OpenAI Moves To Unify AI Models With GPT-5 — Sam Altman Admits, 'We Hate the Model Picker As Much As You Do'

OpenAI is set to streamline its artificial intelligence offerings by phasing out the standalone ‘o3’ model, CEO Sam Altman announced on Wednesday.

What Happened: Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Altman said that the upcoming GPT-4.5, internally known as Orion, will be the last non-chain-of-thought model.

After that, OpenAI will launch GPT-5 as an integrated system within ChatGPT and its API. The update will include advancements from o3, which will no longer be available as a separate model.

“We hate the model picker as much as you do and want to return to magic unified intelligence,” he stated.

See Also: Bill Gates Has A Soft Spot For Intel, But Says The Chip Giant Has Lost Its Way — Questions Whether The Company Can Recover After CEO Exit And Falling Behind In AI

Moreover, the free tier of ChatGPT will offer unlimited access to GPT-5 at a standard intelligence setting, subject to abuse thresholds.

“Plus subscribers will be able to run GPT-5 at a higher level of intelligence, and Pro subscribers will be able to run GPT-5 at an even higher level of intelligence.”

OPENAI ROADMAP UPDATE FOR GPT-4.5 and GPT-5:

We want to do a better job of sharing our intended roadmap, and a much better job simplifying our product offerings.

We want AI to "just work" for you; we realize how complicated our model and product offerings have gotten.

We hate…

— Sam Altman (@sama) February 12, 2025

When a user asked Altman about the estimated time of arrival for GPT-4.5 and GPT-5, he responded vaguely saying "weeks/months."

weeks / months

— Sam Altman (@sama) February 12, 2025

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Why It Matters: The decision to phase out the ‘o3’ model comes after reports that OpenAI’s ‘o3’ could cost up to $3,000 per query, raising concerns about the economic viability of such models.

OpenAI is also reportedly advancing toward creating its own AI chip, which could reduce its reliance on Nvidia Corporation. The company is expected to submit its design to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for fabrication soon.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk has proposed a $97.4 billion purchase of OpenAI's nonprofit division, but the startup's board reportedly intends to decline the offer.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.