OpenAI pushed multiple big updates and faced fresh challenges through 2024 and 2025. The star, ChatGPT, hit 300 million weekly active users by late 2024 and doubled to 400 million by early 2025.
The launch streak includes GPT-4o with voice and image-gen upgrades, plus the new text-to-video model Sora. Enhanced AI reasoning came with the rollout of upgraded models like o3-pro, GPT-4.1, and Codex — a coding agent capable of writing and debugging complex software.
The company also launched business-friendly features: meeting recording, Google Drive and Box connectors, and deep research tools linking directly to GitHub. 
In hardware, OpenAI plans to acquire Jony Ive’s startup io for $6.4 billion, betting on physical devices to grow ChatGPT’s reach.
Privacy and policy issues piled up. OpenAI admitted a ChatGPT bug allowed minors to get explicit content and promised fixes. It rolled back the GPT-4o model update after users complained it was too sycophantic. A privacy group filed a GDPR complaint over defamatory hallucinations about users.
Litigation pressures rose, with Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. Elon Musk sought to block OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit setup.
To fight perception that rivals like DeepSeek are closing the gap, OpenAI is strengthening ties with Washington and expanding its data center Project Stargate globally.
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman revealed that average ChatGPT queries use only 0.34 watt-hours — enough to run a lightbulb for a few minutes — and produce minimal water usage.
OpenAI also aims to launch its first fully open, free-to-download AI language model since GPT-2. Developer events for this “open” model are upcoming.
The company rolled out a new AI agent tool named Operator to automate web tasks, with previews planned for high-paying Pro users.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is testing phone-number-only ChatGPT sign-ups and launching a US-Canada free ChatGPT Plus offer for college students through May.
AI voice assistant improvements added real-time conversations with fewer interruptions. And a new ChatGPT “library” section makes AI image generation easier across platforms.
The roadmap includes sunsetting GPT-4 in favor of GPT-4o, removing the largest GPT-4.5 from API access this July, and introducing agent products priced as high as $20,000 per month for specialized use cases.
Market expansions involve partnerships with India’s Reliance Industries, data residency programs in Asia, and new infrastructure initiatives called OpenAI for Countries.
Despite all the growth, OpenAI’s internal turmoil saw exec exits including co-founder Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati.
OpenAI is also reportedly developing its own social media platform to rival X, Instagram, and Threads.
Users have generated over 700 million AI images since March 2025, spotlighting both popular adoption and mounting copyright concerns.
Overall, OpenAI’s 2024-2025 push included aggressive product launches, evolving AI behavior fixes, legal hurdles, infrastructure builds, and ambitious bets on hardware and open AI access.
Sam Altman on ChatGPT query energy use:
The average ChatGPT query uses about one-fifteenth of a teaspoon of water, equivalent to 0.000083 gallons of water, or the energy required to power a lightbulb for a few minutes.
OpenAI on o3-pro launch:
OpenAI o3-pro is available in the model picker for Pro and Team users starting today, replacing OpenAI o1-pro.
Enterprise and Edu users will get access the week after.
As o3-pro uses the same underlying model as o3, full safety details can be found in the o3 system card.…
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) June 10, 2025
Sam Altman on creative writing AI:
we trained a new model that is good at creative writing (not sure yet how/when it will get released). this is the first time i have been really struck by something written by AI; it got the vibe of metafiction so right.
PROMPT:
Please write a metafictional literary short story…
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 11, 2025
OpenAI on GPT-4.1 coding focus:
By popular request, GPT-4.1 will be available directly in ChatGPT starting today.
GPT-4.1 is a specialized model that excels at coding tasks & instruction following. Because it’s faster, it’s a great alternative to OpenAI o3 & o4-mini for everyday coding needs.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 14, 2025
