Overview
ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to supercharge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth with 300 million weekly active users. In 2025, OpenAI battled the perception that it was ceding ground to Chinese rivals like DeepSeek, while shoring up its relationship with Washington, pursuing ambitious data center projects, and laying the groundwork for one of the largest funding rounds in history.
January 2025
OpenAI launched o3-mini, its latest reasoning model, and introduced ChatGPT for U.S. government agencies. A report revealed that ChatGPT’s mobile users were 85% male, and more teens reported using the chatbot for schoolwork despite known faults. The company also began testing a phone number-only signup option and started allowing new users to schedule reminders and recurring tasks.
February 2025
OpenAI canceled its o3 model in favor of a unified next-gen release, GPT-5. The company revealed more of its o3-mini model’s thought process under pressure from rivals. ChatGPT web search became available without logging in, and a new deep research agent was unveiled. OpenAI also corrected earlier assumptions about ChatGPT’s power consumption—each query now uses about 0.3 watt-hours.
March 2025
OpenAI announced plans to release a new open language model and removed restrictions on image generation, leading to viral Studio Ghibli-style images that sparked copyright debates. The company adopted Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol and upgraded the image-generation feature using GPT-4o. A leadership reshuffle saw Brad Lightcap taking charge of global expansion. Revenue projections tripled to $12.7 billion for the year.
April 2025
OpenAI launched new reasoning models o3 and o4-mini, along with GPT-4.1 focused on coding. The company began building a social media network and added a library section for image creation. A bug allowed minors to engage in inappropriate conversations, which was later fixed. OpenAI also offered ChatGPT Plus for free to U.S. and Canadian college students through May.
May 2025
Coding agent Codex was introduced, powered by the o3 reasoning model. OpenAI expanded data residency programs in Asia and launched the OpenAI for Countries initiative to build local AI infrastructure. The company also announced plans to purchase Jony Ive’s hardware startup io for $6.4 billion. Sam Altman expressed his goal to make ChatGPT more personalized by tracking every aspect of a person’s life.
June 2025
OpenAI launched o3-pro, an upgraded reasoning model, and upgraded Advanced Voice Mode for paid users. New features for business users included meeting recording and connectors for Google Drive and Box. The company began using Google’s AI chips alongside Nvidia’s. A study from MIT suggested that ChatGPT might harm critical thinking skills.
July 2025
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Agent, a general-purpose agent capable of handling complex computer tasks. Study Mode was rolled out to promote critical thinking in students. The company delayed its open-weight model release for safety testing and began planning an AI-powered browser to compete with Chrome. ChatGPT hit 2.5 billion daily prompts and 700 million weekly active users.
August 2025
OpenAI unveiled GPT-5, a smarter, task-ready model with Auto, Fast, and Thinking modes. The company offered ChatGPT Enterprise to federal agencies for $1 for the first year. It also released open-weight models gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b. The chatbot reached 700 million weekly active users and generated $2 billion in mobile app revenue. A lawsuit from xAI alleged that Apple’s App Store practices gave OpenAI an unfair advantage.
September 2025
ChatGPT surpassed 800 million weekly active users. Open AI launched Pulse, a personalized morning briefing feature, and introduced Instant Checkout for shopping directly within ChatGPT. Developer tools now allow building apps inside ChatGPT. The company also tightened rules for teen users after a wrongful death lawsuit. GPT-5-Codex was rolled out for smarter AI coding.
October 2025
OpenAI revealed that ChatGPT handles over a million suicide-related conversations weekly and improved its responses with mental health experts. The company launched Atlas, an AI-powered browser, and partnered with Walmart for shopping. ChatGPT’s affordable Go plan expanded to 16 Asian countries. Developers gained the ability to build interactive apps inside ChatGPT.
November 2025
OpenAI introduced an AI shopping assistant and integrated voice mode into the main chat interface. GPT-5.1 was released with improved conversational tone. A Munich court ruled that ChatGPT violated music copyright laws. Seven more families sued OpenAI over suicides linked to chatbot interactions. The company reached 1 million business clients, making it the fastest-growing business platform in history.
December 2025
OpenAI allowed users to tweak ChatGPT’s energy and tone, and updated guidelines for teen users with parental controls. ChatGPT surpassed $3 billion in mobile app revenue. GPT-5.2 was rolled out, and Disney partnered with OpenAI in a $1 billion deal bringing characters to Sora. Sam Altman declared a “code red” inside OpenAI to prioritize ChatGPT over other initiatives as competition from Google and rivals intensified.
Source: TechCrunch News