Islamabad, Dec 23: OpenAI’s highly anticipated artificial intelligence project, GPT-5, also known as Orion, is facing significant setbacks. The project, which has been under development for over 18 months, is behind schedule and incurring substantial costs, with some industry experts questioning whether there is enough data to achieve the desired leap in intelligence.
Orion was expected to represent a major advancement over the technology that powers ChatGPT, with its release anticipated around mid-2024. Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor and key partner, had supported the project, hoping it would deliver a transformative AI experience. However, insiders indicate that the software has yet to meet researchers’ performance expectations, with two extensive training runs failing to deliver the anticipated breakthroughs.
Despite significant investments, estimates suggest that each training cycle of Orion costs upwards of half a billion dollars in computing resources alone. Analysts project that tech companies, including OpenAI, could collectively invest up to $1 trillion in AI projects in the coming years. OpenAI’s $157 billion valuation, set in October, heavily relies on the successful launch of GPT-5 as a catalyst for wider AI adoption across industries.
Yet, insiders report that, at best, Orion shows only marginal improvements over existing AI systems, and the immense operational expenses involved in its development may not justify the gains achieved thus far. The uncertainty surrounding the project’s outcome raises questions about the future trajectory of AI innovation and OpenAI’s ability to meet investor and market expectations.
