Published on Techxnow — August 8, 2025
OpenAI has officially launched GPT-5, its most powerful AI model to date. Described as a major leap toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), GPT-5 is now the default model for all free users of ChatGPT — marking a bold move toward wider access to cutting-edge AI.
Here’s what makes GPT-5 stand out — and why the entire tech industry is watching closely.
The First “Unified” AI Model
GPT-5 is OpenAI’s first unified model, combining the deep reasoning power of the o-series with the responsiveness of the GPT series. Unlike its predecessors, GPT-5 can think and act, completing tasks on behalf of users — not just responding to queries.
Tasks GPT-5 can now handle include:
- Building full software applications
- Managing calendars
- Writing detailed research briefs
- Creating code with minimal input — a trend dubbed “vibe coding”
Smarter Task Routing
GPT-5 is equipped with a real-time router that dynamically chooses the best way to respond. Whether the task requires a fast reply or a longer, thought-out process, GPT-5 automatically adjusts without user input.
This change simplifies the ChatGPT experience and reduces friction, especially for non-technical users.
Free for All — for the First Time
For the first time, a reasoning-level AI model is available to all ChatGPT users, free of charge. Previously, models with this level of capability were locked behind a paywall.
According to OpenAI’s VP of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, this move supports the company’s mission to ensure AI benefits everyone — not just paying customers.
Performance Highlights
GPT-5 is outperforming most rivals on several key AI benchmarks:
- SWE-bench Verified (real-world coding): 74.9%
(Beats Claude Opus 4.1 at 74.5% and Gemini 2.5 Pro at 59.6%) - GPQA Diamond (PhD-level science): 89.4%
(Outperforms Claude Opus 4.1 and Grok 4 Heavy) - HealthBench Hallucination Rate: Just 1.6%
(Compared to GPT-4o’s 12.9% and o3’s 15.8%) - General hallucination rate: 4.8%, down from over 20% in previous models
While it lags slightly behind competitors in a few niche areas like airline website navigation, GPT-5 generally shows top-tier performance across coding, science, health, and creativity.
New Personalities & User Features
ChatGPT now includes custom personalities to suit different styles of interaction. Users can choose between:
- Cynic
- Robot
- Listener
- Nerd
These can be selected in settings and adapt how ChatGPT communicates — adding a personalized touch.
Developer Options & Pricing
For developers, GPT-5 comes in three API versions:
gpt-5gpt-5-minigpt-5-nano
These allow different levels of reasoning and performance. Developers can now also set verbosity levels — controlling how brief or verbose GPT-5’s responses should be.
API Pricing:
- $1.25 per million input tokens
- $10 per million output tokens
GPT-5 Pro: More Power for Power Users
Subscribers to the $200/month Pro plan get access to GPT-5 Pro, an enhanced version using more compute power for better performance. Pro users also enjoy unlimited usage.
Meanwhile, Plus users ($20/month) receive higher usage caps than free-tier users.
Is GPT-5 Really a Game-Changer?
While GPT-5 outperforms competitors in many benchmarks, its real impact lies in how people — developers, businesses, and everyday users — will use it in the real world.
OpenAI says it’s also the safest model they’ve built, with improved defenses against misuse, fewer hallucinations, and more trustworthy behavior. GPT-5 even detects malicious intent more effectively than previous models.
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman calls it “the best model in the world” — and a key step toward AGI.
GPT-5 marks a significant milestone not just for OpenAI, but for AI at large. Its public release, broad accessibility, and frontier performance signal a new phase in how AI is integrated into our daily lives — from work automation to healthcare advice, and creative tasks to software development.
With expectations sky-high and over 700 million weekly ChatGPT users worldwide, all eyes are on GPT-5 to deliver on its promise.
Stay tuned to Techxnow for ongoing coverage of GPT-5 and the AI revolution.
Sources (Techcrunch )
