OpenAI just released GPT-5, the next generation of the company's AI model that will power ChatGPT for the foreseeable future.
In an hour-long livestream broadcast yesterday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his team showcased GPT-5's capabilities and improvements over its predecessor, GPT-4o.
However, not even 24 hours later and social media sites like Reddit are being flooded with criticisms of the new AI model, with many users left unimpressed with the next generation of ChatGPT.
One Reddit thread titled "GPT-5 is horrible" has nearly 3,000 upvotes and over 1,200 comments filled with users dissatisfied with the new release.
U/headwaterscarto said, "I like how the demo they were like – “if it gets something wrong, no worries, just ask again. I’m actually going to run 3 prompts at once and pick my favorite.” Like, how is that better?" Another says, "Sounds like an OpenAI version of 'Shrinkflation'"
Many users miss the previous 4o and 4.1 models, with plenty of comments saying things like "I miss 4.1. Bring it back," and "They should’ve let us keep the old models while they fix the new one."
There's also uproar from ChatGPT Plus subscribers who feel like the latest AI model release has actually limited the functionality of the paid subscription. The new GPT-5 Thinking model is limited to 200 messages a week, and Plus subscribers no longer have access to the wide variety of AI models that used to be available, as OpenAI now claims GPT-5 is able to reason when it needs to.
ChatGPT literally got worse for every single Plus user today.There's no way to reliably get thinking models anymore.Before we had o4-mini, o4-mini-high and o3.Now we have GPT-5 Thinking with 200 messages per week and a router that exclusively routes you to some small and…August 8, 2025
Are people against change? Or is GPT-5 as bad as the internet makes outpic.twitter.com/1u0MOGvJWUAugust 7, 2025
A lot of the uproar surrounding GPT-5 is based on the overpromising from Sam Altman, who hyped up the latest announcement as if it were going to revolutionize the world and the way we interact with AI.
Hours before the official GPT-5 reveal, Altman tweeted an image of the Death Star from Star Wars looming over the horizon of a planet, hinting at a ground-breaking revolution from OpenAI's next AI model. Instead, while GPT-5 smashes benchmarks compared to its predecessors, it's an incremental upgrade compared to the initial AI revolution when ChatGPT first launched.
For many, having access to the reliable ChatGPT-4o models, which Altman claimed were like talking to a college student versus GPT-5's PhD-educated expert, was better than GPT-5's one-size-fits-all approach.
Lots of users are reporting GPT-5 performing worse than 4o, but we've yet to properly test out the new AI model to know for sure if that's truly the case. One thing is for sure: OpenAI's paid subscribers feel hard done by the new release, and the company better iron out the launch bugs, such as slow and poor responses, otherwise its loyal fanbase will look elsewhere.
You might also likeAs updated iOS 26 beta versions continue to roll out, we're spotting new features in the software that Apple hasn't officially announced: yesterday it was AirPod charging lights, and today it's AI search in Apple Maps.
The team at 9to5Google has spotted that the search function in Apple Maps now encourages users to "search the way you talk" – so you might type out or speak out a search like "find cafes with free Wi-Fi" for example.
This is now live in the fifth developer beta version of iOS 26, so you won't see it yet if you're running the public beta. It might also get tweaked or even pulled before the final version of iOS 26 launches in September, though it seems likely that it's here to stay.
It's certainly an easier and more intuitive way to search for places, if you need to go beyond the basics and specify some additional criteria for your results – such as Wi-Fi access, food options, electric vehicle charging, wheelchair access, or whatever it is.
Apple Maps vs Google MapsThe update gets Apple Maps closer to Google Maps, shown here (Image credit: Future)It's possible that the new functionality has only gone live in the US for the time being, because after updating my iPhone to the iOS 26 developer beta 5, I was unable to get the natural language search feature to show up in Apple Maps here in the UK.
What I could do was run a similarly phrased search on Google Maps, and the results were somewhat patchy: it identified cafes without any problem, but it listed several that definitely do not offer free Wi-Fi (and I've been in them and asked).
It shows up a limitation in AI features such as these, which is that while the AI might be great at understanding what you're asking for and converting your spoken words into text, it's still relying on cold, hard maps data to get you accurate results.
In terms of raw data, Google Maps perhaps still has the edge over Apple Maps – but upgrades like this one in iOS 26 will mean Apple Maps becomes more appealing and useful, and may be enough to grab some users back from Google Maps.
You might also likeFrench telco giatn Bouygues Telecom has confirmed suffering a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive customer data.
In a short announcement published on its website, the company said it detected the attack on August 4, and following an investigation, determined threat actors stole people’s contact details, contract data, civil status data (or company details), and IBAN numbers.
We don’t know exactly when the intrusion happened, who did it, if it was a ransomware attack or not, or how many people were affected - but acccording to official company data, Bouygues Telecom has 26.8 million subscribers.
Phishing potentialThe teleco started notifying affected individuals via SMS, ousted the attackers, and allegedly implemented additional safeguards to prevent further incursions.
“We have blocked the malicious access, increased monitoring of our systems, and implemented additional necessary security measures,” the company said.
Bank card numbers and Bouygues Telecom account passwords were not affected.
While there is still no evidence the information stolen in the attack is being abused in the wild, the very nature of the archive gives it plenty of potential.
Cybercriminals can use it to craft convincing phishing emails, impersonating the company and forcing the victims into action by threatening to terminate their account.
Knowing information such as contract data and IBAN numbers could convince the victims that they are talking to legitimate representatives of the organization.
In a short FAQ, Bouygues said it “strongly recommends” users stay vigilant, and never share their login credentials, or passwords.
“Be especially cautious of calls from fake banking advisors who may try to gain your trust by mentioning your name or account number. If in doubt, hang up and call your bank or advisor back on their usual number.”
Finally, the company stressed that the IBAN number alone is not enough to initiate financial transactions, but users should still monitor their accounts closely.
Via TechCrunch
You might also likeThe Batman Part II is still over two year away from grapple gunning into theaters, but a new rumor could not only have huge implications for the movie itself, but also James Gunn's DC Universe (DCU).
Let's start with the latest piece of gossip. Yesterday (August 7), industry insider Jeff Sneider suggested that Robin, the Dark Knight's most famous sidekick, is part of the superhero movie's cast. Sneider made the claim in the latest addition of his InSneider newsletter and says he was made aware of Robin's inclusion after sitting down with a "well-placed source" earlier in the week.
Sneider's assertion comes less than 24 hours after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced filming would begin on The Batman Part II in early 2026. Considering the timing of Sneider's claim, some observers would argue its arrival is all a bit too coincidental. After all, if Sneider spoke to his source before WBD confirmed when the cameras would start rolling on the DC comic book movie sequel, why not reveal it sooner?
Robin's apparent inclusion in Matt Reeves' next Batman film raises even more questions and potentially kills off a big fan theory about The Batman Part II's story. So, let's break down the biggest ones that are on my mind right now.
Let's tackle the aforementioned fan theory first. Some fans have speculated that The Batman 2 will be heavily inspired by 'The Long Halloween', one of the Caped Crusader's most famous comic book series. Their evidence? The Batman's follow-up is slated to arrive in October 2027, so a tale based on Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's iconic literary works would befit the film's forthcoming release date.
Robin's possible appearance in The Batman Part II pours cold water on that theory because he isn't in 'The Long Halloween'. Okay, The Batman Epic Crime Saga's next big-screen entry could take creative liberties with said literature and include Robin. It wouldn't be the first time a superhero film has changed elements of a comic series it's based on. Nevertheless, I'd be amazed if Reeves and fellow co-writer Mattson Tomlin shoehorned Robin into their story if it is based on 'The Long Halloween', particularly as it would heavily impact the timeline of events from said story.
What does this rumor mean for the DCU's Batman movie, which is also set to include Robin? (Image credit: DC Studios)Now it's time to try and address some of those big questions I previously mentioned – and, surprise surprise, they're based around a long-running discussion about whether The Batman Epic Crime Saga is secretly being folded into the DCU.
Here are the facts: When James Gunn announced the initial DCU Chapter One line-up in January 2023, one of the projects he discussed was a Batman movie. Titled The Brave and the Bold, it's expected to draw heavily from Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert's fan-favorite 'Batman and Son' comic series. In it, the Dark Knight is stunned to learn he has a son named Damien, whom he takes in and tries to raise. However, without getting too deep into spoiler territory, there's more than meets the eye about the seemingly genetically perfect, yet rage-filled Damien.
Now, even if Robin is confirmed to be part of The Batman Part II's cast, we don't know which one will appear. It could be any one of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damien Wayne, or one of the less well-known female Robins in Stephanie Brown or Carrie Kelley. There are other Robins, but those listed are the most well-known.
If – and it's a big if – The Batman 2 features Damien, though, fans will rightly ask the question: is The Batman Epic Crime Saga eventually going to be part of the DCU? After all, it would be silly, not to mention incredibly confusing, if we have two Batman films that exist in separate cinematic universes and feature the same super-duo.
For what it's worth, Gunn and Reeves have largely shut down the idea of the Reeves-Verse being absorbed into the DCU. Crucially, though, Gunn has always left the door slightly ajar – the DC Studios co-chief most recently telling Entertainment Tonight: "I’ve said it before. We [Gunn and Reeves] have talked about it before, but it’s not what’s happening right now." (NB: Gunn didn't emphasise the words in italics, but I've done so to hammer home my point that the door isn't closed on these two universes potentially merging).
A post shared by Matt Reeves (@mattreevesla)
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There is evidence that Gunn's and Reeves' Batman films will continue to exists in separate shared universes. In June, Gunn said "I think I have a way in" when asked for an update on The Brave and the Bold's script. He also revealed an unnamed writer was busy penning it.
Now, you could argue that those things could be related to Reeves' own Batman flick. He and Tomlin were still thrashing out The Batman 2's screenplay when Gunn made those comments. The fact that Gunn didn't mention the name of his movie's writer, plus his "I think I have a way in" quote, could be interpreted as him and Reeves secretly agreeing to fold The Batman's epic crime saga into the DCU. To me, though, that's akin to fans clutching at straws and trying to manifest the integration of the former into the latter.
Frankly, considering Robert Pattison's Bruce Wayne had only been operating as Batman for a couple of years in The Batman, the only way he'd be old enough to have a kid in The Batman 2 is if it featured a big time jump. Sure, that's a possibility, but I don't see it happening.
The best thing Gunn, who's active on social media, can do right now is confirm or deny Sneider's claim. If Robin is set to appear in The Batman Part II, Gunn – or even Reeves himself – could give us some indication as to which one will feature in Reeves' next big-screen project. That's the only way to officially put another pin in this never-ending debate about the state of The Batman Epic Crime Saga's ongoing independence to the DCU.
In the meantime, let me know what you think. Should these two universes remain separate, or is it time for Pattinson's Caped Crusader to make the leap to the DCU? Sound off in the comments.
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Xbox Game Studios has canceled Contraband, a game I wouldn't blame you for not remembering, as we only ever saw it once in the form of a CG trailer.
Contraband, being developed by Just Cause and Mad Max's Avalanche Studios, was initially revealed in 2021, accompanied by a trailer that didn't give much away beyond its gritty 1970s setting.
Initially reported by Bloomberg, it seems that Contraband has now been canceled, or has at least had its development halted for the time being. Reporter Jason Schreier states that the project has been canceled "after four years of radio silence."
Avalanche Studios followed up with confirmation on its own website, saying: "Over the past several years, Avalanche Studios Group and Xbox Game Studios Publishing have collaborated on Contraband. Active development has now stopped while we evaluate the project's future. We're thankful for the excitement we've seen from the community since we announced and will give an update on what's next as soon as we can."
A cancellation at this point may not be all that surprising for Contraband, but regardless, it's not a good look for Xbox. The company recently canceled two high-profile games in Rare's Everwild and The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot. That's in conjunction with another recent round of mass layoffs, where thousands of employees across several studios were let go.
Back in July, Xbox boss Phil Spencer described the actions taken as "tough decisions," claiming Xbox's "platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger" despite the seeming instability of the Xbox Game Studios umbrella.
Also check out...Google has confirmed a commitment to spend $1 billion over the next three years to support AI education and training across the US, targeting colleges, universities and nonprofits.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai explained in a blog post more than 100 colleges and universities have already signed up to its AI for Education Accelerator program, which hopes to make AI and career training free for every college student in America.
Google's training efforts add to its already extensive involvement within education – the company already runs schemes to get Chromebooks into the hands of students in multiple countries and regions.
Google wants to train America's students in AIIn the post, Pichai explained his own personal motivation for the project: "Having regular access to computers in grad school changed my life, and led me on the path to Google. It’s my hope that bringing the best AI tools to college students will open up new worlds for them, too."
The latest announcement sees eligible students across the US, as well as Japan, Indonesia, Korea and Brazil, able to sign up for a year's free Google AI Pro plan with Gemini 2.5 Pro access, Deep Research via Gemini 2.5 Pro, Veo 3, higher limits for Jules, NotebookLM and 2TB of storage.
Boasting about its presence across the education sector, and offering a small dig at Microsoft which previously dominated the area, Pichai noted that more than four in five of the top 100 US universities now use Google Workspace for Education.
However, Google isn't the only company investing in upskilling the current generation of students and our future workforce.
Microsoft President Brad Smith recently shared details of a $4 billion investment in AI and cloud technology for K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits. Other companies in this space, including Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and Amazon have all pledged their own support, too.
You might also likeAs promised, Samsung has begun the rollout of Gemini support to its Galaxy Buds 3 earbuds. It's a free update, and it's easy enough to get and install. But there's one caveat: you might need to install beta software on your phone.
Gemini doesn't run on the earbuds themselves – it's far too demanding to run natively – so it needs your phone or tablet to act as a messenger between your mouth and Gemini's ears.
As 9to5Google reports, at the moment the updates appear to be exclusively for phones running the One UI 8 atop Android 16. That's factory-fitted on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but for the Samsung Galaxy S25 series One UI 8 is still a beta – ie. a pre-release version of the operating system, that while available (to a select group of users) is meant for testing.
(Image credit: Samsung)How to get Gemini on the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 ProIf you have a Galaxy S25 Series or older, the stable version of the One UI 8 software isn't due until late September 2025. However, there is a beta version and from next week it will be available for more devices including the Galaxy S24 Series, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The beta will expand further next month to include the S23, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5 and several A-series models.
Once you've got One UI 8 up and running, the next stage is to check for software updates for your earbuds… and then pray. I'm being dramatic there, but only slightly: the Gemini upgrade is reportedly "wonky" and results may differ from device to device.
If you've got the update, you should now see a new "Set up Google digital assistant" option at the top of the Voice Controls section in Samsung's app. This enables you to set up the Gemini integration with your smartphone or tablet.
You might also likeAir France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have confirmed recently suffering cyberattacks in which both airlines lost sensitive customer data.
The companies, both owned by the same airline holding firm, sent out data breach notification letters to affected customers, and in a statement shared with Tweakers, KLM said the incident happened when threat actors broke into a third-party service provider.
“Unusual activity was detected on a third-party platform used by our contact centres, which led our IT security team, together with the third-party system involved, to swiftly implement corrective measures to put an end to the incident,” the company also told Cybernews.
Was it Scattered Spider?We don’t know exactly how many people were affected by the breach, but the airlines transport more than 80 million people every year.
The information stolen in this attack include people’s full names, contact details, Flying Blue numbers and tier levels, and subject lines of service request emails.
Luckily, passport numbers, payment card details, passwords, or Flying Blue Miles (the airline’s loyalty program) balances were not stolen.
There was no word on the attackers, and no one claimed responsibility for the attack.
However, in late June 2025, the FBI warned Scattered Spider hackers were now increasing targeting airlines.
Scattered Spider works by impersonating company staff, and convincing support employees from the IT department that they lost access to their corporate accounts.
After gaining initial access, they map out the company, identify high-level individuals, and then repeat the process until they gain access to accounts through which they can steal data.
The hacking group struck Qantas in early July 2025, and Hawaiian Airlines in late June, and Russian Aeroflot, American GlobalX, and Canadian WestJet have all suffered similar incidents in recent months.
You might also likeThe National Crime Prevention Council is questioning federal cuts to McGruff the Crime Dog's campaign to sniff out fake pills. The group says McGruff's work that started in 1980 isn't over.
(Image credit: National Crime Prevention Council/YouTube)
Plus: physical fitness, Confederate statues, robot overlords and weird zoo requests.
Economists say, what happens in Vegas matters nationally because it often reflects broader trends on consumer confidence and the overall health of the U.S. economy.
(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)
Unlike other tech giants, many music-streaming services like Spotify are not currently taking steps to label AI-generated content. But experts say more transparency is key.
(Image credit: Jakub Porzycki)
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs is presiding over two Harvard cases challenging Trump's moves to cut federal funding from the university and to ban it from enrolling international students.
(Image credit: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee)
NASA is accelerating plans to have a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030.
(Image credit: Angelos Tzortzinis)
The new school year can be exciting, but also stressful. Kids may be feeling anxious. Parents may be juggling new responsibilities. Experts share tips on how to manage this season of change.
Leaks suggest that – along with understated black, white, and dark blue shades – the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max might be sold in orange, and now a video has given us our best look yet at a dummy unit in that color.
Shared by leaker Majin Bu, you can see that this is quite a striking shade, and far more colorful than Apple’s Pro models tend to be. Whether it’s a good color is more debatable – Bu says it “looks so good”, but many of the replies to their post are a lot more negative.
@AnxiousHolly, for example, said “this looks hideous”, while @black0nder said “the worst color in iPhone history”. But @YSL_Laurentttt said “Let that be official and I’m getting the 17 Pro”, and @vernons said “if it really looks like that, it could be the winner in this year's upgrade.” So, this really does seem to be a love-it-or-hate-it shade.
iPhone 17 Pro orange looks so good pic.twitter.com/N9ehzP6ldnAugust 7, 2025
A good moveWhatever you think of this specific color choice, though, we’d say it’s a positive sign that Apple might offer such a shade, as it could mean the company is getting more comfortable with the idea that its Pro phones don’t always have to be sold in smart, understated shades.
We’ve long been calling for more colorful premium phones, so perhaps Apple is finally listening. But whether we’ll see more might depend on how well this orange shade sells.
And that’s assuming Apple really does launch an iPhone 17 Pro in this color. For now, we’d take this rumor with a pinch of salt, but we should find out soon, as the iPhone 17 series is likely to land in early September, with one leak pointing to September 9.
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