The Complete Guide to OpenAIs ChatGPT Evolution

The ChatGPT Phenomenon: From Viral Hit to Global Force

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has fundamentally changed the digital landscape since its launch in November 2022. What began as a novel tool for boosting productivity by writing essays and code from simple text prompts has exploded into a global behemoth with over 300 million weekly active users.

The year 2024 marked a pivotal period for OpenAI. The company forged a major partnership with Apple to power its new Apple Intelligence features, released the game-changing GPT-4o with advanced voice capabilities, and launched its highly anticipated text-to-video model, Sora.

However, this growth wasn't without its challenges. OpenAI navigated significant internal drama, including the departures of key executives like co-founder Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati. The company also faced a barrage of lawsuits, including copyright infringement claims from newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital and a legal challenge from Elon Musk aiming to halt its for-profit transition.

As we move through 2025, OpenAI is contending with the perception of losing ground to Chinese AI rivals like DeepSeek. In response, the company is strengthening its ties with Washington, pursuing a massive data center project, and reportedly preparing for a historic funding round.

Below is a timeline of the most significant ChatGPT product updates and releases from the past year.

October 2025 Updates

Walmart Shopping Comes to ChatGPT

OpenAI is partnering with Walmart to let users browse products, plan meals, and make purchases directly within the chatbot. This is part of a broader push into AI-driven e-commerce.

OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Go Plan in Asia

OpenAI has expanded its affordable ChatGPT Go plan, priced under $5, to 16 new countries across Asia.

ChatGPT Reaches 800 Million Weekly Active Users

According to Sam Altman, ChatGPT now has 800 million weekly active users, showing rapid growth as OpenAI works to secure more infrastructure to meet demand.

Developers Can Now Build Apps Inside ChatGPT

OpenAI now allows developers to build interactive apps directly inside ChatGPT, with early partners including Booking.com, Spotify, and Canva.

September 2025 Updates

ChatGPT Rolls Out Parental Controls

Following a lawsuit related to a teen's suicide, OpenAI is reportedly adding parental controls to allow parents to limit sensitive content, set quiet hours, and disable certain features.

OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Pulse for Personalized Briefings

OpenAI launched Pulse, a new feature that delivers personalized morning briefings, making the chatbot more proactive.

OpenAI Moves into AI-Powered Shopping

The company launched Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, allowing U.S. users to purchase products from Etsy and Shopify merchants directly within a conversation.

OpenAI Brings ChatGPT Go to Indonesia

OpenAI rolled out its budget-friendly ChatGPT Go plan in Indonesia for approximately $4.50 per month.

OpenAI Tightens Rules for Teen Users

CEO Sam Altman announced new policies for under-18 users, adding stronger safeguards around sensitive conversations.

OpenAI Rolls Out GPT-5-Codex for AI Coding

OpenAI released GPT-5-Codex, a new AI coding agent that can tackle complex programming tasks.

OpenAI Reshuffles Team Behind ChatGPT’s Personality

The company is reorganizing its Model Behavior team, which shapes the AI's interaction style, integrating it into a larger research group.

August 2025 Updates

OpenAI to Strengthen Safeguards After Teen Suicide Lawsuit

In response to a lawsuit from the parents of a 16-year-old who died by suicide, OpenAI announced it has implemented new safeguards for ChatGPT, including better detection of mental health risks.

xAI Sues Apple and OpenAI

Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, filed a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, alleging anticompetitive collusion.

OpenAI Targets India with Cheaper Subscription

OpenAI introduced its most affordable plan, ChatGPT Go, in India, priced at around $4.57 per month.

ChatGPT Mobile App Hits $2B in Revenue

Since its launch, ChatGPT’s mobile app has generated $2 billion in global consumer spending, dwarfing its competitors.

OpenAI Keeps Multiple GPT Models Despite GPT-5 Launch

Despite launching GPT-5, OpenAI continues to offer several legacy AI models, giving users a choice between different versions.

Sam Altman Addresses GPT-5 Glitches

CEO Sam Altman told Reddit users that GPT-5’s initial performance issues were due to a router problem and promised fixes, while also addressing the infamous “chart crime” from a live presentation.

OpenAI Unveils GPT-5

OpenAI released GPT-5, its next-generation AI model capable of handling complex tasks like coding apps and managing calendars.

OpenAI Offers ChatGPT Enterprise to Federal Agencies for $1

In a major push into government, OpenAI began offering ChatGPT Enterprise to agencies for just $1 for the first year.

OpenAI Returns to Open Source

OpenAI unveiled its first open-source language models since GPT-2, introducing two new open-weight AI releases.

ChatGPT Nears 700M Weekly Users

In early August, OpenAI announced the chatbot was on track to hit 700 million weekly active users.

July 2025 Updates

ChatGPT Now Has Study Mode

OpenAI unveiled Study Mode, a new feature designed to promote critical thinking by prompting students to engage with material rather than just getting answers.

Altman Warns That ChatGPT Therapy Isn’t Confidential

CEO Sam Altman stated that users seeking emotional support should be cautious, as AI tools are not bound by doctor-patient confidentiality.

ChatGPT Hits 2.5B Prompts Daily

ChatGPT now receives 2.5 billion prompts daily from users worldwide, more than double the volume from eight months prior.

OpenAI Launches a General-Purpose Agent

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Agent, which can complete a wide variety of computer-based tasks for users, like navigating calendars and shopping online.

June 2025 Updates

OpenAI Uses Google’s AI Chips

It was reported that OpenAI has started using Google’s AI chips to power ChatGPT, a notable move away from its reliance on Nvidia GPUs.

MIT Study Suggests ChatGPT Might Harm Critical Thinking

Researchers from MIT’s Media Lab found that ChatGPT users showed minimal brain engagement compared to those using Google search or no tools for writing tasks.

ChatGPT Adds Business Features

OpenAI's ChatGPT now offers new functions for business users, including integrations with cloud services like Google Drive and meeting recording.

May 2025 Updates

OpenAI CFO Touts Hardware for Growth

Following the planned purchase of Jony Ive's startup, OpenAI's CFO Sarah Friar thinks that hardware will significantly enhance ChatGPT's capabilities and reach.

ChatGPT Unveils AI Coding Agent, Codex

OpenAI introduced its AI coding agent, Codex, designed specifically for software engineering tasks.

OpenAI Releases GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 Mini

OpenAI launched its GPT-4.1 and GPT4.1 mini AI models in ChatGPT.

April 2025 Updates

OpenAI Clarifies Sycophancy Issue

OpenAI released a post explaining the recent issues with GPT-4o becoming overly flattering and agreeable, leading the company to roll back an update.

ChatGPT Adds Online Shopping Features

OpenAI added several features to its ChatGPT search tool to improve the online shopping experience with customized recommendations, images, and reviews.

OpenAI Unveils GPT-4.1 Models for Coding

OpenAI launched three members of the GPT-4.1 model family — GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano — with a specific focus on coding capabilities.

March 2025 Updates

OpenAI Plans to Release a New ‘Open’ Language Model

OpenAI intends to release its first open language model since GPT-2 in the coming months.

ChatGPT Upgrades Image Generation

OpenAI rolled out a major upgrade allowing ChatGPT to use the GPT-4o model to generate and edit images directly.

OpenAI, Meta in Talks with Reliance in India

OpenAI and Meta have engaged in discussions with Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries regarding potential collaborations to enhance their AI services in the country, per a report by The Information.

February 2025 Updates

OpenAI Cancels o3 Model for a Unified Release

CEO Sam Altman announced that OpenAI will release a unified model called GPT-5, integrating various technologies including the previously planned o3 model.

Use ChatGPT Web Search Without Logging In

OpenAI now allows anyone to use ChatGPT web search without needing to log in, though responses were previously limited to the model's last training data.

January 2025 Updates

OpenAI Launches Operator for Autonomous Tasks

OpenAI launched a research preview of Operator, a general-purpose AI agent that can take control of a web browser and independently perform actions like booking travel or shopping online.

ChatGPT Now Lets You Schedule Reminders

A new beta feature called tasks allows users to set simple reminders and recurring tasks within ChatGPT.

ChatGPT Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChatGPT? How does it work?

ChatGPT is a versatile chatbot from OpenAI that uses artificial intelligence to generate text based on user prompts. It is powered by GPT-4, a large language model that uses deep learning to create human-like text.

When was ChatGPT released?

ChatGPT was released for public use on November 30, 2022.

What is the latest version of ChatGPT?

The most recent model available in both free and paid versions is GPT-4o.

Can I use ChatGPT for free?

Yes, there is a free version of ChatGPT that requires a sign-in, as well as the paid subscription, ChatGPT Plus.

What does GPT mean in ChatGPT?

GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.

Can ChatGPT commit libel?

Because these models prioritize generating plausible-sounding text over factual accuracy, they can produce false information. When this false information is damaging to a person's reputation, it could potentially be considered libel. The legal ramifications are still being determined.

Does ChatGPT have an app?

Yes, there is a free ChatGPT mobile app for both iOS and Android.

Does ChatGPT have an API?

Yes, the API was released on March 1, 2023.

Are there alternatives to ChatGPT?

Yes. Competitors include Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and various open-source alternatives.

Can ChatGPT be detected?

Not reliably. While several tools claim to detect AI-generated text, tests show they are inconsistent.

This story is continually updated with new information.