OpenAI Set to Launch GPT-4.5 Next Week as Microsoft Prepares for GPT-5 Integration

GPT-4.5: The Final Non-Chain-of-Thought Model Arrives

OpenAI’s highly anticipated GPT-4.5, codenamed Orion, is expected to launch as early as next week, according to internal sources at Microsoft. The model, which has already entered server deployment phases on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, represents OpenAI’s last iteration of non-chain-of-thought (CoT) architecture238.

• Performance Leap: GPT-4.5 is touted to significantly outperform its predecessor, GPT-4, with enhanced reasoning and accuracy, though it retains a traditional framework lacking the CoT advancements seen in newer models49.
• Imminent Release: Despite OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s earlier statement that GPT-4.5 would arrive “in a few weeks,” Microsoft engineers have accelerated server preparations to host the model by next week, signaling an expedited rollout27.

GPT-5: A Unified Model Targeting AGI

While GPT-4.5 bridges the gap, OpenAI’s flagship GPT-5—slated for a late May 2025 release—promises to redefine the AI landscape by unifying the company’s fragmented model families.

1. Integration of o-Series Models
   GPT-5 will absorb OpenAI’s specialized o3推理模型 (previously released as o3-mini), merging its capabilities into a single, cohesive system. This consolidation aims to eliminate user confusion over model selection and streamline functionality3811.
2. AGI Aspirations
   Altman has positioned GPT-5 as a critical step toward achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), with the model designed to handle diverse tasks—from creative writing to complex scientific simulations—under one architecture29.
3. Subscription Tiers
   The model will offer tiered intelligence levels:
   • Free Users: Access to a baseline version.
   • ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): Mid-tier performance.
   • ChatGPT Pro ($200/month): Full-scale GPT-5 capabilities, including priority access to advanced features3.

Microsoft’s Strategic Role

As OpenAI’s primary cloud partner, Microsoft is central to the rollout:

• Infrastructure Scaling: The company is expanding Azure server capacity to accommodate GPT-4.5’s imminent release and GPT-5’s demands, which are expected to dwarf current computational needs25.
• Build 2025 Synergy: Microsoft plans to preview GPT-5 at its Build 2025 Developer Conference (May 19–21), aligning the model’s late-May launch with its flagship event811.
• Copilot Integration: GPT-5 will power the next generation of Microsoft’s Copilot AI, enhancing productivity tools like Teams and Office with advanced reasoning3.

Industry Implications and Challenges

1. Competitive Pressure
   The rapid iteration from GPT-4.5 to GPT-5 intensifies competition with rivals like Google’s Gemini Ultra and China’s DeepSeek-V3, both of which recently unveiled CoT-based models28.
2. Technical Hurdles
   • Energy Costs: Training GPT-5’s unified architecture requires unprecedented computational resources, raising concerns about sustainability9.
   • Ethical Risks: Critics warn that AGI-aligned models could exacerbate biases or enable misuse without robust safeguards11.
3. Market Readiness
   While developers eagerly await GPT-5’s API, enterprises face migration challenges as OpenAI phases out older models like GPT-47.

A Pivotal Year for AI

The dual launch of GPT-4.5 and GPT-5 underscores OpenAI’s ambition to dominate the AI race. For Microsoft, it solidifies Azure’s position as the backbone of cutting-edge AI deployment. Yet, as Altman noted, “Each leap forward demands greater responsibility.” With GPT-5’s AGI aspirations, the stakes—and scrutiny—have never been higher.