Technologies

ChatGPT Is Getting a Big Upgrade. Here’s What’s New With GPT-5

The new large language model is rolling out to all ChatGPT users.

Expect your ChatGPT experience to get faster and smarter today.

OpenAI updated its flagship line of large language models Thursday, unveiling the GPT-5 generative AI model after months of anticipation. While the developer has released a lot of model updates in recent months, including new open-weights models just this week, it’s been more than two years since the debut of GPT-4. With a new generation worthy of a new number, how big of a change should you expect?

«I tried going back to GPT-4 and it was quite miserable,» OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told reporters. «This is significantly better in obvious ways and subtle ways.»

Like its predecessor, GPT-5 powers the chatbots, agents and search tools you’re used to using in ChatGPT or through other apps that use OpenAI’s technology. But the company said this version is much smarter, more accurate and faster. Demonstrations showed it quickly creating custom applications with no coding required, and developers said they’ve worked on ways to make sure it provides safer answers to potentially treacherous questions. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

The new model should be available for everyone on Thursday, including those who use ChatGPT’s free tier. Here’s what to expect.

One model for everybody (kinda)

Unlike some of OpenAI’s incremental releases, GPT-5 will be rolled out for all users, from those using it for free through ChatGPT to those who work at companies that pay for big enterprise plans. There are, naturally, some differences between how it looks based on whether and how you pay for it. Here’s a breakdown:

Free users: You’ll get access to GPT-5 up to a usage cap, after which you’ll have a lighter GPT-5-mini model.
Plus users: Similar to free users, but with higher usage limits.
Pro users: Unlimited access to GPT-5 and access to a more powerful GPT-5 Pro model.
Enterprise/EDU/Team users: GPT-5 will be the default model, although it may be next week before it’s rolled out for everyone.

GPT-5 itself is really a couple of different models. There’s a fast but fairly straightforward LLM and a more robust reasoning model for handling more complex questions. A routing program identifies which model can best handle the prompt.

Even faster coding skills

OpenAI particularly highlighted the skills and speed at which the new model can write code. This isn’t just a function for programmers. The model’s ability to write a program makes it easier for it to solve a problem you present to it by creating the right tool.

Yann Dubois, a post-training lead at OpenAI, showed off the model’s coding ability by asking it to create an app for learning French. Within minutes, it had coded a web application complete with sound and working game functions. Dubois actually asked it to create two different apps, running the same prompt through the model twice. The speed at which GPT-5 writes code allows you to try multiple times and pick the result you like best — or provide feedback to make changes until you get it right.

«The beauty is that you can iterate super quickly with GPT-5 to make the changes that you want,» Dubois said. «GPT-5 really opens a whole new world of vibe coding.»

Read more: Never Use ChatGPT for These 11 Things

New safety features

After announcing some steps this week to improve how its tools handle sensitive mental health issues, OpenAI said GPT-5 has some tweaks of its own to make things safer.

The new model has improved training to avoid deceptive or inaccurate information, which will also improve the user experience, said Alex Beutel, safety research lead.

It’ll also respond differently if you ask a prompt that could be dangerous. Previous models would refuse to answer a potentially harmful question, but GPT-5 will instead try to provide the best safe answer, Beutel said. This can help when a question is innocent (like a science student asking a chemistry question) but sounds more sinister (like someone trying to make a weapon). «The model tries to give as helpful of an answer as possible but within the constraints of feeling safe,» Beutel said.

But is this really the way to AGI?

Altman told reporters the model is a «significant step along the path to AGI,» or artificial general intelligence, a term that often refers to models that are as smart and capable as a human. But Altman also said it’s definitely not there yet. One big reason is that it’s still not learning continuously while it’s deployed.

OpenAI’s stated goal is to try to develop AGI (although Altman said he’s not a big fan of the term), and it’s got competition. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been recruiting top AI scientists with the goal of creating «superintelligence.»

Whether large language models are the way there, nobody knows right now. Three-quarters of AI experts surveyed earlier this year said they had doubts LLMs would scale up to create something of that level of intelligence.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 28, #551

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 28, No. 551.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Michiganders, today’s Connections: Sports Edition is calling your name. Players will also notice a certain primary color showing up a lot. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: The Great Lakes State.

Green group hint: What happens when you’re at the plate.

Blue group hint: Not yellow or blue.

Purple group hint: Hallmark makes these.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Michigan teams.

Green group: Outcomes in an at-bat.

Blue group: «Red» teams.

Purple group: ____ card.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Michigan teams. The four answers are Lions, Pistons, Spartans and Tigers.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is outcomes in an at-bat. The four answers are fielder’s choice, hit, strikeout and walk.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is «red» teams. The four answers are Red Bulls, Red Sox, Red Storm and Red Wings.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ card. The four answers are baseball, lineup, red and wild.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, March 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I didn’t get off to a good start, as 1-Across stumped me. But once I filled in some other answers, it all came together. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Makes a choice, with «for»
Answer: OPTS

5A clue: Like winters in Buffalo and Boulder
Answer: SNOWY

6A clue: ___ Island (N.Y.C. borough)
Answer: STATEN

7A clue: HBO show that spawned the Idris Elba quote «I want you to put the word out there, that we back up»
Answer: THEWIRE

8A clue: Genre for Cardi B or Jay-Z
Answer: HIPHOP

9A clue: Remove from the top of one’s profile, as a post
Answer: UNPIN

10A clue: Consider to be
Answer: DEEM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Done impulsively
Answer: ONAWHIM

2D clue: Magical concoction
Answer: POTION

3D clue: Little scamp
Answer: TWERP

4D clue: «Auld Lang ___»
Answer: SYNE

5D clue: Vast Eurasian grassland
Answer: STEPPE

6D clue: Follower of «sun» (for weather) or «moon» (for liquor)
Answer: SHINE

7D clue: Land with a ___ (fail)
Answer: THUD

Technologies

New Vizio TVs Will Require Walmart Accounts, Report Says

The retail giant bought TV manufacturer Vizio in 2024 to push advertising, one report claims.

Customers who buy a new Vizio TV may need to sign in with a Walmart account to use streaming features.

A Walmart representative confirmed to Ars Technica that its online logins will be «mandatory on select new Vizio OS TVs» for users who set up and install streaming apps.

It’s unclear which new models and versions of its OS are affected, and whether this requirement could also apply to existing TVs.

A Vizio representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Vizio released its latest Quantum 4K TV in January, one of the company’s first new models since Walmart acquired the manufacturer in December 2024. Some industry insiders saw the deal as a way for Walmart to push advertising to Vizio’s large install base.

PCMag’s TV expert Will Greenwald confirmed to CNET that he needed «to enable sharing viewing information to turn on the streaming features» on the Quantum 4K TV, but wasn’t asked for a Walmart login. Greenwald said he was still able to stream after turning the setting off. (PCMag is owned by the same company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Most new TVs require a login to set them up — Samsung TVs use Samsung accounts, Fire TVs use Amazon accounts, Google TVs use Google accounts, and so on. Since 2024, Vizio TVs have also required a Vizio login, but this appears to be the first time a Walmart login is required as well. It’s unusual for a television to force owners to use a third-party retailer account just to watch content. The move highlights how even affordable tech can come with unexpected digital strings attached.

Vizio ranks among the top brands for budget-conscious buyers, and its TVs and soundbars have been regular recipients of CNET’s Editors’ Choice Awards.