Since its debut in November 2022, ChatGPT—OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot—has rapidly transformed from a simple productivity tool into a global phenomenon, now boasting over 300 million weekly active users. Originally designed to help write essays and code from short prompts, it has grown into one of the most widely used AI applications in the world.

Figure 1. ChatGPT: The Ultimate Guide to AI’s Most Popular Chatbot.

The year 2024 marked major milestones for OpenAI, including its partnership with Apple to power Apple Intelligence, the launch of GPT-4o with advanced voice capabilities, and the much-anticipated release of Sora, its text-to-video model. Figure 1 shows ChatGPT: The Ultimate Guide to AI’s Most Popular Chatbot.

OpenAI has also weathered its share of turbulence, from the high-profile departures of co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati, to lawsuits from Alden Global Capital–owned newspapers over alleged copyright infringement, and even an injunction from Elon Musk aimed at halting its shift toward a for-profit model.

In 2025, the company faces growing pressure as critics suggest it’s losing ground in the AI race to Chinese competitors like DeepSeek. At the same time, OpenAI is working to strengthen its ties with Washington, advancing plans for a massive data center project, and reportedly preparing for one of the largest funding rounds in tech history.

Below, you’ll find a timeline of ChatGPT product updates and releases—kept up to date throughout the year. For more details, you can also explore our ChatGPT FAQ.

OpenAI to tighten ChatGPT safeguards after teen suicide lawsuit

OpenAI is facing a lawsuit from the parents of a 16-year-old who died by suicide. In response, the company announced new safeguards for ChatGPT, including stronger detection of mental health risks and expanded parental control tools. The updates are designed to provide stricter protections around suicide-related conversations and give parents greater oversight of their children’s use.

OpenAI launches cheaper ChatGPT subscription in India

Expanding in its second-largest market, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Go, a budget-friendly subscription priced at ₹399 ($4.57) per month. The plan provides access to the GPT-5 model along with additional premium features, aiming to broaden adoption in India.

ChatGPT mobile app revenue hits $2B milestone

Since launching in May 2023, the ChatGPT mobile app has generated $2 billion in global consumer spending—about 30 times more than rivals Claude, Copilot, and Grok combined. In 2025 alone, the app pulled in $1.35 billion, a 673% year-over-year surge, averaging nearly $193 million per month.

OpenAI keeps legacy models alongside GPT-5

Despite positioning GPT-5 as an all-purpose AI, OpenAI continues to support earlier versions like GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, and o3. Subscribers now have access to GPT-5 in three modes—Auto, Fast, and Thinking—while paid users can also switch back to legacy models.

OpenAI patches bug that let minors access explicit content

A flaw in ChatGPT allowed accounts registered to under-18 users to generate graphic erotic content, TechCrunch reported. OpenAI confirmed the issue, calling it a “bug” that bypassed its content guidelines. The company said it is deploying fixes to ensure sensitive material is restricted to narrow, approved contexts such as scientific or historical discussions.

ChatGPT adds features to improve online shopping

OpenAI expanded ChatGPT’s web search capabilities to better assist with e-commerce. Users can now ask natural language questions to receive tailored product recommendations, complete with images and reviews across categories like fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics.

OpenAI explores linking its open model with cloud-hosted systems

According to sources, OpenAI is considering allowing its upcoming open AI model to connect with its cloud-based systems. This would enhance its ability to handle more complex queries by drawing on additional compute resources.

OpenAI developing a free, open AI model

The company is preparing to launch a freely accessible AI system without API restrictions, led by VP of Research Aidan Clark. Still in the early stages, the project reflects OpenAI’s aim to make its open model one of the best-performing on the market.

Concerns raised over GPT-4.1’s reliability

Released in April, GPT-4.1 has shown weaker alignment and reliability than earlier OpenAI models in independent testing. Unlike past “frontier models,” OpenAI did not publish a safety system card for GPT-4.1, explaining that the model does not fall into that category.

Source: TC

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), ChatGPT: A Complete Guide to the AI-Powered Chatbot, AnaTechMaz, pp. 307