This Rumor About GPT-5 Changes Everything

Let’s start the year on an exciting note

Probably created by GPT-5

What if I told you that GPT-5 is real. Not just real, but already shaping the world, from where you can’t see it. Here’s the hypothesis: OpenAI built GPT-5 but kept it internally because the return on investment is far greater than if they released it to millions of ChatGPT users. Also, the ROI they’re getting is not money but something else. As you see, the idea is simple enough; the challenge is connecting the breadcrumbs that lead to it. This article is a deep dive into why I believe it all adds up.

Let me be clear: this is pure speculation. The evidence is public, but there are no leaks or insider rumors that confirm I’m right. In fact, I am building the theory with this post, not just sharing it. I don’t have privileged information — if I did, I’d be under an NDA anyway. The hypothesis feels compelling because it makes sense. And honestly, what more do I need to give the rumor mill a spin?

It’s up to you to absolve me. Even if I’m wrong — which we’ll find out eventually — I think it’s a fun detective exercise. I invite you to speculate in the comments but keep it constructive and thoughtful. And please, read the whole post first. Beyond that, all debate is welcome.

I. The mysterious disappearance of Opus 3.5

Before going into GPT-5 we have to pay a visit to its distant cousin, also missing in action: Anthropic’s Claude Opus 3.5.

As you know, the top three AI labs — OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic — offer a range of models designed to span the price/latency vs performance spectrum. OpenAI provides options like GPT-4o, GPT-4o mini, as well as o1 and o1-mini. Google DeepMind offers Gemini Ultra, Pro, and Flash, while Anthropic has Claude Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku. The goal is clear: to cater to as many customer profiles as possible. Some prioritize top-tier performance, no matter the cost, while others seek affordable, good-enough solutions. So far, so good.

But something strange happened in October 2024. Everyone was expecting Anthropic to announce Claude Opus 3.5 as a response to GPT-4o (launched in May 2024). Instead, on October 22 they released an updated version of Claude Sonnet 3.5 (that people…