OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that the latest version of OpenAI’s large language model, GPT-4.5, will be rolled out gradually to ChatGPT Plus subscribers over the course of several days. Rather than launching all at once, OpenAI has opted for a staggered release to ensure users can have long, uninterrupted conversations with the model.
Why the Gradual Rollout?
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman explained that while OpenAI initially aimed for an immediate release for all users, this would have required launching with severely restricted usage limits due to GPU constraints.
"There is no perfect way to do this; we wanted to do it for everyone tomorrow, but it would have meant we had to launch with a very low rate limit,"
Altman wrote.
"We think people are gonna use this a lot and love it. So we think it's better to let people have real, long conversations with it, but that means we have to stagger people in rather than have everyone hit it hard at the same time."
Today we’re releasing a research preview of GPT-4.5—our largest and best model for chat yet.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 27, 2025
Rolling out now to all ChatGPT Pro users, followed by Plus and Team users next week, then Enterprise and Edu users the following week. pic.twitter.com/br5win5OEB
What’s New in GPT-4.5?
Unveiled last week, GPT-4.5 is the latest iteration of OpenAI’s large language model (LLM) and is expected to be the final version before OpenAI fully adopts chain-of-thought prompting—a model designed to break down complex reasoning tasks into structured steps, mimicking human thought processes.
While GPT-4.5 doesn’t yet include this reasoning capability, OpenAI claims that early testing indicates a more natural interaction experience, with an improved ability to follow user intent, a broader knowledge base, and a higher emotional intelligence (EQ) for tasks like writing, programming, and problem-solving. The model is also expected to hallucinate less, reducing incorrect or fabricated responses.
Despite these advancements, Altman cautioned that GPT-4.5 is not a "reasoning model" and won't necessarily achieve groundbreaking results in AI benchmarks.
Pro Users Got Early Access Due to GPU Limitations
The phased rollout of GPT-4.5 follows initial delays due to GPU shortages. While OpenAI originally intended to launch the model simultaneously for ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) and ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) subscribers, limited computing resources led to a priority release for Pro users first.
However, Altman reassured users that OpenAI is rapidly scaling up its infrastructure, stating:
"We will add tens of thousands of GPUs next week and roll it out to the Plus tier then. (Hundreds of thousands coming soon, and I'm pretty sure y'all will use every one we can rack up.)"
With these enhancements, ChatGPT Plus users can expect access to GPT-4.5 in the coming days, marking another step forward in OpenAI’s evolving AI capabilities.
News Source: Mashable
