Forget GPT-5: OpenAI's GPT-6 might launch sooner than you think

Tharon Green/ZDNET/Open AI/Getty Images

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• As the overgarment connected GPT-5 dries, OpenAI is already moving connected GPT-6.
• The model's biggest differentiator seems to beryllium deeper personalization.
• OpenAI is keeping an progressively brisk gait connected the way toward AGI. 

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At the opening of August, OpenAI launched its much-anticipated GPT-5 household of models. While the motorboat was somewhat rocky, the institution isn't letting that dilatory down its momentum: it is already teasing GPT-6, its adjacent procreation of models.

Also: Here are each the GPT-5 updates OpenAI has rolled retired since launch

Last week, erstwhile chatting with reporters, OpenAI's Sam Altman shed immoderate airy connected GPT-6, sharing that it is not lone already successful the works but that the motorboat volition travel sooner than the hold betwixt GPT-4 and GPT-5, according to a CNBC report. Naturally, Altman besides teased immoderate upcoming features that would marque GPT-6 a superior exemplary from its predecessors. 

For a roundup of everything we know, instrumentality a look below. 

What bash we cognize astir the model?

According to the CNBC report, the caller exemplary volition relation much personally by responding to users and adapting to them. It volition bash truthful done an enhanced mentation of its Memory feature, which would retrieve a person's circumstantial preferences to amended cater to those needs. 

Also: GPT-5 is friendlier present - but not everyone likes it. Here's why

"People privation memory," Altman said to the reporters. "People privation merchandise features that necessitate america to beryllium capable to recognize them."

The mentation of the Memory diagnostic presently disposable successful ChatGPT was updated successful April to notation each of a user's past conversations to amended pass aboriginal responses (to crook it on, toggle the enactment accessible successful Settings nether the Personalization tab). Despite saying the updated representation diagnostic was his favourite motorboat of the past year, Altman added concerns astir privacy, arsenic the impermanent representation is not encrypted. He said aboriginal encryption could beryllium a possibility, according to the report. 

Beyond personalization, Altman did stock that aboriginal versions of ChatGPT volition person to comply with a recent enforcement bid from the Trump administration that prevents "woke AI," which the bid described arsenic models built with "ideological biases oregon societal agendas." He besides shared that the institution is moving with psychologists to assistance make aboriginal experiences for users. 

When volition it beryllium released?

While nary timeline has been shared yet, Altman did accidental that the spread betwixt GPT-5 and GPT-6 would beryllium smaller than the 1 that followed GPT-4, which gives america a ballpark thought of erstwhile it volition launch, if you instrumentality a look astatine the anterior timeline. 

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When ChatGPT became fashionable successful November 2022, it was moving connected GPT-3.5. Shortly after, OpenAI released GPT-4 successful March 2023. OpenAI introduced GPT-4o -- a important update that improved its capabilities broadly and notably introduced multimodality -- a twelvemonth later, successful March 2024, but GPT-5 was not released until August 2025. This makes the clip betwixt GPT-4 and GPT-5 implicit 2 years, truthful astatine slightest you cognize it volition beryllium sooner than then. 

Even that precise escaped timeline is worthy taking with a atom of salt, arsenic merchandise motorboat timelines perpetually get pushed back. For example, successful February, Altman initially shared a roadmap on X for caller models, and successful the comments, said it would beryllium a substance of "weeks/months" earlier GPT-5 was launched. However, successful April, Altman said determination had been a alteration of plans, pivoting to a merchandise of o3 and o4-mini and pushing GPT-5 backmost a mates of months, with the exemplary yet launching successful August. 

The bigger picture

Ultimately, the accelerated gait astatine which OpenAI is moving aligns good with the company's eventual extremity of achieving AGI. Although astir estimates inactive spot AGI acold away, OpenAI's ambitious extremity does promote them to perpetually innovate, research, and marque incremental upgrades. Releasing truthful galore models has fed the company's upward trajectory of momentum. 

Also: Claude wins precocious praise from a Supreme Court justness - is AI's ineligible losing streak over?

The Information recently reported that OpenAI reached $12 cardinal successful revenue, treble the already staggeringly precocious $5.5 cardinal reported successful December 2024 (though the institution is still not profitable). The study besides noted that OpenAI has astir 700 cardinal progressive users for its ChatGPT products, including endeavor and concern customers. 

OpenAI has been riding this question for immoderate clip now, with a previous study from The Information showing that, successful the archetypal 3 months of 2025, the institution saw a 30% summation successful revenue. This maturation is uncharacteristic of the larger industry, due to the fact that radical are overwhelmed by the sheer fig of offerings on the market.