No Need to Pay, Still Use GPT-5: OpenAI Shocks With Unprecedented Policy

Since OpenAI’s inception, each new version of its GPT language models has marked a significant step forward in artificial intelligence. But the arrival of GPT-5 is not just another step forward, it’s a quantum leap. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has not hesitated to compare the event to “the moment when the first iPhone with Retina display was released,” referring to a moment that completely reshaped the way people interact with technology.

GPT-5 is now available on ChatGPT for all users and developers, ushering in a new era of AI with enhanced reasoning capabilities, near-instant processing speed, and an experience so natural that users may forget they are chatting with a machine. Notably, OpenAI chose to make GPT-5 free at the outset, a strategic and humane decision that reflects its vision of making AI accessible to all walks of life.

1. GPT-5 is now available to all ChatGPT users and developers

OpenAI has officially launched GPT-5 on the ChatGPT platform, including web and mobile apps. Free users can now use this powerful version without subscribing to the Plus plan. Meanwhile, developers are also provided with API access to integrate GPT-5 into their own applications, systems, and platforms. This is a real revolution in the AI ​​industry because it breaks down the high-tech access barrier, making GPT-5 a universal tool for a variety of purposes.

According to the official announcement, free users will be able to experience the full GPT-5 until they reach a certain usage threshold, after which the system will automatically switch to the GPT-5 Mini model to optimize resources. Paid users, especially those who subscribe to the ChatGPT Plus package, will have unlimited access to GPT-5 at peak performance, along with other advanced features such as Memory Mode, Browsing, Code Interpreter, and file upload for direct processing.

For developers, having three API options, GPT-5, GPT-5 Mini, and GPT-5 Nano, is not only cost-effective but also offers great flexibility. Depending on the intended use, from a lightweight customer service chatbot to a complex financial analysis system, developers can choose the GPT-5 variant that best suits their product.

2. The “Retina screen” moment of the AI ​​world

Sam Altman’s analogy of the launch of GPT-5 to the first iPhone with a Retina display is not a cliché. It is a symbolic statement that AI has entered a new era, one where its presence and usefulness are as natural, crisp, and friendly as the Retina experience that mobile users around the world once had.

If GPT-3 was a milestone in human-like text generation and GPT-4 brought AI closer to consistency and multitasking, then GPT-5 is a comprehensive step forward. It retains the solid foundation of its predecessors while making deep refinements in terms of interaction, inference, semantic accuracy, and user experience. It is no longer about machines “understanding” humans, but about them “empathizing,” or at least creating the feeling that they truly understand the context, emotion, and intent of speech.

3. Outstanding improvements

One of the core improvements of GPT-5 is its reasoning ability. No longer dotted lines of response or being easily sidetracked by ambiguous questions, GPT-5 demonstrates structured understanding and advanced reasoning, which is especially useful in areas such as programming, data analysis, science, and healthcare.

GPT-5 also significantly improves on information accuracy. By training on a newer, more extensive dataset and applying real-time feedback control, GPT-5 reduces “hallucination,” the phenomenon of AI generating false information. The result is more accurate, consistent, and more practical responses than ever before.

In terms of speed, many users have noticed that response latency has virtually disappeared. Complex queries that used to take seconds to process in GPT-4 now take less than a second. This not only improves the user experience, but also opens up opportunities to integrate GPT-5 into real-time systems such as voice-controlled virtual assistants, smart alarm systems, or automated customer service assistants.

Another highlight of GPT-5 is the simplification of the experience. Previously, users had to choose between GPT-3.5 or GPT-4, and even GPT-4 had modes like with or without browser, with or without programming functions. Now, GPT-5 operates as a unified system, automatically analyzing the complexity of the request and choosing the most appropriate way to handle it without any further user action.

In particular, users can customize the response style, such as short, concise, neutral, upbeat, academic, or friendly. They can even change the color scheme of the chat to reflect the mood or goal of the interaction. This is a testament to the “personalized AI” direction that OpenAI has been persistently pursuing for many years.

4. Flexible for every need with API GPT-5, GPT-5 Mini and GPT-5 Nano

Offering three API variants GPT-5, GPT-5 Mini and GPT-5 Nano is a strategic move that expands GPT-5's integration capabilities into almost any ecosystem.

GPT-5 Full is the most advanced model, suitable for applications that require deep inference, complex semantic processing, or expert-level user support. GPT-5 Mini is designed to maintain intelligence but is lighter, using less computational resources, suitable for mainstream applications, chatbots, or enterprise assistant systems. Finally, GPT-5 Nano is the ultra-lightweight version, optimized for embedded devices, mobile applications, and other cost-effective scenarios that still require intelligent interaction.

With this strategy, OpenAI not only proves that they possess advanced technology but also shows their business acumen when AI is no longer the privilege of large enterprises, but becomes an equal tool for all developers, startups and creative individuals.

5. Is GPT-5 the best AI model in the world?

Whether marketing or factual, Sam Altman’s claim that “GPT-5 is the best AI model in the world” is widely accepted in the tech community. Thanks to its ability to specialize, GPT-5 can adapt to context and domain with unprecedented intelligence.

In the writing field, GPT-5 not only improves grammar and vocabulary, but also demonstrates the ability to “capture tone,” an element that is inherently human. Bloggers, editors, and writers can now collaborate with GPT-5 as a true partner, not just a proofreader.

In programming, GPT-5 handles multilingual code more accurately, supports effective debugging, and can especially explain code snippets in a simple way to suit even novice programmers. Many IT experts believe that GPT-5 can be comparable or superior to dedicated programming assistants like GitHub Copilot in some situations.

In the healthcare space, GPT-5 has achieved new safety standards, and can assist doctors in preliminary diagnosis, monitor patient conditions through periodic data, or even provide mental health counseling based on natural conversation.

One of the persistent criticisms OpenAI has faced is that the GPT model can generate false information or be exploited for malicious purposes. With GPT-5, the team has implemented more sophisticated layers of protection and moderation to make the model's responses more thoughtful, careful, and responsible.

Inappropriate content warning systems operate at a deep semantic level and allow users to provide direct feedback to improve the model. This not only increases trust, but also creates a healthy, transparent interaction environment and aims to build AI that serves humans, not controls them.

6. GPT-5 is a stepping stone to the future

While OpenAI insists that GPT-5 is not yet artificial general intelligence (AGI), it is clear that the model is laying a solid foundation for that vision. Sam Altman predicted that AGI would arrive by 2027, and GPT-5, with its ability to reason, adapt, empathize, and learn continuously, is closer than ever.

AGI, if successful, would not be just an AI system that is smart at a few tasks, but a general intelligence that can perform almost any intellectual task that a human can. GPT-5 is not yet AGI, but it demonstrates that OpenAI is not just pursuing this vision theoretically, but is building the technical building blocks for that day.

OpenAI’s decision to release GPT-5 for free in its early stages is not only a technological triumph, but also a triumph of human philosophy. In a world riven by wealth gaps, educational inequality, and technological inequality, this move is a bold step toward empowering all.

GPT-5 is not only the best AI model today, but also a symbol of a future where AI is not just a tool for businesses, governments, or elites, but truly becomes a tool for humanity. With GPT-5, every user, from elementary school students to software engineers, from journalists to doctors, can have an intelligent assistant at their fingertips.