OpenAI's Sam Altman Hints at Delays and Capacity Crunches for ChatGPT-5 Release

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has hinted that ChatGPT-5 may not be released immediately, despite previous speculation that it would be released in early August. Altman warned users of "capacity crunches" and a potentially choppy experience in the near future. The delay has left users eager but braced for a potentially rough ride ahead. Altman also mentioned that the company has a ton of new releases planned over the next couple of months, including new models, products, and features.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has indicated that the release of ChatGPT-5 may not occur as soon as previously anticipated. In a recent post, Altman warned users of potential "capacity crunches" and a potentially choppy experience in the near future. This delay has left users eager but prepared for a potentially rough ride ahead.

Altman also mentioned that the company has a series of new releases planned over the next couple of months, including new models, products, and features. These updates aim to gradually scale up infrastructure and stabilize performance before the full release of ChatGPT-5.

The delay in the release of ChatGPT-5 is attributed to several challenges faced by OpenAI, including data limitations and hardware-induced failures during training [1]. The company has been investing in "test-time compute" to handle complex tasks, as highlighted by Altman [1]. This strategy is intended to ensure the stability of the AI model and prevent overburdening the infrastructure.

OpenAI's cautious approach to the release of ChatGPT-5 reflects a broader maturity in AI deployment, moving away from hype-fueled launches and towards sustainable, long-term adoption. This approach is particularly important for enterprise users who prioritize reliability over novelty.

Users should expect some delays, slow response times, or periodic downgrades in model access over the next few weeks or months as OpenAI prepares for the full ChatGPT-5 rollout. Paid tiers such as ChatGPT Plus may still face intermittent throttling, depending on system load.

Altman's public acknowledgment of the challenges ahead suggests that OpenAI is aware of rising user expectations and is working to manage them while continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible in AI.

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/openais-long-awaited-gpt-5-model-nears-release-2025-08-06/
[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4479956-openai-to-provide-chatgpt-enterprise-to-us-federal-agencies-for-1-a-year
[3] https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/ai/openai-signals-chatgpt-capacity-crunch-as-gpt-5-launch-delays-surface.html