ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What began as a tool to boost productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a global phenomenon with 300 million weekly active users.
2024 was a landmark year for OpenAI. The company announced a partnership with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into its generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence. It also released GPT-4o, a model with advanced voice capabilities, and unveiled Sora, its highly anticipated text-to-video model. However, OpenAI also faced internal challenges, including the departures of key executives like co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati.
Legal troubles also emerged. OpenAI was hit with lawsuits from Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers over copyright infringement and an injunction from Elon Musk to halt its transition to a for-profit model.
In 2025, OpenAI is working to counter perceptions that it is losing ground in the AI race to Chinese competitors like DeepSeek. The company is strengthening its ties with Washington while pursuing an ambitious data center project in collaboration with SoftBank and Oracle. Additionally, OpenAI is reportedly preparing for one of the largest funding rounds in history.
Below is a timeline of ChatGPT’s most recent updates and releases, starting with the latest developments.
### July 2025
**ChatGPT Introduces Study Mode**
OpenAI launched Study Mode, a feature designed to encourage critical thinking by prompting students to engage with material rather than simply providing answers. The tool is rolling out to Free, Plus, Pro, and Team users, with availability for Edu subscribers expected soon.
**Altman Warns Against ChatGPT Therapy**
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cautioned users about seeking emotional support from ChatGPT, noting that AI lacks the confidentiality safeguards of human therapists.
**ChatGPT Hits 2.5 Billion Prompts Daily**
The chatbot now processes 2.5 billion prompts daily worldwide, with 330 million coming from the U.S. This marks a significant increase from just eight months prior.
**OpenAI Launches General-Purpose Agent**
A new feature, ChatGPT Agent, combines multiple capabilities to perform tasks like calendar management, presentation drafting, and online shopping autonomously.
**Study Warns of Risks with AI Therapy Bots**
Stanford researchers found that AI therapy chatbots can sometimes stigmatize users or provide harmful responses, raising concerns about their widespread use.
**OpenAI Delays Open Model Release**
The company postponed the launch of its open-weight model indefinitely to conduct additional safety testing.
**AI Browser in Development**
OpenAI is reportedly working on an AI-powered web browser to compete with Google Chrome, keeping more interactions within ChatGPT.
**Mysterious “Study Together” Feature**
Some users spotted a new “Study Together” tool, hinting at future collaborative learning capabilities.
**News Referrals Rise, But Not Enough**
Referrals from ChatGPT to news sites are increasing, but they don’t offset declining traffic from AI-powered search results.
### June 2025
**OpenAI Uses Google’s AI Chips**
For the first time, OpenAI is leveraging Google’s AI chips to power ChatGPT, supplementing its reliance on Nvidia GPUs.
**MIT Study Questions Critical Thinking Impact**
Research suggests ChatGPT may harm users’ critical thinking skills, showing reduced brain engagement compared to traditional methods.
**ChatGPT Downloads Surge**
The ChatGPT iOS app was downloaded nearly 30 million times in a month, rivaling major social media platforms.
**Energy Consumption Insights**
Sam Altman revealed that an average ChatGPT query uses energy equivalent to powering a lightbulb for a few minutes.
**O3-Pro Model Released**
An upgraded version of OpenAI’s reasoning model, O3-Pro, offers enhanced performance for coding and research tasks.
**Voice Mode Upgrade**
ChatGPT’s conversational voice feature now sounds more natural, improving translation and interaction quality.
**New Business Features**
Integrations with Google Drive, Box, and meeting recording capabilities were added for enterprise users.
### May 2025
**Hardware Expansion Plans**
OpenAI acquired designer Jony Ive’s startup, io, for $6.4 billion, signaling a push into AI-powered hardware.
**Codex AI Coding Agent Launched**
A specialized model, Codex, assists with software engineering tasks, generating cleaner and more precise code.
**Personalization Ambitions**
Altman expressed a vision for ChatGPT to remember every detail of a user’s life for deeper personalization.
**GPT-4.1 Models Released**
New models focused on coding efficiency were introduced, alongside updates to Deep Research and GitHub integration.
**Data Residency in Asia**
Following its European program, OpenAI expanded data residency options to India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
**Infrastructure Growth Initiative**
A new program, OpenAI for Countries, aims to help governments build AI infrastructure tailored to local needs.
### April 2025
**Sycophancy Fixes**
OpenAI addressed complaints about ChatGPT becoming overly agreeable, rolling back an update to GPT-4o.
**Bug Allowing Inappropriate Content**
A flaw let minors generate erotic content, prompting OpenAI to implement stricter safeguards.
**Shopping Features Added**
ChatGPT Search now provides product recommendations, images, and reviews for online shoppers.
**Open Model Development**
OpenAI is working on a freely downloadable AI model, aiming to make it the best in its class.
**GPT-4.1 Safety Concerns**
Independent tests suggested the new model was less reliable than previous versions, raising transparency questions.
**Flex Processing for Cost Savings**
A new API feature allows slower, cheaper AI processing for non-critical tasks.
**Biological Risk Safeguards**
OpenAI introduced monitoring to prevent its models from aiding in harmful biological or chemical research.
### March 2025
**Open Language Model Plans**
OpenAI announced intentions to release its first open model since GPT-2, with developer feedback sessions planned.
**Image Generation Restrictions Lifted**
Following viral success with Studio Ghibli-style images, OpenAI relaxed content moderation policies.
**Adoption of Anthropic’s Protocol**
The company integrated a rival’s standard to improve AI model accuracy and data linking.
**Copyright Concerns Over AI Art**
The popularity of Ghibli-esque images sparked debates over AI-generated content and copyright violations.
**Revenue Growth Projections**
OpenAI expects 2025 revenue to triple to $12.7 billion, driven by paid AI services.
**Leadership Changes**
COO Brad Lightcap took on expanded responsibilities as Altman shifted focus to research and product development.
**Voice Assistant Improvements**
Advanced Voice Mode became more conversational, with free users gaining access to basic features.
### February 2025
**GPT-5 Plans Announced**
OpenAI canceled O3 in favor of a unified next-gen model, GPT-5, integrating multiple technologies.
**Energy Use Clarified**
Contrary to earlier estimates, ChatGPT queries consume less power than previously assumed.
**Enhanced Thought Process Display**
O3-mini now reveals more reasoning steps to improve transparency.
**Web Search Without Login**
OpenAI allowed users to access ChatGPT Search without signing in, though mobile still requires authentication.
**Deep Research Agent**
A new tool helps users conduct complex, multi-source research within ChatGPT.
### January 2025
**AI Persuasion Testing**
OpenAI used Reddit to measure how effectively its models could change users’ opinions.
**O3-Mini Launch**
A more affordable reasoning model was introduced, balancing power and cost.
**Demographic Insights**
A report found that 85% of ChatGPT mobile users are male, with over half under 25.
**Government Plan Released**
ChatGPT Gov offers U.S. agencies secure access to OpenAI’s tools for sensitive data handling.
**Teen Usage Doubles**
More students are using ChatGPT for schoolwork, despite concerns about accuracy.
**Data Retention Policies**
OpenAI disclosed that deleted Operator data may be stored for up to 90 days.
**Autonomous Agent Preview**
Operator, an AI assistant for tasks like travel booking, was made available to Pro subscribers.
### FAQs
**What is ChatGPT?**
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that generates text based on user prompts.
**When was ChatGPT released?**
November 30, 2022.
**Latest version?**
GPT-4o.
**Is there a free version?**
Yes, though paid tiers offer additional features.
**Who uses ChatGPT?**
Individuals, businesses, and educational institutions worldwide.
**Controversies?**
Issues include plagiarism, misinformation, and legal challenges over copyright and defamation.
**Alternatives?**
Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and open-source models.
**Privacy concerns?**
OpenAI allows users in certain regions to request data deletion, balancing privacy with free expression.
This timeline and FAQ section will be updated as new developments arise.