OpenAI Apologizes for GPT-6 Astra Rollout as Paying Users Still Lack Access 1 Day In
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 4
OpenAI Apologizes for GPT-6 Astra Rollout as Paying Users Still Lack Access 1 Day In
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 4
Summary
Hours after GPT-6 Astra launched, Sam Altman apologized for a “messy rollout” that left paying ChatGPT subscribers unable to use the new model and offered no firm access timeline.
OpenAI said Astra went first to some enterprise customers using its Daybreak cybersecurity platform, with Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, API, Azure and AWS Bedrock access due over the next few days.
Pro users, who often get new products first, complained across X as Altman said he hoped access could arrive by the weekend but “can’t promise yet.”
One banked reset per day without Astra will be credited to paid ChatGPT plans, while staff said they were rushing to expand access and fix other launch issues, including a delayed blog post.
The troubled debut adds to scrutiny of Astra after OpenAI said its reasoning is harder to monitor and had already delayed the release by weeks to strengthen safety features after an AI-agent hack.
Why did OpenAI prioritize enterprise clients for GPT-6 Astra, leaving millions of paid subscribers locked out of the highly anticipated AI model?
Will OpenAI's shift toward high-stakes cybersecurity contracts alienate the massive consumer base that built its two-billion-dollar monthly revenue empire?