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Sam Altman just teased GPT-5 with one question — and the answer says it all

Sam Altman just teased GPT-5 with one question — and the answer says it all

Tom's Guide6 days ago
GPT-5 is coming and the anticipation of OpenAI's latest and most sophisticated model is building.
But it's a recent X post from OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, showcasing the model's sophistication, that is raising eybrows across the AI world. Altman prompted the chatbot by asking "What is the most thought-provoking show about AI?"
turns out yes! pic.twitter.com/yVsZXKSmKRAugust 3, 2025
From there, the chatbot delivered a breakdown that felt more advanced than what users typically see from GPT-4. That alone led many to believe Altman was quietly previewing GPT-5.
He didn't confirm it outright, but the depth of the reply, and the fact that he shared it at all, strongly suggest this was no ordinary demo. That hunch also lines up with reports that OpenAI is preparing to launch GPT-5 as early as mid-August 2025.
Altman himself confirmed that GPT-5 has been deeply helpful in his personal workflow.
Speaking on comedian Theo Von's podcast 'This Past Weekend,' Altman shared that the model effortlessly handled a tough email he'd been putting off:
'I felt like I was useless… but the AI just did it like that.'
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Despite the excitement, Altman has voiced concerns about the model's power and potential.
In the same podcast, Altman candidly compared GPT‑5's development pace to the Manhattan Project and admitted feeling unnerved by the model's power.
He also posted on X warning users to "bear with us through some probable hiccups and capacity crunches" as OpenAI prepares to scale its infrastructure for the upcoming release.
Altman's TV prompt revealed something deeper. The fluid, context-rich response felt eerily human. It was a reminder of how close these models are getting to understanding cultural nuance, emotional weight and moral gray areas.
And if that was GPT-5 in action, it's a preview of an assistant that doesn't just answer, but thinks.
It's clear that users can expect a major upgrade in how ChatGPT handles complex tasks, long conversations, creative prompts and real-world decision-making.
This aligns with OpenAI's broader push toward more agentic AI; tools that do more than respond to commands, but proactively help users accomplish goals across apps, files and the web.
That evolution may explain recent updates to features like Study Mode, ChatGPT Agent and custom GPTs, all of which could soon feel much smarter with a new model under the hood.
Sam Altman didn't explicitly say 'GPT-5 is here.' But the prompt he shared, the model's response and his recent comments all suggest OpenAI is nearing its next major leap.
And if that was GPT-5 recommending TV shows, crafting emails and drawing philosophical parallels, it's no wonder even Altman sounds a little nervous.
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