OpenAI is reportedly experiencing delays in the development of its GPT-5 model, the successor to GPT-4. Recent reports indicate that the company has encountered multiple challenges, including a shortage of training data and substantial funding requirements. The development process for this advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model has exceeded 18 months, significantly longer than originally anticipated. The timeline for its public release remains uncertain.
Delays Plague OpenAI’s GPT-5 Development
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the GPT-5 initiative, codenamed Orion, is lagging behind schedule with no clear forecast for when it may be completed. Sources familiar with the situation have highlighted that primary challenges include the high costs associated with the model’s development and insufficient training data to enhance its capabilities.
The report states that OpenAI has conducted two extensive training sessions for GPT-5, each lasting several months and requiring vast amounts of data. Unexpected complications during these sessions have hindered the achievement of the intended outcomes. Notably, a training cycle spanning six months for GPT-5 has been estimated to cost around $500 million (approximately Rs. 4,260 crores).
Currently, GPT-5 is said to show only minor improvements over existing OpenAI models. However, it reportedly lacks the sophistication necessary to attract commercial interest or generate profit, given the substantial operational costs associated with it, according to insiders.
As it stands, OpenAI is expected to conduct several additional training sessions to elevate the model to the desired level of expertise. Yet, the reported data scarcity may further postpone the training process. This delay has raised concerns among OpenAI’s major investor, Microsoft, which had anticipated a mid-2024 release for GPT-5 that now appears increasingly unlikely.
