion is seen as the successor to GPT-4, OpenAI has yet to confirm if the model will officially carry the GPT-5 designation. Publicly, OpenAI has downplayed the reports, with CEO Sam Altman dismissing them as “fake news.” An OpenAI spokesperson later clarified that the company has “no plans to release a model code-named Orion this year,” but they confirmed a commitment to releasing new technology.
Sources indicate that Orion could be up to 100 times more powerful than GPT-4 and separate from OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model, launched in September. Orion’s development has likely involved synthetic data generated by o1, referred to internally as “Strawberry.” OpenAI celebrated completing Orion’s training last month, which coincides with a cryptic post by Altman hinting at the model’s arrival, mentioning his excitement for “winter constellations.”
Orion is expected to advance OpenAI’s goal of creating a model capable of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a significant leap from current large language models. The prospect of Orion has drawn speculation, both for its potential capabilities and its selective release strategy, signalling OpenAI’s commitment to carefully refining its technology for high-level applications.
OpenAI has appointed Aaron Chatterji as its first chief economist. Chatterji, a professor at Duke University and former chief economist at the US Commerce Department, will lead research on the economic impact of AI technologies. His focus will include AI’s potential influence on economic growth and employment trends.
Chatterji played a key role in coordinating the Biden administration’s implementation of the 2022 CHIPS Act, which allocated $280 billion towards developing the country’s semiconductor industry. His expertise and political network could benefit OpenAI as it explores designing chips internally.
The announcement also included another significant hire, with Scott Schools joining as chief compliance officer. Schools, previously at Uber and a former associate deputy attorney general, will oversee legal compliance and ethical practices at OpenAI.
These strategic hires reflect OpenAI’s growing ambition to lead AI development responsibly while expanding into new areas, such as chip design, amidst increasing regulatory attention.
Bain & Company announced it is expanding its partnership with OpenAI to offer AI tools like ChatGPT to its clients. The firms previously formed a global alliance to introduce OpenAI technology to Bain’s clients, and the consultancy has now made OpenAI platforms, including ChatGPT Enterprise, available to its employees worldwide.
Bain is also setting up an OpenAI Centre of Excellence, managed by its own team, to further integrate AI solutions. The partnership will initially focus on developing custom solutions for the retail and healthcare life sciences industries, with plans for expansion into other sectors.
While Bain did not disclose financial details, around 50 employees will be dedicated to this collaboration, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Dane Stuckey, former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Palantir, has been appointed as the new CISO at OpenAI, working alongside head of security Matt Knight. Stuckey made the announcement in a post on social media, expressing his excitement to help secure OpenAI’s technologies as they continue to grow in use and impact.
Stuckey, who joined Palantir in 2014, brings extensive experience in digital forensics and incident response, having worked in both commercial and government roles. His background may prove valuable as OpenAI continues to deepen its partnerships with the United States Department of Defense, with whom it has collaborated on various cybersecurity projects.
OpenAI has been expanding its security efforts in recent months, following the appointment of former National Security Agency head Gen. Paul Nakasone as a board member. The company has also lifted its ban on selling AI technology to the military, signalling a strategic shift towards government contracts.
In addition to Stuckey’s appointment, OpenAI has posted a new job listing for a head of trusted compute and cryptography, highlighting its commitment to developing secure AI infrastructure to protect its technologies and users.
Sebastien Bubeck, Microsoft’s vice president of GenAI research, is leaving the company to join OpenAI, the AI startup behind ChatGPT. Microsoft has not provided details on the role Bubeck will assume at OpenAI but has confirmed it will continue its relationship with him through its backing of the company.
While Bubeck did not respond to requests for confirmation, Microsoft stated that he is departing to further his work on artificial general intelligence (AGI). Despite his exit, the majority of his team working on Microsoft’s smaller Phi large language models (LLMs) will stay on to continue their work.
This follows a series of recent departures from OpenAI, including longtime chief technology officer Mira Murati. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has denied that these exits are linked to any planned restructuring of the company.
Bubeck’s departure marks a significant shift in Microsoft’s AI research landscape but highlights ongoing collaboration with OpenAI, with whom it shares a deep investment in the future of AGI.
OpenAI‘s head of media partnerships, Varun Shetty, recently stated that the company does not intend to share advertising revenue from its SearchGPT product with publishers. During his address at the Twipe Digital Growth Summit in Brussels, Shetty highlighted OpenAI’s belief that it can provide value to publishers by driving significant traffic from new audiences rather than offering financial compensation. He also acknowledged the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship and indicated that OpenAI is exploring ways to ensure publishers find enough value to remain included in SearchGPT results.
Varun Shetty compared OpenAI’s approach to that of Google’s AI Overviews, which have been criticised for diminishing publishers’ visibility in search results. In contrast, the AI-powered search engine Perplexity has established revenue-sharing agreements with multiple publishers, and Microsoft has announced plans to pay publishers for content featured by its productivity assistant, Copilot. Currently, in an experimental phase, SearchGPT aims to provide answers in natural language while clearly indicating sources. OpenAI intends to integrate SearchGPT into its flagship ChatGPT product by the end of the year.
Shetty stressed the need to balance user experience with publisher needs, noting that while users seek answers, they also want to verify information. He assured publishers they could opt out of SearchGPT results if desired, and any publisher wanting to participate only needs to permit OpenAI’s search bot on their site. He emphasised that SearchGPT has the potential to drive significant traffic without complicating the decision-making regarding content training.
In addition to discussing SearchGPT, Shetty expressed how OpenAI could assist the news industry, noting that while audiences are not interested in AI-generated news, AI can help streamline journalistic tasks, such as story recommendations and multimedia management. He also hinted at advancements in the next GPT model, which will enable more complex user requests, enhancing its usefulness for various applications.
