OpenAI released Astra on September 3, saying it represents a major leap in AI reasoning, coding, and computer use. It is the company's first major model update since the launch of ChatGPT.
OpenAI reported unprecedented demand for Astra, measured on its infrastructure, which has led to strain on systems. That compares with previous growth levels seen before the model's release.
Astra is built on OpenAI's latest architecture and targets areas of steep competition, including AI reasoning, coding, and computer use. Availability begins with rolling out across OpenAI’s plans, including Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts, in addition to its AI.
"Demand for Astra is really unprecedented. We’re pulling all the levers possible to sustain the demand, but I’ve not seen anything like it until now and we went through very steep growth before," said Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux, product leader at OpenAI. He added that the company’s other plans, including the API and lower-cost Go and Plus plans, remain available.
The announcement follows recent strain on Codex users, with OpenAI raising usage limits as recently as last month. The source itself frames the significance as a sign of Astra's popularity and the company's challenge in managing demand.
OpenAI did not say how long sign-ups to the Pro tier may be disabled, and it remains unclear how many people are signing up daily. The company warned that such a change might come, and it said priority will always be to keep excellent service for existing users.
Source: techcrunch
