Free ChatGPT Users Will Receive a Major Update Next Week.
There are 8.3 billion people on the planet, and roughly one-eighth of them use ChatGPT. OpenAI confirmed that its renowned AI chatbot now has over a billion weekly active users—a staggering number considering ChatGPT has only been around for three and a half years . (For comparison, that’s comparable to the number of Windows users worldwide .) Whether you like it or not, there’s no denying that ChatGPT—and generative AI in general—has become a permanent fixture in modern life.
While ChatGPT certainly has many paid users, the vast majority use it for free. While paid users may be interested in trying out the company’s latest and greatest models, the biggest impact is achieved when OpenAI makes features available for free. And that’s exactly what happened: next week, free users will receive what is arguably the most significant ChatGPT update in years.
Free ChatGPT users get unlimited access to text chats.
Starting next week , you’ll no longer encounter limitations when sending regular text messages in ChatGPT. OpenAI reports that both free and Go users now have unlimited text chats, meaning you can send as many text messages as you want without any waiting periods. Of course, the emphasis here is on “text messages.” Of course, there are still limitations on other ChatGPT features, including file and image messages, as well as voice mode and image generation. But for users who primarily use ChatGPT for text messages, this update will be more than welcome.
Additionally, OpenAI is migrating free and Go users to the new GPT-5.6 Luna model , designed for “low-cost and high-load tasks.” While this model likely won’t be as powerful as the more powerful OpenAI models available to Pro users, free users won’t be completely left without support: OpenAI announces the addition of a new “Think” button that optimizes Luna for more complex queries. The interface has changed significantly compared to the days when users could switch between different models for free, but perhaps the unlimited text chats will make up for it for most users.
ChatGPT Pro users will also receive a number of new benefits.
OpenAI reports that Plus and Pro users will also receive some updates. The company claims its GPT-5.6 Sol model now produces “more targeted” responses and can offer corrections rather than simply agreeing with the user when they’re wrong. It’s also ditched some of the formatting we’re accustomed to in AI: your answer can be more concise, like a paragraph, rather than expanded with bullet points. OpenAI also claims that Sol makes “fewer errors,” but remember: all AI models hallucinate .
A new slider has also been added, allowing users to adjust the model’s intensity from “Instant” to higher. The idea is to provide users with a power scale rather than forcing them to switch between different models. The more intensively you push the model, the longer the response time may take, so OpenAI positions the slider as an option to allow users to customize the model to their needs: if you need a quick response, keep the slider at a lower intensity.