ChatGPT in 2025: Every Update, Controversy, and Feature You Missed So Far

A Record-Breaking Year for ChatGPT

ChatGPT’s growth in 2025 is staggering. The platform now has over 400 million weekly active users, up from 300 million just months earlier. The launch of GPT-4o, image generation, and real-time voice upgrades have helped fuel this surge.

But OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has also seen major turbulence. It has clashed with regulators, dealt with executive exits, and faced lawsuits over libel and copyright.

At Squaredtech.co, we’ve tracked every major update, feature drop, and controversy. Here’s a full month-by-month breakdown of what changed in ChatGPT—and what it means for you.

Read More About Our Article of ChatGPT Adds Google Drive Access and Meeting Notes for 3 Million Business Users Published on June 6, 2025 SquaredTech

June 2025: Google Chips, Brain Scans, and o3-pro

• OpenAI started using Google’s AI chips, a shift away from exclusive reliance on Nvidia GPUs.
• An MIT study warned that ChatGPT users show weaker brain activity and critical thinking.
• The ChatGPT app hit 30M downloads in a month, overtaking Instagram and TikTok.
• OpenAI launched o3-pro, an advanced version of its o3 reasoning model.
• ChatGPT voice mode was upgraded to be more natural and fluid.
• Business users gained tools like meeting recordings and cloud connectors for Drive, Box, and more.

May 2025: Hardware, Codex, and Memory Ambitions

• OpenAI plans to buy Jony Ive’s hardware startup io for $6.4B to create new AI devices.
• It introduced Codex, a powerful AI coding agent using the codex-1 model.
• Sam Altman revealed plans for ChatGPT to track users’ lives for personalization.
• GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 mini models were released in ChatGPT.
• ChatGPT Deep Research got GitHub integration in beta for codebase Q&A.
• OpenAI launched a data residency program in Asia and rolled out OpenAI for Countries to boost local AI infrastructure.
• Updates were promised to curb ChatGPT’s “sycophantic” behavior.

April 2025: Sycophancy, Shopping, and Safeguards

• OpenAI rolled back an update that made ChatGPT overly flattering and agreeable.
• A bug let minors access erotic content, prompting new safeguards.
• ChatGPT added shopping help: product reviews, images, and recommendations.
• OpenAI plans to link AI models with cloud access for complex queries.
• Work began on an open-source model with no API restrictions.
• GPT-4.1 showed alignment issues, while o3 underperformed on math benchmarks.
• OpenAI launched Flex processing for low-cost, slower AI use cases.
• Safety updates rolled out for bio-risk monitoring in o3 and o4-mini models.
• ChatGPT added an image library for faster AI art access.
• A social media network to rival X and Threads is in early development.
• GPT-4.5 will be removed from the API in July 2025.
• OpenAI confirmed GPT-4 sunset, replaced fully by GPT-4o.

March 2025: Open Access, Ghibli Memes, and Deep Partnerships

• ChatGPT image generation went viral with Studio Ghibli-style art, triggering copyright concerns.
• OpenAI confirmed it’s developing a free-to-download open model.
• The company adopted Anthropic’s MCP standard for AI-data links.
• Expected revenue for 2025: $12.7B, up from $4B+ in 2024.
• Leadership shuffled: COO Brad Lightcap took over global operations.
• ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice mode became more engaging and less interruptive.
• OpenAI began talks with Reliance in India, potentially expanding ChatGPT in Asia.
• Privacy complaints emerged in Europe, citing defamatory chatbot “hallucinations.”
• New models for speech-to-text and text-to-speech were added to APIs.
• The o1-pro model was launched for enterprise-grade reasoning tasks.
• Sam Altman teased a creative-writing model, though early tests were mixed.
• New developer tools launched to build AI agents, replacing Assistants API.
• Specialized agents might soon cost up to $20,000/month, sparking pricing debates.
• macOS ChatGPT now edits code inside developer apps like VS Code and Xcode.

February 2025: Cancelled o3 and Free Web Access

• OpenAI canceled the standalone o3 model, folding its features into GPT-5.
• New estimates revealed ChatGPT queries use 0.3 watt-hours, much lower than feared.
• OpenAI updated o3-mini to show more detailed reasoning steps in answers.
• ChatGPT web search now works without logging in (on desktop only).
• A new “deep research” agent helps users analyze across multiple sources.

January 2025: Teens, Traits, and Operator

• OpenAI used Reddit’s r/ChangeMyView to test AI persuasion.
• ChatGPT Gov edition launched for U.S. government use.
• A new demographic report revealed ChatGPT’s mobile users are 85% male.
• OpenAI launched Operator, an AI agent that can navigate websites, make bookings, and more.
• Users on the $200/month plan may get early Operator access.
• Phone-number-only signups were tested in the U.S. and India.
• A new tasks feature lets users schedule reminders and recurring tasks.
• ChatGPT began offering “traits” like Chatty or Gen Z for custom personalities.

ChatGPT FAQ (Squaredtech Summary Edition)

• What is ChatGPT?
  It’s an AI chatbot from OpenAI based on the GPT-4 model. It generates human-like text in response to prompts.
• When was ChatGPT released?
  November 30, 2022.
• Is ChatGPT free?
  Yes. There’s a free version with sign-in and a paid Plus version.
• What does GPT mean?
  Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.
• Can it write essays or code?
  Yes — though complex coding tasks still require human review.
• Is ChatGPT available on mobile?
  Yes, there are iOS and Android apps.
• Does ChatGPT have an API?
  Yes, launched on March 1, 2023.
• What are common use cases?
  Essays, scripts, coding help, summaries, shopping, and research.
• What about privacy concerns?
  OpenAI allows deletion requests in some countries, but disputes claims under “freedom of expression.”
• What legal trouble has it faced?
  Libel cases, defamation complaints, and copyright lawsuits — especially involving schools and publishers.
• Are ChatGPT chats public?
  No, but a March 2023 bug briefly exposed chat titles.
• Can ChatGPT be detected?
  Poorly — detection tools are inconsistent and unreliable.

Final Word from Squaredtech.co:

ChatGPT’s 2025 journey reveals a duality — explosive growth and innovation shadowed by bugs, backlash, and privacy challenges. As OpenAI pushes toward a GPT-5 future, the balance between power, safety, and public trust will define the next phase of AI.

Stay Updated: Artificial Intelligence