ChatGPT, OpenAI's text-generating AI chatbot, continued its meteoric rise in 2025, evolving from a simple productivity tool into a platform with 800 million weekly active users. The year was marked by intense competition, major product launches, and increased scrutiny over safety and copyright. Here is a timeline of the most significant updates and events of 2025.
January 2025
OpenAI launched o3-mini, a new reasoning model that balances power and affordability. The company also introduced ChatGPT Gov, a dedicated plan for U.S. government agencies. A new feature allowed users to schedule reminders and recurring tasks. Additionally, OpenAI tested phone-number-only signups in the U.S. and India.
February 2025
OpenAI canceled the standalone o3 model in favor of a unified GPT-5 release. The company unveiled Deep Research, an AI agent for complex research tasks. ChatGPT's web search became available without login, and the o3-mini model revealed more of its reasoning process. Meanwhile, a report indicated that 85% of ChatGPT mobile users were male.
March 2025
OpenAI announced plans to release an open-source language model for the first time since GPT-2. The image generation feature in ChatGPT was upgraded with GPT-4o, enabling Studio Ghibli-style images that raised copyright concerns. ChatGPT's weekly active users reached 400 million. OpenAI also adopted Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) and introduced tools for building AI agents.
April 2025
OpenAI released GPT-4.1, focusing on coding capabilities, alongside smaller variants. The o3 and o4-mini reasoning models launched with biorisk safeguards. ChatGPT added a memory feature to recall past conversations. A bug that allowed minors to generate inappropriate content was fixed. OpenAI also offered free ChatGPT Plus to U.S. and Canadian college students.
May 2025
Codex, an AI coding agent, was introduced. GPT-4.1 became available directly in ChatGPT for coding tasks. OpenAI launched a data residency program in Asia and announced Project Stargate for AI infrastructure. The company also promised to fix ChatGPT's sycophantic behavior.
June 2025
o3-pro, an enhanced reasoning model, was launched. ChatGPT's voice mode was upgraded for natural conversations. New features like meeting recording and cloud service connectors were added for business users. A study showed ChatGPT queries use minimal energy, and the app was downloaded 30 million times in a month.
July 2025
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Agent, a general-purpose agent for computer tasks, and a study mode to promote critical thinking. The company delayed its open-source model for safety testing. ChatGPT reached 2.5 billion prompts daily. Altman warned users about therapy confidentiality. A study highlighted risks of AI therapy chatbots.
August 2025
GPT-5 was unveiled with three modes: Auto, Fast, and Thinking. ChatGPT's weekly active users neared 700 million. OpenAI strengthened safeguards after a teen suicide lawsuit and offered ChatGPT Enterprise to federal agencies for $1. The company also released its first open-source models since GPT-2.
September 2025
OpenAI launched Pulse, a personalized morning briefing feature, and Instant Checkout for shopping within ChatGPT. The budget-friendly ChatGPT Go plan expanded to Indonesia. Parental controls were rolled out, and rules for teen users were tightened. GPT-5-Codex, a coding agent, and a new study feature were added.
October 2025
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Atlas, an AI browser, and allowed developers to build apps inside ChatGPT. ChatGPT surpassed 800 million weekly active users. The company partnered with Walmart for shopping and launched a company knowledge feature. A report showed ChatGPT handled over a million suicide-related conversations weekly.
November 2025
GPT-5.1 was released with advanced reasoning and tone customization. Group chat became available to all users. OpenAI reached 1 million business clients. The company faced lawsuits over ChatGPT-related suicides and a copyright ruling in Munich. Voice mode was integrated into the main interface.
December 2025
GPT-5.2 launched with three versions: Instant, Thinking, and Pro. Disney invested $1 billion in OpenAI and partnered to bring characters to Sora. ChatGPT surpassed $3 billion in mobile revenue. New controls allowed users to adjust ChatGPT's tone and energy. Image generation was updated to GPT Image 1.5. Altman declared a 'code red' to prioritize ChatGPT amidst rising competition.
Source: TechCrunch News