--- title: "OpenAI Has a Major Problem on Its Hands With GPT-5" description: "It has only been five days since OpenAI's GPT-5 model was released — and we've been given countless reasons to conclude it's a dud." date: "2025-08-13" modified: "2025-08-13" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-huge-problem-gpt-5" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "gpt-5" - "llms" - "OpenAI" - "the digest" --- # OpenAI Has a Major Problem on Its Hands With GPT-5 ![It has only been five days since OpenAI's GPT-5 model was released — and we've been given countless reasons to conclude it's a dud.]() *\Image: Chip Somodevilla / Getty / Futurism\* ## GPT-Whiff It has only been five days since OpenAI's long-awaited GPT-5 model [was released]() — and in those five days, we've been given countless reasons to conclude that it's a bit of a dud. From [*Axios*' review]() announcing that the new large language model (LLM) has "landed with a thud" to [*Ars Technica* making the argument]() that the launch of the much-anticipated new model has been "messy," the tech press has spoken — and the news is not good for OpenAI. As [*The Information* points out](), OpenAI may have hit the much-dreaded "trough of disillusionment," where hype and inflated expectations suddenly give way to widespread disappointment when the results don't live up to that hype. In other words, the ChatGPT maker has fallen far short of [Altman's lofty promises](). It's a worrying sign that the industry may be rapidly approaching a [point of diminishing returns](), which doesn't bode well considering how much money companies continue to pour into the tech. ## Large Languishing Model And it's not just the tech media that noticed. Users on social media [derided the long-awaited AI model]() as a major step back, with some speculating that OpenAI was looking to cut costs by hamstringing its capabilities. Despite knowing that GPT-5 wasn't going to live up to the hype, the company persisted in overblowing it. Multiple developers told *The Information*, for instance, that the new model had issues with seamlessly knowing when to "think harder" when given tougher prompts — a pain point power users have [already been noticing](). "Even if GPT-5 is an improvement in certain domains, there have been so many model releases from OpenAI and its rivals since GPT-4o came out last May," *The Information* noted, "that the improvements can feel incremental." As friendly press chides OpenAI for failing to deploy something truly impressive — which is, to be fair, [not a new problem]() for the AI company — users are outright trashing it. From the "power users" furious that they [lost their BFF]() GPT-4o to those who think the new model's responses are [shorter and less precise](), c[riticisms of GPT-5 abound]() on social media — and with [only paid subscribers]() being able to go back to 4o, there's a non-zero chance many OpenAI stans will [jump ship for good](). **More on GPT-5:** [*Sam Altman Allegedly Has a Very Specific Tell Every Time He Lies*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()