OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has unveiled a series of updates to ChatGPT, giving users more control over the company’s latest GPT-5 model and expanding model options for paid subscribers.
In a post on X, Sam Altman said users can now choose between three response modes, “Auto”, “Fast”, and “Thinking”, for GPT-5. While most users are expected to stick with the Auto mode, the additional settings aim to help those seeking faster replies or deeper, more detailed reasoning, he said.
For GPT-5 Thinking, the weekly rate limit has been set at 3,000 messages, after which users will have access to extra capacity via GPT-5 Thinking mini.
The model now supports a 196k-token context limit, enabling it to process much longer conversations and documents. Altman noted that these limits could change over time based on usage patterns.
He also confirmed that GPT-4o has returned to the model picker for all paid users.
“If we ever do deprecate it, we will give plenty of notice,” Altman said. Now, paid users also have a “Show additional models” toggle in ChatGPT’s web settings, unlocking access to options like o3, 4.1, and GPT-5 Thinking mini. The GPT-4.5 model remains exclusive to Pro subscribers, with Altman citing its high GPU cost.
Altman also revealed OpenAI is working on an update to GPT-5’s personality to make it “warmer” than its current tone but “not as annoying (to most users) as GPT-4o.”
Recently, in its announcement, OpenAI said GPT-5 was better at coding and reasoning through complex problems, and touted it as advanced enough to turn chatbot ChatGPT into a PhD-level expert.
GPT-5, unveiled during a livestreamed event, is designed to be more capable of coding and creative writing as well as reasoning through complex queries. In a briefing, Sam Altman called it a “major upgrade” from the company’s prior AI models. For “the first time,” he said, “it really feels like talking to an expert in any topic.”
