OpenAI concluded 2024 with a bang, hosting a “12 Days” event of AI announcements mostly focused on ChatGPT. The ChatGPT o1 models and the Canvas mode came out of beta, and ChatGPT Search is now available to users on the free tier. OpenAI also released Sora to the public and unveiled ChatGPT o3, the next-gen reasoning model.
We also got a 1-800 ChatGPT number that lets you call the AI from landlines and text it from WhatsApp and an update to the Mac app that lets you use the AI with more coding and texting apps.
OpenAI didn’t announce the mythical GPT-5 model in 2024, which has supposedly been in the works for more than a year. Also known as Orion, the model has encountered development issues, which explain the launch delays. That’s what reports say about GPT-5, at least.
However, we can expect several upgrades across all of OpenAI’s products, including ChatGPT, in 2025. Sam Altman teased some of them after asking ChatGPT users what they’d want to see from OpenAI next year.
“What would you like openai to build/fix in 2025?” the CEO asked on X on Christmas Day. Unsurprisingly, plenty of people provided useful suggestions, aside from the obvious AGI and GPT-5 answers one could easily throw at Altman. The CEO addressed some of them, teasing the kind of ChatGPT features and upgrades coming next year.
Family accounts
One X user asked for ChatGPT family accounts, a feature request I also subscribe to. Sam Altman said it was a good idea.
Better Advanced Voice Mode chats
A different person wants ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode to have better memory so it can recall previous text and voice conversations.
A ChatGPT user asked for better turn detection in Advanced Voice Mode so you can think silently for 5 seconds without interruptions.
A “grown-up” ChatGPT mode
While a ChatGPT mode for kids would require additional protections, an X user asked for a “grown-up” version that would lose the existing guardrails. Needless to say, no AI company will remove guardrails from its models, but Alman said that ChatGPT does need a “grown-up mode.”
AI models interoperability
Someone wants a new ChatGPT UI that supports drag-and-drop so you can combine different chats and models for improved responses. Altman called it an “interesting” idea that he hadn’t thought of.
ChatGPT AI agents
The ChatGPT app for macOS is the closest thing we have to ChatGPT AI agents, but it’s not quite that. Rumors say OpenAI is working on AI agents in addition to GPT-5. Someone asked for proper agents for 2025, to which Altman responded with, “Happy 2025!” I see that as a teaser that AI agents are coming to ChatGPT next.
A good base ChatGPT model
Altman also agreed with someone’s suggestion that ChatGPT needs a better base non-thinking model., as “GPT-4o kinda sucks right now.”
Regarding GPT-4o, someone asked for image generation support, with Altman saying he hoped it’s coming.
A better Sora
OpenAI has just released the text-to-video generator, but some users have already requested improvements. That’s coming next year, and I’ll remind you that we saw a Sora 2 demo leak around when Sora came out.
Altman teased “lots of Sora improvements” when another X user asked for specific Sora upgrades.
Miscellaneous upgrades across the board
Some X users gave Altman lists of suggestions, like the one in the tweet below. Altman said it was a “very good list,” and that users will hopefully be “quite happy” with ChatGPT next year.
Altman also addressed suggestions about ChatGPT getting a bigger context limit, larger rate limits, and cheaper prices. However, there’s no guarantee that OpenAI will actually be able to offer these next year.
What about ChatGPT hardware?
We know OpenAI has partnered with Jony Ive to manufacture a mysterious ChatGPT hardware device. We have no idea when it’s coming, but an X user suggested it for 2025 as an “unexpected” announcement. Here’s how Altman responded to it:
The list of suggested ChatGPT features for 2025 includes other tidbits. Altman might be reacting to all of it. However, the “hardware play” suggestion is enough to warrant the response above. Even if the ChatGPT hardware will be unveiled next year, and there’s no indication it will be, Altman would probably avoid addressing it this early.
