OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirms two new ChatGPT models coming ahead of GPT-5 release

ChatGPT

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has confirmed via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the company will be releasing two new models—O3 and O4-mini—in the coming weeks, with GPT-5 scheduled to follow a few months later.

In his post, Altman said that the decision marks a change in plans, as OpenAI had earlier indicated it might skip intermediate model releases and go straight to GPT-5. “There are a bunch of reasons for this, but the most exciting one is that we are going to be able to make GPT-5 much better than we originally thought,” he wrote.

Altman also pointed to challenges in smoothly integrating everything OpenAI had planned, as well as the need to ensure the company has enough infrastructure and capacity to handle what he described as “unprecedented demand” once GPT-5 rolls out.

While Altman didn’t share specific technical details about the O3 and O4-mini models, he hinted at meaningful improvements over what had previously been previewed, especially for O3. “I think people will be happy,” he added.

The announcement gives a clearer picture of OpenAI’s roadmap for 2025. The release of O3 and O4-mini will likely serve as incremental steps ahead of the much-anticipated GPT-5, allowing the company to scale gradually while testing new features and performance upgrades.

Altman did not specify an exact launch date for GPT-5 but said it would arrive “in a few months,” suggesting a release in the second half of 2025.