ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to supercharge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth with 300 million weekly active users.
In 2025, OpenAI has battled the perception that it was ceding ground in the AI race to Chinese rivals like DeepSeek, all while the company has tried to shore up its relationship with Washington, pursued ambitious data center projects, and laid the groundwork for one of the largest funding rounds in history. Most recently though, headlines around OpenAI have focused on its competition gaining ground, with CEO Sam Altman’s “code red” internal memo shifting company focus toward its flagship chatbot.
And going further into the archives for context, this year came after a packed 2024, from OpenAI’s partnership with Apple for its generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, the release of GPT-4o with voice capabilities, and the highly-anticipated launch of its text-to-video model Sora.
OpenAI also faced its share of internal drama, including the notable exits of high-level execs like co-founder and longtime chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati. OpenAI has also been hit with lawsuits from Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers alleging copyright infringement, as well as an injunction from Elon Musk to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit.
Below, you’ll find a timeline of ChatGPT product updates and releases, starting with the latest, which we’ve been updating throughout the year. If you have any other questions, check out our ChatGPT FAQ here.
To see a list of 2024-specific updates, go here.
Timeline of the most recent ChatGPT updates
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OpenAI lets users tweak ChatGPT’s energy and tone
OpenAI has added new controls in ChatGPT that let users adjust the chatbot’s warmth, enthusiasm, emoji use, and formatting style. This builds on existing tone options, addressing past complaints about the AI being too sycophantic or cold.
OpenAI updates ChatGPT guidelines to protect teen users
OpenAI has updated its guidelines for users under 18 and released new resources for parents to promote safer interactions with ChatGPT. Experts caution that while the rules are clearer on paper, it’s unclear how consistently the AI follows them in practice.
ChatGPT hits $3B in mobile app revenue faster than TikTok
ChatGPT has surpassed $3 billion in global consumer spending on mobile since its 2023 launch. This makes it one of the fastest-growing apps in terms of revenue, outpacing rivals like TikTok, Disney+, and HBO Max.
OpenAI rolls out an updated image generation model
OpenAI has released GPT Image 1.5, a new version of ChatGPT Images that’s faster and better at following instructions and making precise edits. The update comes as OpenAI races to keep up with Google’s Gemini and Nano Banana Pro in AI image generation.
Disney gives OpenAI a one-year exclusive period before expanding AI licensing
Disney is putting $1 billion into OpenAI as a way to dive into AI, letting users on Sora create videos using over 200 Disney characters, at least for the first year exclusively. Bob Iger says the deal gives Disney a chance to explore AI while protecting its characters and figuring out how to use this technology in the future.
OpenAI highlights enterprise surge as Google pressure grows
OpenAI says enterprise use of its AI tools has surged, with ChatGPT message volume up 8x since late 2024 and workers saving up to an hour a day. The data underscores OpenAI’s push to win en …