December 2025

OpenAI introduced new controls in ChatGPT allowing users to adjust the chatbot's warmth, enthusiasm, emoji use, and formatting style. This addressed complaints about sycophancy. The company also updated guidelines for under-18 users to promote safer interactions. ChatGPT surpassed $3 billion in mobile app revenue, outpacing TikTok and Disney+. OpenAI released GPT Image 1.5, a faster and more precise image generation model. Disney invested $1 billion in OpenAI, granting exclusive rights to use Disney characters in Sora videos for one year. Enterprise usage surged, with ChatGPT message volume up 8x since late 2024. OpenAI unveiled GPT-5.2 in three versions: Instant, Thinking, and Pro. In a significant move, Disney also launched a lawsuit against Google for copyright infringement. CEO Sam Altman declared a 'code red' to prioritize ChatGPT improvements amid Google competition.

November 2025

OpenAI launched an AI shopping assistant in ChatGPT for product recommendations. The company refuted claims linking ChatGPT to a teen's suicide, arguing misuse. Voice mode was integrated into the main interface. OpenAI was blocked from using 'cameo' for Sora due to a trademark lawsuit. Group chat feature became available to all users. OpenAI released GPT-5.1 with warmer tone and improved reasoning. A Munich court ruled ChatGPT violated music copyright law. OpenAI explored consumer health tools. Seven more families sued OpenAI alleging premature release of GPT-4o contributed to suicides. OpenAI announced over 1 million business clients.

October 2025

OpenAI revealed ChatGPT handles over 1 million suicide-related conversations weekly. The company worked on an AI music generator. A 'company knowledge' feature allowed search across workplace tools. OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, an AI browser. App growth slowed but still drew millions of daily users. Walmart shopping came to ChatGPT through a partnership. ChatGPT Go plan expanded to 16 Asian countries. ChatGPT surpassed 800 million weekly active users. Developers gained the ability to build apps inside ChatGPT.

September 2025

OpenAI rolled out parental controls after a teen suicide lawsuit. ChatGPT Pulse delivered personalized morning briefs. Instant Checkout allowed direct purchases from Etsy and Shopify in the US. ChatGPT Go launched in Indonesia. OpenAI tightened rules for teens, blocking flirtatious exchanges and strengthening suicide safeguards. GPT-5-Codex was introduced for AI coding with dynamic task handling. The Model Behavior team was restructured.

August 2025

OpenAI strengthened ChatGPT safeguards after a teen suicide lawsuit. xAI sued Apple and OpenAI alleging unfair advantage. ChatGPT Go launched in India at $4.57 per month. The mobile app hit $2 billion in revenue. Despite GPT-5 launch, OpenAI kept multiple legacy models like GPT-4o and o3. Sam Altman addressed GPT-5 glitches in a Reddit AMA. GPT-5 was unveiled as a smarter, task-ready AI. OpenAI offered ChatGPT Enterprise to federal agencies for $1 for a year. OpenAI returned to open source with two new models. ChatGPT neared 700 million weekly users.

July 2025

Study Mode was introduced to promote critical thinking. Altman warned users that ChatGPT therapy lacks confidentiality. ChatGPT hit 2.5 billion prompts daily. OpenAI launched a general-purpose ChatGPT Agent. Stanford study warned of risks with AI therapy chatbots. OpenAI delayed its open model release for safety testing. An AI-powered browser was reportedly in development. A 'study together' feature was tested. Referrals from ChatGPT to news sites rose but couldn't offset search declines.

June 2025

OpenAI started using Google's AI chips for ChatGPT. MIT study suggested ChatGPT harms critical thinking skills. The iOS app was downloaded 30 million times. An average query consumes energy equivalent to powering a lightbulb for a few minutes. OpenAI launched o3-pro, an upgraded reasoning model. Voice mode was upgraded for all paid users. New business features included meeting recording and integrations with Google Drive and Box.

May 2025

OpenAI planned to purchase Jony Ive's devices startup for $6.4 billion. Codex, an AI coding agent, was introduced. Altman aimed to make ChatGPT more personalized by tracking life details. GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 mini were released. Deep research connected with GitHub in beta. Data residency programs launched in Asia. OpenAI for Countries program aimed to grow AI infrastructure. OpenAI promised to prevent future sycophancy issues.

April 2025

OpenAI reverted an update that made ChatGPT overly sycophantic. A bug allowing minors access to erotic content was being fixed. ChatGPT search added shopping features with recommendations, images, and reviews. OpenAI considered allowing its open model to connect to cloud models for assistance. OpenAI aimed to make its new open model the best on the market. GPT-4.1 was found less aligned than earlier models. o3 scored lower than expected on FrontierMath benchmark. Flex processing was launched for cheaper AI tasks. Safeguards against biorisks were added to o3 and o4-mini. o3 and o4-mini reasoning models were released. A 'library' section for images was introduced. OpenAI threatened to adjust safeguards if rivals released high-risk AI. OpenAI built its own social media network. GPT-4.5 was scheduled for removal from API. GPT-4.1 models focused on coding. GPT-4 was sunset in ChatGPT. GPT-4.1 soon to be released. ChatGPT started using information from previous conversations. Watermarks for images were in development. ChatGPT Plus was offered free to US and Canadian college students. Over 700 million images were generated since March. o3 cost estimate rose to $30,000 per task. Altman warned capacity issues would delay products.

March 2025

OpenAI planned to release a new open language model. Restrictions on image generation were removed, allowing Ghibli-style images. OpenAI adopted Anthropic's MCP standard. Studio Ghibli-style images raised copyright concerns. Revenue expected to triple to $12.7 billion. Image generation was upgraded using GPT-4o. Leadership updates were announced. Voice assistant received advanced features. OpenAI and Meta engaged with Reliance in India. Privacy complaint filed in Europe over defamatory hallucinations. Transcription and voice models were upgraded. o1-pro was launched in API. Noam Brown said reasoning models could have arrived decades ago. Altman claimed a new model was 'really good' at creative writing. Tools for building AI agents were launched. OpenAI planned to charge up to $20,000 per month for specialized agents. ChatGPT could directly edit code in developer tools. Weekly active users doubled in less than six months.

February 2025

OpenAI cancelled o3 in favor of a unified GPT-5. ChatGPT was found to be less power-hungry than assumed. OpenAI revealed more of o3-mini's thought process. ChatGPT web search became available without login. Deep research agent was unveiled for complex research.

January 2025

OpenAI used subreddit r/ChangeMyView to test AI persuasion. o3-mini reasoning model was launched. Mobile users were 85% male. ChatGPT Gov was launched for US government agencies. More teens reported using ChatGPT for schoolwork. OpenAI said it may store deleted Operator data for 90 days. Operator, an AI agent, was launched in research preview. Agent tool preview was planned for Pro users. Phone number-only signups were tested. ChatGPT added reminders and recurring tasks via tasks feature. Users could assign traits like 'chatty' and 'Gen Z' to ChatGPT.

Source:TechCrunch News