OpenAI AI News & Updates

Ex-OpenAI CTO's Startup Seeks Record $2 Billion Seed Funding at $10 Billion Valuation

Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is reportedly targeting a $2 billion seed funding round at a $10 billion valuation despite having no product or revenue. The company has been attracting high-profile AI researchers, including former OpenAI executives Bob McGrew and Alec Radford, and aims to develop AI systems that are "more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable."

Former OpenAI Leadership Joins Mira Murati's AI Startup as Advisers

Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has added two prominent ex-OpenAI leaders as advisers: Bob McGrew, former chief research officer, and Alec Radford, a pioneering researcher behind GPT technology. While the startup's specific research agenda remains vague, it aims to build AI systems that are "more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable" than current options.

OpenAI Considers $500 Million Acquisition of Altman-Ive AI Hardware Startup

OpenAI is reportedly considering acquiring io Products, an AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, for approximately $500 million. The startup, which has received funding from Emerson Collective, is developing AI-enabled devices including smart home gadgets with a goal of creating products that are "less socially disruptive than the iPhone."

OpenAI Shifts Strategy: o3 Launch Reinstated, GPT-5 Delayed by Months

OpenAI has reversed its previous decision to cancel the consumer launch of its o3 reasoning model, now planning to release both o3 and a successor o4-mini in the coming weeks. CEO Sam Altman announced that GPT-5's development is progressing better than expected but integration challenges have pushed its release back by several months, with the company also planning to launch its first open language model since GPT-2.

OpenAI Faces Capacity Issues as ChatGPT Usage Surges to 500 Million Weekly Users

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that unexpected demand for ChatGPT's new image generation tool has created significant capacity challenges, resulting in delayed product releases and service issues. ChatGPT has now reached 500 million weekly users and 20 million paying subscribers, with a million new users joining in a single hour as the company struggles to scale infrastructure fast enough.

OpenAI Secures Historic $40 Billion Funding Round at $300 Billion Valuation

OpenAI has closed one of the largest private funding rounds in history, raising $40 billion at a $300 billion post-money valuation, led by SoftBank with participation from Microsoft and other previous investors. According to reports, approximately $18 billion will fund OpenAI's ambitious Stargate infrastructure project to establish a network of AI data centers across the United States.

OpenAI Announces Plans for First 'Open' Language Model Since GPT-2

OpenAI has announced plans to release its first 'open' language model since GPT-2 in the coming months, with a focus on reasoning capabilities similar to o3-mini. The company is actively seeking feedback from developers, researchers, and the broader community through a form on its website and upcoming developer events in San Francisco, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions.

OpenAI Relaxes Content Moderation Policies for ChatGPT's Image Generator

OpenAI has significantly relaxed its content moderation policies for ChatGPT's new image generator, now allowing creation of images depicting public figures, hateful symbols in educational contexts, and modifications based on racial features. The company describes this as a shift from `blanket refusals in sensitive areas to a more precise approach focused on preventing real-world harm.`

OpenAI Secures Massive Funding While New Image Generator Creates Stir

OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a massive $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank while simultaneously drawing attention for its new image generator in ChatGPT that can transform images into Studio Ghibli-style art. The tool has garnered positive reactions for its visual quality but also raises significant questions about copyright and intellectual property.

OpenAI Adopts Anthropic's Model Context Protocol for Data Integration

OpenAI has announced it will support Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) across its products, including the ChatGPT desktop app. MCP is an open standard that enables AI models to connect with external data sources and systems, allowing for more relevant and context-aware responses to queries through two-way connections between data sources and AI applications.