SAN FRANCISCO – OpenAI has unveiled the fifth iteration of the AI technology behind ChatGPT, marking an important update that’s being closely monitored to gauge whether the progress of generative AI is continuing or facing stagnation.

The release of GPT-5 follows over two years after GPT-4 was introduced in March 2023, ending a period marked by significant commercial investment, substantial hype, and concerns about the potential of AI.

In anticipation, rival Anthropic released the latest version of its own chatbot, Claude, earlier in the week.

There are high expectations for the latest version of OpenAI’s leading model, as the San Francisco-based company has consistently portrayed its technological advances as steps toward achieving artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which is anticipated to outperform humans in economically valuable tasks.

To realize this, OpenAI is seeking substantial funding, partly to cover the expenses related to costly computer hardware and data centers necessary for developing and operating the technology.

Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit research lab focused on safely creating AGI, OpenAI has evolved into a for-profit entity, valued at $300 billion. The company has attempted to restructure after its nonprofit board removed CEO Sam Altman in November 2023, only for him to be reinstated shortly after and continue leading the company.

The transition from its nonprofit origins has proven challenging, facing scrutiny from the attorneys general in California and Delaware, who regulate nonprofits, as well as a legal challenge from Elon Musk, who was an initial donor and founder of OpenAI.

Most recently, OpenAI has said it will turn its for-profit company into a public benefit corporation, which must balance the interests of shareholders and its mission.