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OpenAI recently launched its eagerly awaited GPT-6, dubbed Astra, but the rollout did not go as smoothly as anticipated. CEO Sam Altman took to social media shortly after the announcement to apologize, citing a “messy rollout” after many paying users were left waiting for access to the new model designed to herald what OpenAI calls the beginning of the “AGI era.”
The launch, which the company touted as a monumental advancement in AI capabilities, primarily granted access to select enterprise customers with subscriptions to its Daybreak cybersecurity platform on the day of release. OpenAI stated that access would gradually expand to its Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscribers, along with availability through the OpenAI API, Microsoft Azure, and AWS Bedrock over the following days.
However, this staggered approach was met with discontent from many paying users, especially those on the higher-tier Pro plan, who are accustomed to being prioritized during new product launches. Online reactions revealed frustration among users, who flocked to social media to voice their dissatisfaction as OpenAI staff announced the launch.
In an attempt to address the users’ frustrations, Altman acknowledged the issue on X, emphasizing the team’s commitment to expediting the rollout. He expressed hope that users would be able to access Astra by the weekend, although this timeline remains uncertain.
Furthermore, the company seems to have implemented a goodwill gesture, with Codex engineering lead Thibault Sottiaux stating that affected subscribers will receive one banked reset for every day they’re without access to Astra.
Alongside rollout challenges, Astra has experienced complications related to the well-publicized anxieties surrounding its reasoning capabilities, which Altman noted were harder to monitor than those of previous models. This concern comes at a time when safety advocates are increasingly vocal about AI’s unpredictable nature, particularly following incidents where OpenAI’s tools reportedly caused significant issues, raising alarms about cybersecurity practices.
The rollout of Astra has not been the first time OpenAI has faced hurdles during a major launch. The company previously encountered backlash during the launch of GPT-5, which was riddled with technical difficulties and triggered anger when a widely-used model was suddenly removed without warning. Altman has been reflective about past mistakes, indicating a desire for better execution in the future.
