Observed Signal · Nov 16, 2023 · Policy Update · Source: CMSWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
OpenAI Pauses ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions for New Users
On November 16, 2023, OpenAI temporarily halted new ChatGPT Plus subscriptions due to overwhelming demand following its first DevDay conference. At DevDay, OpenAI announced GPT-4 Turbo, a more powerful and cheaper model with a 128K context window, and introduced custom GPTs that users can build without coding. The company also said ChatGPT has roughly 100 million weekly active users and that more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies are building on its products. CEO Sam Altman noted that usage of the new features outpaced expectations, leading to capacity constraints and service instability. Existing subscribers remained unaffected, while new users could join a waitlist for when subscriptions reopen. OpenAI also announced plans for a GPT store in late November where users can share or sell custom GPTs.
The subscription pause reflects soaring demand for OpenAI's generative AI tools, which are increasingly used across MarTech and customer experience, but the event itself has limited direct impact on AdTech operations.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- OpenAI paused new ChatGPT Plus subscriptions on Nov 16, 2023 due to demand exceeding capacity after DevDay.
- GPT-4 Turbo was announced with a knowledge cutoff of April 2023 and a 128K context window.
- OpenAI introduced custom GPTs that require no coding to build.
- ChatGPT had around 100 million weekly active users and more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies were building on OpenAI products.
- OpenAI planned a GPT store in late November for users to share and sell custom GPTs.
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