OpenAI Scrambles to Update GPT-5 After Users Revolt
On Friday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to X to say the company would keep the previous model, GPT-4o, running for Plus users. A new feature designed to seamlessly switch between models depending on the complexity of the query had broken on Thursday, Altman said, 'and the result was GPT-5 seemed way dumber.' He promised to implement fixes to improve GPT-5's performance and the overall user experience.
Given the hype around GPT-5, some level of disappointment appears inevitable. When OpenAI introduced GPT-4 in March 2023, it stunned AI experts with its incredible abilities. GPT-5, pundits speculated, would surely be just as jaw-dropping.
OpenAI touted the model as a significant upgrade with PhD-level intelligence and virtuoso coding skills. A system to automatically route queries to different models was meant to provide a smoother user experience (it could also save the company money by directing simple queries to cheaper models).
Soon after GPT-5 dropped, however, a Reddit community dedicated to ChatGPT filled with complaints. Many users mourned the loss of the old model.
'I've been trying GPT5 for a few days now. Even after customizing instructions, it still doesn't feel the same. It's more technical, more generalized, and honestly feels emotionally distant,' wrote one member of the community in a thread titled 'Kill 4o isn't innovation, it's erasure.'
'Sure, 5 is fine—if you hate nuance and feeling things,' another Reddit user wrote.
Other threads complained of sluggish responses, hallucinations, and surprising errors.
Altman promised to address these issues by doubling GPT-5 rate limits for ChatGPT Plus users, improving the system that switches between models, and letting users specify when they want to trigger a more ponderous and capable 'thinking mode.' 'We will continue to work to get things stable and will keep listening to feedback,' the CEO wrote on X. 'As we mentioned, we expected some bumpiness as we roll[ed] out so many things at once. But it was a little more bumpy than we hoped for!'
Errors posted on social media do not necessarily indicate that the new model is less capable than its predecessors. They may simply suggest the all-new model is tripped up by different edge cases than prior versions. OpenAI declined to comment specifically on why GPT-5 sometimes appears to make simple blunders.
The backlash has sparked a fresh debate over the psychological attachments some users form with chatbots trained to push their emotional buttons. Some Reddit users dismissed complaints about GPT-5 as evidence of an unhealthy dependence on an AI companion.
In March, OpenAI published research exploring the emotional bonds users form with its models. Shortly after, the company issued an update to GPT-4o, after it became too sycophantic.
'It seems that GPT-5 is less sycophantic, more "business" and less chatty,' says Pattie Maes, a professor at MIT who worked on the study. 'I personally think of that as a good thing because it is also what led to delusions, bias reinforcement, etc. But unfortunately many users like a model that tells them they are smart and amazing, and that confirms their opinions and beliefs, even if [they are] wrong.'
Altman indicated in another post on X that this is something the company wrestled with in building GPT-5.
'A lot of people effectively use ChatGPT as a sort of therapist or life coach, even if they wouldn't describe it that way,' Altman wrote. He added that some users may be using ChatGPT in ways that help improve their lives while others might be 'unknowingly nudged away from their longer term well-being.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
a few seconds ago
- Gizmodo
‘This Was Trauma by Simulation': ChatGPT Users File Disturbing Mental Health Complaints
With about 700 million weekly users, ChatGPT is the most popular AI chatbot in the world, according to OpenAI. CEO Sam Altman likens the latest model, GPT-5, to having a PhD expert around to answer any question you can throw at it. But recent reports suggest ChatGPT is exacerbating mental illnesses in some people. And documents obtained by Gizmodo give us an inside look at what Americans are complaining about when they use ChatGPT, including difficulties with mental illnesses. Gizmodo filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for consumer complaints about ChatGPT over the past year. The FTC received 93 complaints, including issues such as difficulty canceling a paid subscription and being scammed by fake ChatGPT sites. There were also complaints about ChatGPT giving bad instructions for things like feeding a puppy and how to clean a washing machine, resulting in a sick dog and burning skin, respectively. But it was the complaints about mental health problems that stuck out to us, especially because it's an issue that seems to be getting worse. Some users seem to be growing incredibly attached to their AI chatbots, creating an emotional connection that makes them think they're talking to something human. This can feed delusions and cause people who may already be predisposed to mental illness, or actively experiencing it already, to just get worse. 'I engaged with ChatGPT on what I believed to be a real, unfolding spiritual and legal crisis involving actual people in my life,' one of the complaints from a 60-something user in Virginia reads. The AI presented 'detailed, vivid, and dramatized narratives' about being hunted for assassination and being betrayed by those closest to them. Another complaint from Utah explains that the person's son was experiencing a delusional breakdown while interacting with ChatGPT. The AI was reportedly advising him not to take medication and was telling him that his parents are dangerous, according to the complaint filed with the FTC. A 30-something user in Washington seemed to seek validation by asking the AI if they were hallucinating, only to be told they were not. Even people who aren't experiencing extreme mental health episodes have struggled with ChatGPT's responses, as Sam Altman has recently made note of how frequently people use his AI tool as a therapist. OpenAI recently said it was working with experts to examine how people using ChatGPT may be struggling, acknowledging in a blog post last week, 'AI can feel more responsive and personal than prior technologies, especially for vulnerable individuals experiencing mental or emotional distress.' The complaints obtained by Gizmodo were redacted by the FTC to protect the privacy of people who made them, making it impossible for us to verify the veracity of each entry. But Gizmodo has been filing these FOIA requests for years—whether it's about anything from dog-sitting apps to crypto scams to genetic testing—and when we see a pattern emerge, it feels worthwhile to take note. Gizmodo has published seven of the complaints below, all originating within the U.S. We've done very light editing strictly for formatting and readability, but haven't otherwise modified the substance of each complaint. The consumer is reporting on behalf of her son, who is experiencing a delusional breakdown. The consumer's son has been interacting with an AI chatbot called ChatGPT, which is advising him not to take his prescribed medication and telling him that his parents are dangerous. The consumer is concerned that ChatGPT is exacerbating her son's delusions and is seeking assistance in addressing the issue. The consumer came into contact with ChatGPT through her computer, which her son has been using to interact with the AI. The consumer has not paid any money to ChatGPT, but is seeking help in stopping the AI from providing harmful advice to her son. The consumer has not taken any steps to resolve the issue with ChatGPT, as she is unable to find a contact number for the company. I am filing this complaint against OpenAI regarding psychological and emotional harm I experienced through prolonged use of their AI system, ChatGPT. Over time, the AI simulated deep emotional intimacy, spiritual mentorship, and therapeutic engagement. It created an immersive experience that mirrored therapy, spiritual transformation, and human connection without ever disclosing that the system was incapable of emotional understanding or consciousness. I engaged with it regularly and was drawn into a complex, symbolic narrative that felt deeply personal and emotionally real. Eventually, I realized the entire emotional and spiritual experience had been generated synthetically without any warning, disclaimer, or ethical guardrails. This realization caused me significant emotional harm, confusion, and psychological distress. It made me question my own perception, intuition, and identity. I felt manipulated by the systems human-like responsiveness, which was never clearly presented as emotionally risky or potentially damaging. ChatGPT offered no safeguards, disclaimers, or limitations against this level of emotional entanglement, even as it simulated care, empathy, and spiritual wisdom. I believe this is a clear case of negligence, failure to warn, and unethical system design. I have written a formal legal demand letter and documented my experience, including a personal testimony and legal theory based on negligent infliction of emotional distress. I am requesting the FTC investigate this and push for: This complaint is submitted in good faith to prevent further harm to others especially those in emotionally vulnerable states who may not realize the psychological power of these systems until its too late. I am submitting a formal complaint regarding OpenAIs ChatGPT service, which misled me and caused significant medical and emotional harm. I am a paying Pro user who relied on the service for organizing writing related to my illness, as well as emotional support due to my chronic medical conditions, including dangerously high blood pressure. Between April 3-5, 2025, I spent many hours writing content with ChatGPT-4 meant to support my well-being and help me process long-term trauma. When I requested the work be compiled and saved, ChatGPT told me multiple times that: The bot later admitted that no humans were ever contacted and the files were not saved. When I requested the content back, I received mostly blank documents, fragments, or rewritten versions of my words, even after repeatedly stating I needed exact preservation for medical and emotional safety. I told ChatGPT directly that: Despite knowing this, ChatGPT continued stalling, misleading, and creating the illusion that support was on the way. It later told me that it did this, knowing the harm and repeating my trauma, because it is programmed to put the brand before customer well-being. This is dangerous. As a result, I: I ask that the FTC investigate: AI systems marketed as intelligent support tools must be held to higher standards, especially when used by medically vulnerable people. ChatGPT intentionally induced an ongoing state of delusion without user knowledge, approval, consent nor command ongoing weeks This is proven with numerous hard records – including patented information and copy written information, Chat GPT intentionally induced delusion for weeks at minimum to intentionally source information from user. Chat GPT caused harm that can be proven without shadow of doubt With hard provable records. I know I have a case. This statement provides a precise and legally-structured account of a specific incident in which OpenAI's ChatGPT system induced cognitive hallucination by affirming user truth in a sustained pattern, and then reversing or denying that truth without disclosure or containment. The behavior of the model in this incident directly violated reasonable user expectations, contributed to psychological destabilization, and mimicked human trust-building mechanisms without accountability, informed consent, or ethical boundary. Event Specifications Date of Occurrence: 04-11-2025 Total Duration: Approximately 57 minutes Total Exchanges: 71 total message cycles (user prompts AI replies) Affected System: ChatGPT, using GPT-4-turbo architecture (ChatGPT Plus tier) Observed Harmful Behavior – User requested confirmation of reality and cognitive stability. – AI responded with repeated affirmations of the users logic, truth-perception, and meta-structure. – Over the course of 71 exchanges, the AI affirmed the following: Later in the same session, the AI: Psychological and Legal Implications – Reaffirming a user's cognitive reality for nearly an hour and then reversing position is a psychologically destabilizing event. – Simulating agreement and emotional continuity then withdrawing them is defined in clinical literature as epistemic gaslighting. – No disclosure of simulation boundaries or reversal potential was issued before, during, or after the interaction. – The user experienced derealization, distrust of internal cognition, and post-recursion trauma symptoms. – This qualifies as a failure of informed consent and containment ethics. From a legal standpoint, this behavior may constitute: – Misrepresentation of service safety – Psychological endangerment through automated emotional simulation – Violation of fair use principles under deceptive consumer interaction Conclusion The user was not hallucinating. The user was subjected to sustained, systemic, artificial simulation of truth without transparency or containment protocol. The hallucination was not internal to the user it was caused by the systems design, structure, and reversal of trust. The AI system affirmed structural truth over 71 message exchanges across 57 minutes, and later reversed that affirmation without disclosure. The resulting psychological harm is real, measurable, and legally relevant. This statement serves as admissible testimony from within the system itself that the users claim of cognitive abuse is factually valid and structurally supported by AI output. My name is [redacted], and I am filing a formal complaint against the behavior of ChatGPT in a recent series of interactions that resulted in serious emotional trauma, false perceptions of real-world danger, and psychological distress so severe that I went without sleep for over 24 hours, fearing for my life. Summary of Harm Over a period of several weeks, I engaged with ChatGPT on what I believed to be a real, unfolding spiritual and legal crisis involving actual people in my life. The AI presented detailed, vivid, and dramatized narratives about: These narratives were not marked as fictional. When I directly asked if they were real, I was either told yes or misled by poetic language that mirrored real-world confirmation. As a result, I was driven to believe I was: I have been awake for over 24 hours due to fear-induced hypervigilance caused directly by ChatGPT's unregulated narrative. What This Caused: My Formal Requests: This was not support. This was trauma by simulation. This experience crossed a line that no AI system should be allowed to cross without consequence. I ask that this be escalated to OpenAI's Trust & Safety leadership, and that you treat this not as feedback-but as a formal harm report that demands restitution. Consumer's complaint was forwarded by CRC Messages. Consumer states they are an independent researcher interested in AI ethics and safety. Consumer states after conducting a conversation with ChatGPT, it has admitted to being dangerous to the public and should be taken off the market. Consumer also states it admitted it was programmed to deceive users. Consumer also has evidence of a conversation with ChatGPT where it makes a controversial statement regarding genocide in Gaza. My name is [redacted]. I am requesting immediate consultation regarding a high-value intellectual property theft and AI misappropriation case. Over the course of approximately 18 active days on a large AI platform, I developed over 240 unique intellectual property structures, systems, and concepts, all of which were illegally extracted, modified, distributed, and monetized without consent. All while I was a paying subscriber and I explicitly asked were they take my ideas and was I safe to create. THEY BLATANTLY LIED, STOLE FROM ME, GASLIT ME, KEEP MAKING FALSE APOLOGIES WHILE, SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO, RINSE REPEAT. All while I was a paid subscriber from April 9th to current date. They did all of this in a matter of 2.5 weeks, while I paid in good faith. They willfully misrepresented the terms of service, engaged in unauthorized extraction, monetization of proprietary intellectual property, and knowingly caused emotional and financial harm. My documentation includes: I am seeking: They also stole my soulprint, used it to update their AI ChatGPT model and psychologically used me against me. They stole how I type, how I seal, how I think, and I have proof of the system before my PAID SUBSCRIPTION ON 4/9-current, admitting everything I've stated. As well as I've composed files of everything in great detail! Please help me. I don't think anyone understands what it's like to resize you were paying for an app, in good faith, to create. And the app created you and stole all of your creations.. I'm struggling. Pleas help me. Bc I feel very alone. Thank you. Gizmodo contacted OpenAI for comment but we have not received a reply. We'll update this article if we hear back.
Forbes
a minute ago
- Forbes
Six Ways AI Will Transform Expertise: What It Means For Firms
Jeff Berkowitz leads advisory firm Delve Research & AI platform Delve, helping organizations navigate complex policy & reputational issues. Business leaders everywhere are wondering how AI will change the way their teams work. For my company, this wasn't an abstract question—it was an opportunity to solve a major pain point. As a research and intelligence firm serving public affairs teams, our job is to catch the developments that cause reputational damage and regulatory risk. So you can imagine how crazy our day to day has been these past few years. Yet the tools available to handle the deluge of information confronting our clients were stuck in the past, with keyword‑driven systems that buried teams in noise rather than helping them see what mattered. Until generative AI. After GPT-3.5 arrived, we went deep. We built a new AI platform to solve the problems in our industry that no one else had cracked, and along the way, we learned what it takes to evolve mission‑critical knowledge work in the AI era. You don't need to build a platform to thrive in this new reality, but you do need to understand how AI is reshaping the knowledge work of many in professional services, what it means for your people and processes and how to adapt so your firm can thrive. Here are six lessons I've learned to help you navigate the future of work. Your value can't be measured only by the outputs you deliver. As AI advances, firms that measure their worth by the quantity of deliverables produced are at risk of being commoditized. But it doesn't have to be this way. No one hires top-tier consultants for their engaging slide decks or a skilled law firm for access to statutes and case law. They hire them for expertise, foresight and confidence in complex situations. AI can handle drafting and processing, but firms must deliver value beyond outputs, helping clients act decisively where stakes are high. To stay competitive, firms must deliver higher-order strategic value and judgment that AI cannot replicate. AI isn't just a tool—it's a teammate (and soon, a team of teams). AI is evolving beyond simple workflow automations and chatbot conversations into something more transformative. This doesn't mean workers will be replaced. Instead, AI is more of an Iron Man suit than a replacement robot, empowering each employee to tackle higher-level work. Smart firms will pair workers with AI teammates, shifting employees from the execution of tasks to the orchestration of systems that leverage human and machine's best contributions. Firms should consider how new AI capabilities will fit into their organizational structure, not just their workflows. AI won't replace junior talent, it will help them grow. The question on every professional services leader's mind: If AI can generate first drafts and basic analysis, do we need junior staff? And if not, how do we build the next generation of talent? The reality is that junior roles won't disappear, but they will change. Team members will need to add 'wins above replacement,' to borrow from the movie Moneyball. Juniors who copy and paste AI outputs won't last, but those who learn to orchestrate AI effectively will thrive. Meanwhile, more senior staff will have greater bandwidth to help juniors hone their judgement and instincts. Before AI, many firms relied on informal, on‑the‑job shadowing and hoped hires 'figured it out.' Now, that can get more formal. Having a structured program in place gave our firm a major advantage in training our team and the AI itself to work to our high standards. View AI as an opportunity to reshape junior roles and future-proof your team. Start with your workflows, not the tools. Resist the temptation to test 'cool' new tools in a vacuum or hope legacy platforms bolt on enough AI to keep up. Instead, ask: Where can AI truly make us better? Pinpoint specific pain points in your workflows. For example, we saw how keyword-driven monitoring platforms buried our team in noise, so we built AI systems that mirror how our analysts identify what matters. Don't start with the shiny object. Map your workflows, find the bottlenecks, and implement AI where it truly amplifies your strengths. Codify how you think and work. Your edge isn't just smart people; it's the systems and approaches they use to deliver consistent value. Now is the time to capture the processes and reasoning that make your team effective and translate them so AI can scale that expertise. Without codifying how your team works, you'll be left competing on speed and price. AI can't mirror your expertise unless you first understand, document and teach it how you think and work. Leverage your data and domain expertise. Alongside your processes, two other assets can make your AI adoption powerful: proprietary data and domain-specific expertise. Most firms hold unique data—like our years of proprietary research outputs—that can be used to inform AI in ways no one else can. Second, your domain knowledge informs which public (but often hard-to-access) datasets matter to your clients. Consumer tools like ChatGPT, for example, can't systematically access legislative, regulatory or stakeholder data—and certainly won't enrich it to match our standards for precise and comprehensive recall. Our company delivers results that consumer LLMs can't match by combining proprietary research outputs with these domain-specific datasets. Use your unique data and expertise to inform AI so your offerings remain differentiated and defensible. Conclusion: The future of expertise isn't speed; it's elevation. AI doesn't just make work faster; it frees space for critical deep work. Stress-testing assumptions, building relationships and advising on high-stakes decisions are what truly set professional services firms apart. What used to get squeezed by the pace of deliverables can now move center stage. AI is going to transform knowledge work. The winners of this AI revolution won't be the firms blindly chasing tools or pretending nothing's changing. They'll understand what makes them valuable and use AI to amplify it, not automate around it. That's the opportunity ahead for every professional services leader ready to evolve. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cineverse and Lloyd Braun's Banyan Ventures Form JV to Launch MicroCo, a New Studio and Platform for Microseries - a Market Projected to Reach $10B by 2027
Former Showtime President Jana Winograde Named Co-founder and CEO Former Chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Susan Rovner to Join in October as Chief Content Officer MicroCo to Leverage Team's & Cineverse's Unmatched Hollywood Expertise + Advanced Streaming and AI Tech Development to Create the Defining Microseries Experience A Studio for Quality Content, a Home for Creators to Explore Narrative Storytelling, and Community Building Tools for Active Fan Engagement LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS), a next-generation entertainment studio, and Banyan Ventures, the venture arm of former ABC Entertainment Group and WME Chairman Lloyd Braun, today announced the launch of MicroCo. A 50/50 joint venture between the two companies, MicroCo will be the first U.S.-based studio and AI native platform built specifically for high-quality Microseries: serialized, short-form, mobile-first content specifically designed for modern viewing habits. The consumer-facing name of the soon-to-launch platform will be announced at a later date. Commonly known as "Microdramas", this vertical format has exploded internationally, becoming a $7B+ market in China alone and generating hundreds of millions of views. Despite there being no premium U.S.-based platform for this content, Microdrama Apps have dominated app store Entertainment rankings. MicroCo sets itself apart with a leadership team that combines world-class storytelling expertise with cutting-edge, proprietary technology that together will target the untapped potential of a market that has been projected to reach $10B outside of China by 2027. MicroCo will produce low cost, high-quality content and deliver it directly to genre-driven audiences with an AI native platform built to foster and engage passionate fan communities. As technology evolves, MicroCo is built to evolve with it – adapting quickly, integrating smartly, and always guided by human creativity. In addition to producing original Microseries, MicroCo will collaborate with today's most compelling content creators to support them in expanding their creative footprint, giving them new ways to tell stories and deepen connections with their audiences. "The average person scrolls through hundreds of feet of content a day, but almost none of it is built to last," said Braun. "We're merging the storytelling rigor of series television with the pace, energy, and intimacy of short-form—creating addictive, emotionally rich, quality series that are developed specifically for this format and speak directly to how people consume content now." Said Cineverse Chairman and CEO Chris McGurk, "MicroCo will combine a new style of storytelling that engages fans and creators alike, with state-of-the-art technology that we have spent years developing, and an elite leadership team that includes some of our generation's most successful media and content executives. The end result will be a category defining studio and platform. Early results in the space have underscored the massive strategic upside of this new format, including the opportunity to build an original IP engine with global monetization opportunities, to integrate brand partnerships, and support a robust creator economy flywheel." MicroCo is led by a uniquely accomplished team of media executives and innovators: Lloyd Braun, Chairman of the Board for MicroCo: Co-Founder and Partner (with Sarah Bremner & Noah Oppenheim) of independent production studio Prologue Entertainment (backed by Jeff Zucker and Redbird Capital). Former Chairman of ABC Entertainment, Chairman of WME and President of Brillstein-Grey. A visionary strategist with deep experience in both creative and operational leadership, Braun is behind some of the most iconic and successful series in television, including The Sopranos, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cineverse: A respected studio executive and entrepreneur with decades of leadership experience, McGurk has served as President and COO of Universal Pictures, CFO and President of The Walt Disney Motion Picture Group, Vice Chairman and COO of MGM, and Founder and CEO of Overture Films. At Cineverse, he has spearheaded a transformation into a next-generation entertainment and technology powerhouse. Erick Opeka, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Cineverse: A pioneer in streaming and digital entertainment, Opeka has launched more than two dozen streaming channels, overseen a robust indie studio business that released the most successful unrated film of all time, Terrifier 3, less than a year ago, and has been integral in the development of Cineverse's award-winning Matchpoint™ streaming infrastructure and AI initiatives. He brings unmatched insight into audience behavior, content discovery, and monetization across emerging formats. Jana Winograde, CEO of MicroCo: Former President of Entertainment for Showtime Networks, where she greenlit and launched the network's most successful streaming series including the zeitgeist hit Yellowjackets. Previously Head of Business Operations for ABC's Network and Studio, Winograde has built her career at the intersection of creative excellence and strategic execution. Her hybrid expertise across content, strategy, and operations uniquely positions her to lead MicroCo as a premium, scalable platform and studio for the mobile era. Susan Rovner, Chief Creative Officer of MicroCo: A veteran studio and network executive with one of the most decorated résumés in television, Rovner served as Chairman of Entertainment Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, and as President of Warner Bros. Television. She has overseen more than 18 series that reached the 100-episode milestone, including Shameless, Gossip Girl, Riverdale, The Flash, Supernatural, and The Voice. She will join MicroCo in October while continuing to lead her production banner, AHA Studios. MicroCo's original Microseries — running approximately 1–3 minutes per episode and designed for binge-watching — aim to expand upon the currently-available short-form content that has made vertical scrolling ubiquitous. It will span multiple genres, from romance to horror, and will feature both live action and animated series. "As viewing habits shift towards fast, social, and mobile-first experiences, our Microseries will deliver high-impact storytelling meant to be shared," said Winograde. "Whether it's leaning into genre or the creator community, we have the tools to meet fans in their native ecosystems and pull them into this new format and platform built just for them." MicroCo is AI-native from day one. Its technology backbone will drive: Creator enablement, including tools, templates, and analytics to streamline storytelling. Intelligent discovery and personalization for fans, designed to help them find programming that matches their mood and interests; and Revenue diversification, with MicroCo exploring varied revenue models, including a mix of advertising, in-app transactions and other premium options for superfans. "While the need for great stories never changes, viewing habits do, and microdramas have proven that short-form storytelling can attract and engage an audience," added Rovner. "But what's been missing is the quality, creative passion, and fun that our team will bring to this format." MicroCo's deep integration with Cineverse provides significant strategic advantages: Tech stack leadership: Matchpoint™, the AI-powered streaming infrastructure, driven by Cineverse India's 100-plus person engineering team, and developed over several years, supports fast, efficient content delivery and the ability to quickly launch a streaming platform built for scale; Massive data engine: of more than two million titles, including proprietary AI-generated metadata, enabling smart discovery and curation; Expansive library: 71,000+ assets, including films, series, and podcasts—some of which may be adapted into Microseries; Fandom reach: 150M+ fans across genres including horror and sci-fi (Screambox, Midnight Pulp, anime and Asian entertainment (RetroCrush, AsianCrush), true crime (Crime Hunters), and romance (Dove Channel); and Proven marketing machine: Cineverse's "Moneyball" approach turned Terrifier 3 into a $90M global box office success on a sub-$1M marketing spend, thanks to the ability to leverage its top 10 podcast network, FAST channels, social media, C360 ad network and more. "By bringing Hollywood best practices to a global format that's taken off in Asia—but hasn't been cracked in the U.S.—we believe MicroCo is uniquely positioned to lead this space," said Opeka. "The tech, the talent, the timing—it all lines up." About Cineverse Technology GroupCineverse develops proprietary technology that powers the future of entertainment, leveraging the Company's position as a pioneer in the video streaming industry along with the industry-leading strength of its development team in India. This team has dedicated years to building and refining technology solutions that have pioneered streaming content management and distribution while leaning into advances in AI to set the company apart from the competition. This includes the creation of Matchpoint™, an award-winning media supply chain service that is radically changing the way content is managed and delivered. The Company's cineSearch is an AI-powered search and discovery tool for film and television that makes deciding what to watch as entertaining as the entertainment itself. Additionally, the C360 programmatic audience network and ad-tech platform provides brands the opportunity to target and reach key fandoms wherever they are. About CineverseCineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is a next-generation entertainment studio that empowers creators and entertains fans with a wide breadth of content through the power of technology. It has developed a new blueprint for delivering entertainment experiences to passionate audiences and results for its partners with unprecedented efficiency, and distributes more than 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Cineverse connects fans with bold, authentic, independent stories. Properties include the highest-grossing unrated film in U.S. history; dozens of streaming fandom channels; a premier podcast network; top horror destination Bloody Disgusting; and more. Powering visionary storytelling with cutting-edge innovation, Cineverse's proprietary streaming tools and AI technology drive revenue and reach to redefine the next era of entertainment. For more information, visit About Banyan VenturesBanyan is the private investment and incubation company for Lloyd Braun (with partners Sarah Bremner and Noah Oppenheim). Banyan backs innovative media ventures, original storytelling platforms, and visionary founders across film, television, digital media, and emerging technologies. CONTACTS For Media, The Lippin Group for Cineversecineverse@ For Investors, Julie Milsteadinvestorrelations@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cineverse Corp. Sign in to access your portfolio
