In a recent interview with the Financial Times, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that, even as the company introduces new features of GPT-4, it is actively developing a more transformative version, GPT-5, with no specific timeline for its release.
Following the success of ChatGPT, released in November last year, OpenAI has continued to enhance the GPT series, with the latest iteration being GPT Turbo, offering a faster and more cost-effective utilization of GPT-4. Tech companies worldwide are keen to emulate OpenAI’s success in training their own AI models, prompting OpenAI to innovate and maintain its competitive edge.
Altman hinted at OpenAI’s future direction, emphasizing the creation of more powerful AI agents capable of performing complex tasks, aiming for what he described as “magic intelligence in the sky.” Despite ventures into spaces like API, a plugin store, and collaboration with Microsoft to integrate AI into office products and web browsers, Altman clarified that these are not OpenAI’s products; the company’s primary focus is on developing advanced AI capabilities.
While OpenAI actively seeks more data to train its models, Altman acknowledged the difficulty in predicting GPT-5’s capabilities until the training process begins. He emphasized the technical challenges involved and stated that the specifics of GPT-5’s advancements over its predecessor are currently unknown.
OpenAI’s future trajectory is intertwined with support from tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Intel, and AMD. Microsoft, a key investor and partner, has already contributed $10 billion, but the development of a more sophisticated AI model like GPT-5 will require substantial additional funding. Altman acknowledged the company’s distance from achieving artificial general intelligence and highlighted the considerable expenses incurred in training the models.
OpenAI’s collaboration with Microsoft is crucial for its financial stability, as the company has yet to turn a profit. Altman expressed optimism about the ongoing success with Microsoft, anticipating future revenues for both companies. Additionally, OpenAI relies on Nvidia for advanced chips, though progress has been hindered by supply limitations. Altman believes that advancements by companies like Google, Intel, and AMD in developing their own AI chips will benefit OpenAI in the near future.
While Altman refrained from providing a specific release timeline for GPT-5, it is evident that OpenAI aims to maintain its leadership in the AI field, surpassing competitors with each new iteration of its models.
