Sam Altman confirms higher limits for all reasoning models, benefiting both free and paid users temporarily.
GPT-5’s shorter, less warm tone prompted partial return of GPT-4 for select users.
Higher limits may be short-lived as OpenAI weighs performance, costs, and accessibility trade-offs.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on Sunday that the company is temporarily increasing rate limits for its reasoning models across all user tiers. The move, which applies to every model, aims to address a surge in demand, but free-tier users may lose access to certain features. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Altman confirmed, “All model-class limits will shortly be higher than they were before GPT-5.”
SurveyThe announcement was made after the AI model faced backlash from users for its reasoning capabilities. Altman also stated that the daily usage among free-tier users has grown from 1% to 7%, while Plus subscribers’ usage has jumped from 7% to 24%.
Over the weekend, the GPT-5’s conversational tone has received a massive backlash from users as shorter and less warm than earlier versions, prompting the company to reinstate the older GPT-4 model for specific users. GPT-5 now serves as the unified standard model, comprising GPT-5, which unifies the GPT- and o-series models. Free users have access only to the GPT-5 Thinking model, while paid subscribers can choose between different reasoning models, including GPT-4o.
However, increasing rate limits for computationally intensive reasoning features won’t be cheap. OpenAI already faces steep operating costs, and Altman acknowledged that the change would require “capacity trade-offs.” The company will decide in the coming days how to manage these constraints, said Altman.
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Altman also said that the reasoning capabilities will likely play a much bigger role in AI use over time. “I expect use of reasoning to increase over time greatly, so rate limit increases are important,” he said.
For now, both free and paid users can enjoy more generous access to reasoning models; however, it may not last as OpenAI evaluates the balance between performance, cost, and accessibility.
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Himani Jha
Himani Jha is a tech news writer at Digit. Passionate about smartphones and consumer technology, she has contributed to leading publications such as Times Network, Gadgets 360, and Hindustan Times Tech for the past five years. When not immersed in gadgets, she enjoys exploring the vibrant culinary scene, discovering new cafes and restaurants, and indulging in her love for fine literature and timeless music. View Full Profile
