The Wait for GPT-5 Explained: Exploring OpenAI’s decision to focus on o1 models

If you’re keeping up with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, you’ve probably wondered, “Will there be a GPT-5 soon?” In September, o1-preview and o1-mini models were released, willfully dropping the GPT moniker we all got so used to. Despite the recently released models, the buzz about GPT-5 didn’t slow down until a couple of days ago, when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that we wouldn’t see GPT-5 anytime soon.

What are the expectations for GPT-5  

The tech community has been buzzing with speculation about GPT-5’s capabilities. Many hoped it would introduce advanced contextual understanding, more natural conversational abilities, and improved content generation accuracy. 

Some expected GPT-5 to be a major step toward AI’s handling of complex, multi-step tasks. Many hoped for the introduction of autonomous AI Agnets capable of interacting with the world, or even early indicators of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). 

These aspirations have only grown following the o1-preview and o1-mini release, demonstrating a significant leap in accuracy and reasoning. While the excitement for GPT-5 remains high, OpenAI is taking a more measured approach.

Why GPT-5 hasn’t been released yet

Nonetheless, OpenAI’s CEO has confirmed that GPT-5 will not be released in 2024, nor anytime soon. He did so during this week’s Reddit AMA (ask me anything) he held along with other OpenAI officials. 

According to Altman, the underlying reason is not the lack of progress but rather a strategic decision to prioritize and polish the existing technology. Mainly to enhance the safety, reliability, and accessibility of the current models before moving on to creating something brand new. This strategic pause ensures that the foundation for future models is solid, ethical, and beneficial for users worldwide.

Another factor is the potential and challenges of developing what Altman refers to as “superintelligence.” With the hardware available today, OpenAI believes that truly transformative advancements can be made through current models rather than immediately jumping to GPT-5.

What are the OpenAI o1-preview and o1 mini models

OpenAI introduced o1-preview and o1-mini models this September. These models offer incremental yet important improvements, providing users with a more refined experience, especially regarding reasoning and problem-solving, but also introducing and enhancing multimodal capabilities. This release highlights OpenAI’s focus on gradual enhancement, prioritizing quality over rushing to unveil new versions, thereby setting a solid foundation for future advancements.

The difference between OpenAI o1 and ChatGPT-4  

OpenAI o1 builds upon the success of GPT-4 by enhancing accuracy, contextual understanding, and overall interaction quality. One major improvement is its ability to maintain longer, coherent conversations, addressing one of the limitations users found in previous models. 

What’s the future of ChatGPT  

Looking ahead, the future of ChatGPT could bring features that enhance personalization, better handle complex or nuanced queries, and seamlessly integrate with other technologies, as well as introduce autonomous agents. 

Altman refused to provide concrete details about GPT-5, but he did mention that future focus will shift towards autonomous AI agents and tools. These will allow ChatGPT to interact independently with the world without human intervention.  Other advancements may include better adaptability to user preferences, improved handling of specific domain knowledge, better problem-solving skills and understanding of emotions.

So, when can we expect to see GPT-5?

Developing a next-generation AI model like GPT-5 doesn’t happen overnight —it takes a lot of time, resources, and careful planning. As of now, there’s no official word from OpenAI about a release date for GPT-5. However, we can make some educated guesses based on past trends and the current state of AI development. 

Historically, there has been a gap of about one to two years between major GPT releases. With o1 hitting the market in early September of 2024, industry insiders suggest that OpenAI may aim for a release in late 2025 or beyond, depending on how quickly it can meet quality and safety standards. 

Is OpenAI already falling behind?  

OpenAI isn’t the only player making strides in large language models (LLMs). It has to continuously fight with tech giants like Google and Meta, but also with smaller companies, such as the fastgrowing fan favorite Cluade by Anthropic. 

While GPT is looking to shift its focus to autonomous agents, Antropic is already there. They just released the computer vision. This technology allows autonomous AI agents to overtake your computer and perform real tasks just like you would. It can open applications, move the cursor, or even solve a simple CloudFront captcha.

Why many opt for small specialized tools over general models

In the heated war of tech giants, it’s the small companies that bring all of their best features together and push the envelope by adding unique capabilities. Through specialized applications and features, countless startups bring fresh perspectives to AI development, often focusing on niche markets or specific user needs that larger models may overlook. 

Having specialized tools in the palm of your hand brings great benefits over repetitive prompt writing for simple tasks. On top of it, you’ll likely get all the top models under one roof and for a much smaller price than keeping several subscriptions. 

Tools such as FlowHunt allow you to gain control and do highly specialized tasks specific to your team and industry. Once you create a Flow, it’s right there in your dashboard forever, along with your entire knowledge base. No need to rewrite prompts again. All you have to do is switch to a different LLM model or even bring your own. On top of it, you get to use AI Agents and domain-specific tools way before the ChatGPT fully introduces them. 

Conclusion  

In summary, while the tech community eagerly discusses the possibility of GPT-5, OpenAI doesn’t see this in the works anytime soon, electing to focus on refining existing o1 and o1-mini models. So, while there won’t be a GPT-5 this year or next, the ongoing enhancements and releases will likely push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI. Rest assured, OpenAI has some exciting updates up its sleeve.

With OpenAI’s focus on maintaining existing technology, some other well-known models are slowly but surely taking charge in various domains and other domains, especially autonomous AI agents. It gets increasingly confusing to figure out which model is the best for you. For the average business owner, small companies come to the rescue by bridging the gap between various models and building specialized tools atop the general models.