Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently announced upcoming new models, products, and features via X.com, while cautioning users about potential service disruptions and “capacity crunches” in the coming months, despite earlier expectations for a GPT-5 release in early August.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X.com, stating, “we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months – new models, products, features, and more.” This announcement arrived amidst widespread anticipation for the release of GPT-5, which many news outlets had predicted would launch at the beginning of August. The calendar’s shift into August, however, did not bring the expected release, with only Altman’s tweet materializing.
we have a ton of stuff to launch over the next couple of months–new models, products, features, and more.
please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. although it may be slightly choppy, we think you’ll really love what we’ve created for you!
— Sam Altman (@sama) August 2, 2025
The commencement of August had been considered an optimal period for the introduction of GPT-5. Altman’s reference to launches occurring “over the next couple of months” suggests that users may need to wait longer for the debut of OpenAI’s advanced model. This timeframe indicates a potential delay from the widely speculated early August release, pushing the anticipated arrival further into the latter half of the year.
Concurrently with his product announcement, Altman issued a warning to ChatGPT users regarding potential service disruptions in the forthcoming months. He stated, “Please bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches. Although it may be slightly choppy, we think you’ll really love what we’ve created for you!” This statement directly addressed the possibility of intermittent service quality as new developments are introduced and integrated into the existing infrastructure.
Following Altman’s warning, a ChatGPT user, identified as Rhizopus_Nigrians, reported a new restriction on the service. This user stated that the platform had begun to cap the number of daily image uploads at 30, a change implemented without prior notification. Rhizopus_Nigrians expressed frustration, commenting, “This cripples the workflow for serious users. And I am one. I’ve paid for Plus since the beginning. I love it. I’ve promoted this tool to friends, peers, even students.”
Other users participating in the Reddit thread where this complaint was posted largely suggested that the image upload cap might be a temporary software bug rather than a permanent policy alteration by OpenAI. To investigate this, a test involving the upload of 40 images in a single day was conducted without encountering any issues. However, this observation does not conclusively dismiss the possibility that the reported cap could be an instance of the “capacity crunches” or “hiccups” that Altman had mentioned in his recent tweet, indicating a transient or localized issue.
GPT-5 is anticipated to represent a significant advancement in OpenAI’s model architecture. It is expected to be the first model capable of automatically routing user requests to the most appropriate internal model version or research method. This eliminates the need for users to manually select from various, often confusingly named, model versions. Additionally, reports indicate that GPT-5 will feature notable improvements across several critical performance metrics, including enhanced accuracy, increased processing speed, and optimized resource efficiency.
While the absence of GPT-5’s release at the start of August has caused some disappointment, ample time remains within the month for its potential debut. A key aspect of its release will involve determining whether access is initially restricted to Plus subscribers or if free ChatGPT users will also gain immediate access to the new model. The anticipated demand for GPT-5, particularly if it includes advancements in its image generation capabilities, is expected to be exceptionally high. This projected surge in usage is likely a primary reason behind Altman’s preemptive warning about potential service disruptions.
