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(NEW YORK) — OpenAI on Thursday released GPT-5, unveiling a new version of the artificial intelligence model that fuels popular chatbot ChatGPT. The product will be made immediately available to users, including customers who use the company’s cost-free options, OpenAI said.

The announcement comes days after the company said ChatGPT is set to reach 700 million weekly active users, up from 500 million just five months ago.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described GPT-5 as a “legitimate PhD expert in any area,” saying previous versions of the AI model amounted to college or high school students by comparison.

GPT-5 enables users to write computer programs, prepare party invitations and better navigate the health care system, Altman said.

“It is useful, it’s smart, it’s fast, it’s intuitive,” Altman said. “It’s an incredible superpower on demand, unimaginable at any other time in history.”

The latest version of the company’s AI model is the most accurate and reliable option available on the market, added Mark Chen, chief research officer at OpenAI.

“Language models historically have been plagued by hallucinations [and] factual errors. We made factuality a priority,” Chen said.

OpenAI has sought to release fresh products and upgrades since the November 2022 release of ChatGPT, which reached 100 million app users within two months. That performance set a record for the fastest-growing app user base.

In March 2023, Open-AI released GPT-4, before unveiling an updated GPT-4o two months later. The latter version reduced lag time for responses and allowed users to interrupt the chatbot with follow-up queries.

ChatGPT boasts a user base four times greater than it did last year, Nick Turley, OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT, said in a post on X on Monday.

“Every day, people and teams are learning, creating, and solving harder problems,” Turley said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs finally took effect on Thursday, slapping levies on dozens of countries and risking price increases for a host of everyday goods.

Tariffs between 10% and 41% were applied to nearly 70 countries beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, significantly expanding the reach of Trump’s confrontational trade policy.

“IT’S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” President Donald Trump posted shortly before midnight on his social media platform.

The tariffs arrived roughly a week after Trump delayed so-called reciprocal tariffs, opting to modify some levies.

Canada, a top U.S. trade partner, faces a 35% tariff. While Brazil, a key source of coffee, receives a 40% tariff which, when added on top of the 10% baseline tariff in the new order, means a 50% rate on the country’s imports to the U.S.

The countries facing the highest rates in the executive order are Laos and Myanmar at 40% and Syria at 41%.

India is hit with a 25% tariff in the order but that is expected to climb to 50% on Aug. 27. Trump on Wednesday said he was imposing the additional 25% levy as punishment for India’s decision to continue purchasing Russian oil throughout the Russia-Ukraine war.

There is an extended rollout for goods shipped into the country by vessel. As long as they are shipped by Aug. 7 and enter the U.S. by Oct. 5, they will not be subject to the new tariff rates.

The White House has said the rates were determined largely based on the trade deficit the U.S. has with those trading partners.

The new tariff rates resemble levies that were placed on more than 90 countries on April 2, though there are some differences.

Trump rolled out those so-called reciprocal tariffs in April, then delayed them, vowing to strike roughly 90 trade deals in 90 days. In early July, Trump delayed the tariffs again, setting a deadline of Aug. 1. A day before that deadline, he delayed them once again.

The new levies appear to add 15% tariffs on goods from several countries not initially included in the president’s “Liberation Day” executive order on April 2 — including Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana and Iceland.

After the ‘Liberation Day” tariffs were unveiled and then delayed, Trump sent letters to leaders of roughly two dozen countries outlining the tariff levels that would take effect if no deal were struck. The Trump administration raced to strike trade agreements over the days preceding the deadline in an effort to win concessions from targeted countries in exchange for reduced tariff rates.

So far, the White House says it has reached trade agreements with the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as a preliminary accord with China.

“The president and his trade team want to cut the best deals for the American people and the American worker,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month when she announced the Aug. 1 deadline.

Tariffs put forward so far by Trump are expected to cost an average household an additional $2,400 this year, the Yale Budget Lab found last week.

Importers typically pass along a share of the tariff-related tax burden onto consumers in the form of price hikes.

Speaking to reporters last week, a Trump administration official hailed the new tariffs as part of a “new system of trade” that aims to prioritize “fair and balanced trade” over efficiency at all costs.

ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart, and Meghan Mistry contributed to this report.

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(ST. LOUIS) — About 3,200 union members at Boeing facilities in Michigan and Illinois went on strike at midnight on Monday after rejecting an contract offer from the company, the union said.

Local members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, who build and maintain fighter jets, including the F-15 and F/A-18 models, voted on Sunday to reject Boeing’s latest contract offer.

“IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe,” IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli said in a statement.

Cicinelli added, “They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise.”

The union members work at Boeing facilities in St. Loius and St. Charles, Missouri, along with Mascoutah, Illinois, according to the union.

They had voted on July 27 to reject an earlier 4-year contract proposal put forward by the company, the union said.

“We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40% average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules,” Boeing said in a statement on Sunday.

Boeing added, “We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers.”

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(MIAMI) — ABC began broadcasting with a new local affiliate in Miami on Monday, just months after Disney Entertainment struck an agreement with Sunbeam Television Corporation.

Under the deal established in March, ABC Miami will broadcast ABC’s national sports, news and entertainment programming over-the-air on Channel 7.2 in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale television market, according to a statement. ABC can also be accessed on local Chanel 18.

“We are incredibly excited to join forces with Sunbeam Television in South Florida moving forward as they not only share Disney’s enduring commitment to serving local communities, but they also recognize the value of ABC’s esteemed brand and the significant investments we’re making to our world-class network content,” Susi D’Ambra Coplan, Disney Entertainment’s senior vice president of affiliate relations, said in a statement.

Paul Magnes, co-president of Sunbeam Television Corporation, echoed the sentiment.

“When the opportunity to affiliate with ABC became available, we knew that our combined resources would allow us to develop an extremely strong partnership,” Magnes said. “As a family-owned company, we have been embedded in this community for nearly 70 years, with a commitment to local news and supporting non-profit organizations across South Florida.”

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Disney Entertainment and ABC News.

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(NEW YORK) — Hiring slowed in July as President Donald Trump’s tariffs pinched the balance sheets of some major companies and reshaped the nation’s trade relationships. The reading fell short of economists’ expectations.

The U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. That figured marked a slowdown from 147,000 jobs added in the previous month. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, keeping it at near-historic lows.

The report also provided new estimates for two previous months, significantly dropping the government’s estimate of jobs added in May and June. The fresh data indicated a notable slowdown in hiring as Trump’s tariffs took hold over recent months.

The Trump administration described the downward revisions as an unwelcome sign for the U.S. economy.

“Obviously, they’re not what we want to see,” White House Council of Economic Advisors chair Stephen Miran said on Friday.

Miran blamed the weak performance in part on uncertainty tied to the fate of Trump’s domestic spending legislation as well as the ultimate outcome of tariff policy. Congress passed Trump’s spending measure earlier this month; more recently, Trump announced a fresh round of tariffs late Thursday.

“Both of those sources of uncertainty are resolved,” Miran said. “We expect things to get materially stronger from here, now that our policies are starting to sort into place.”

In May, the U.S. added 19,000 jobs, much lower than a previously estimated total of 139,000 jobs, the BLS said. While in June, the economy added just 14,000 jobs, revising downward a previous estimate of 147,000 jobs.

“Not only was this a much weaker than forecast payrolls number, the monster downward revisions to the past two months inflicts a major blow to the picture of labor market robustness,” Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, told ABC News in a statement.

The jobs report arrives days after a separate government report showed better-than-expected economic growth. U.S. GDP increased at a 3% annualized rate over three months ending in June, the report said.

The robust reading suggested the economy has continued to avert a significant tariff-induced cooldown. A one-off statistical quirk tied to a drop-off of imports appeared to partially account for the surge, however.

Some key measures of the economy have proven resilient in recent months, defying fears of resurgent inflation and a possible economic downturn. Inflation has increased for two consecutive months but it remains well below a peak attained in June 2022.

The hiring data arrives days after the Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady at its July meeting.

Five meetings and seven months have elapsed since the Fed last adjusted interest rates. The federal funds rate stands between 4.25% and 4.5%, preserving much of a sharp increase imposed in response to a pandemic-era bout of inflation.

A meaningful slowdown in the labor market could prompt the Fed to grant greater consideration to a potential rate cut.

Trump has repeatedly urged the central bank to lower interest rates, saying the policy would boost economic performance and reduce interest payments on government debt.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, by contrast, has voiced some concern about a rekindling of inflation due to elevated tariffs. Importers typically pass along a share of the higher tax burden in the form of price hikes.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Powell said tariffs had begun to contribute to price increases for some goods but the ultimate impact of the policy remains uncertain.

“Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly into prices of some goods but their overall effects on inflation and the economy remain to be seen,” Powell said. “Their effects on inflation could prove to be short-lived, but it is possible the inflation effects could be more persistent.”

He added, “We’ll do what we need to do to keep inflation under control.”

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(NEW YORK) — Hiring slowed in July as President Donald Trump’s tariffs pinched the balance sheets of some major companies and reshaped the nation’s trade relationships. The reading fell short of economists’ expectations.

The U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. That figured marked a slowdown from 147,000 jobs added in the previous month. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, keeping it at near-historic lows.

The report also provided new estimates for two previous months, significantly dropping the government’s estimate of jobs added in May and June. In May, the U.S. added 19,000 jobs, much lower than a previously estimated total of 139,000 jobs, the BLS said. While in June, the economy added just 14,000 jobs, revising downward a previous estimate of 147,000 jobs.

The fresh jobs data indicated a notable slowdown in hiring as Trump’s tariffs took hold over recent months.

“Not only was this a much weaker than forecast payrolls number, the monster downward revisions to the past two months inflicts a major blow to the picture of labor market robustness,” Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, told ABC News in a statement.

The jobs report arrives days after a separate government report showed better-than-expected economic growth. U.S. GDP increased at a 3% annualized rate over three months ending in June, the report said.

The robust reading suggested the economy has continued to avert a significant tariff-induced cooldown. A one-off statistical quirk tied to a drop-off of imports appeared to partially account for the surge, however.

Some key measures of the economy have proven resilient in recent months, defying fears of resurgent inflation and a possible economic downturn. Inflation has increased for two consecutive months but it remains well below a peak attained in June 2022.

The hiring data arrives days after the Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady at its July meeting.

Five meetings and seven months have elapsed since the Fed last adjusted interest rates. The federal funds rate stands between 4.25% and 4.5%, preserving much of a sharp increase imposed in response to a pandemic-era bout of inflation.

A meaningful slowdown in the labor market could prompt the Fed to grant greater consideration to a potential rate cut.

Trump has repeatedly urged the central bank to lower interest rates, saying the policy would boost economic performance and reduce interest payments on government debt.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, by contrast, has voiced some concern about a rekindling of inflation due to elevated tariffs. Importers typically pass along a share of the higher tax burden in the form of price hikes.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Powell said tariffs had begun to contribute to price increases for some goods but the ultimate impact of the policy remains uncertain.

“Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly into prices of some goods but their overall effects on inflation and the economy remain to be seen,” Powell said. “Their effects on inflation could prove to be short-lived, but it is possible the inflation effects could be more persistent.”

He added, “We’ll do what we need to do to keep inflation under control.”

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(NEW YORK) — U.S. stocks tumbled in early trading on Friday, just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order slapping new tariffs on dozens of countries. A weak jobs report worsened investor jitters, revealing a slowdown of hiring over recent months as Trump’s previous tariffs took hold.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 615 points, or 1.3%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 2.1%.

Trump’s executive order late Thursday laid out rates to be applied against nearly 70 countries, ranging from 10% to 41% in what a Trump administration official hailed as the beginning of a “new system of trade.” The new duties are now set to go into effect on Aug. 7.

The tariff rates resemble reciprocal tariffs that were placed on more than 90 countries on April 2, though there are some differences. Those reciprocal tariffs were delayed 90 days when they set off a major stock selloff and a spike in bond yields.

In early July, Trump delayed the tariffs again, setting a deadline of Aug. 1.

The tariffs announced late Thursday came hours before a jobs report on Friday morning showed a marked cooldown in hiring as Trump’s prior levies filtered through the economy in recent months.

The U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July, which came in well below an average of 130,000 jobs jobs added each month this year, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS.

The report also provided new estimates for two previous months, significantly dropping the government’s estimate of jobs added in May and June. In May, the U.S. added 19,000 jobs, much lower than a previously estimated total of 139,000 jobs, the BLS said. While in June, the economy added just 14,000 jobs, revising downward a previous estimate of 147,000 jobs.

“Today’s jobs report was underwhelming as it missed economists’ expectations, but it’s the stark revisions to the prior two months that really stands out,” Bret Kenwell, U.S. investment analyst at eToro, told ABC News in a statement.

The selloff on Friday appeared to interrupt resilient performance of the stock market going back months. After some market volatility in the spring, investors have largely shrugged off Trump’s tariffs.

The Dow has climbed 2% this year, while the S&P 500 has jumped 6%. The Nasdaq has increased 8%.

Alongside a hotter-than-expected inflation reading on Thursday, the jobs data “may have thrown some cold water on the rally,” Kenwell said.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Thursday sharply criticized India over its trade policy, escalating a series of attacks as the White House readies to ratchet up tariffs on the country.

The Trump administration plans to slap 25% tariffs on Indian products and impose additional penalties starting on Friday, the president said on social media. The incendiary rhetoric toward India comes as Trump also prepares to impose new levies on dozens of other countries.

The White House has faulted India for high tariffs that Trump views as an effort to shut out U.S. producers. In recent days, Trump has also condemned India over its decision to continue purchasing Russian oil throughout the Russia-Ukraine war.

India’s tariffs are “far too high, among the highest in the World,” Trump said on social media.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Indian government said it had “taken note” of Trump’s comment and would “study its implications.”

Here’s what to know about the U.S.-India trade feud and why it matters:

Where does Trump’s trade feud with India stand?

Trump is set to hike tariffs on India to 25% on Friday, putting them one percentage point below the level of levies threatened in a Rose Garden ceremony on April 2.

A 25% tariff would set levies with India at a higher rate than the 15% tariffs placed on the European Union and Japan as part of recent trade agreements. The threatened tariff on India would come in slightly below 30% tariffs slapped on China in May.

The proposed levies may complicate ongoing trade negotiations between the U.S. and India, which have sought to reach an agreement over multiple rounds of discussions spanning months.

India, the 12th-largest U.S. trade partner, has become a destination for some manufacturers that shifted production away from China in recent years. In May, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company had moved production of iPhones sold in the U.S. to India as a means of avoiding high tariffs.

Overall trade in goods between India and the U.S. last year amounted to about $129 billion, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, or OTR, found. Top imports from India include apparel, chemicals, machinery and agricultural products.

Why is Trump targeting India?

In recent months, Trump has repeatedly criticized India for elevated tariffs on a range of products, including agricultural and dairy goods.

“We have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high,” Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday.

India has sought to protect its domestic industries with elevated tariffs on some goods, including levies exceeding 100%.

The U.S. ran a trade deficit in goods of about $45 billion in 2024, which marked a 5.4% increase over the previous year, according to the OTR. By comparison, the U.S. notched a far larger trade deficit with China of $295 billion last year.

More recently, Trump has taken issue with India’s decision to continue buying Russian oil over the course of the Russia-Ukraine war.

India is “Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE,” Trump said on social media on Wednesday.

How has India responded to Trump’s threats?

In a statement this week, the Indian government struck a measured but firm tone in response to Trump.

“India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months,” the Indian government said on Wednesday. “We remain committed to that objective.”

“The Government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest,” the statement added.

The two sides are expected to meet for another round of trade discussions in late August.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, just days after President Donald Trump made an unusual visit to the central bank, calling for a rate cut.

The central bank has defied Trump’s public criticism for months, adopting a wait-and-see approach as central bankers observe the effects of tariffs.

“Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated,” Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, said on Wednesday.

Two Fed governors appointed by Trump — Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller — dissented from the 12-member vote, saying they would prefer a quarter-point rate cut. It marked the first time two Fed governors have voted against the majority since 1993.

Five meetings and seven months have elapsed since the Fed last adjusted interest rates. The federal funds rate stands between 4.25% and 4.5%, preserving much of a sharp increase imposed in response to a pandemic-era bout of inflation.

The decision on interest rates came hours after a government report showed better-than-expected economic growth over three months ending in June, though a statistical quirk accounted for a significant portion of the sturdy performance.

In theory, robust economic growth eases pressure on the Fed to lower interest rates, since consumers and businesses appear undeterred by high borrowing costs.

Trump has repeatedly urged the central bank to lower interest rates, saying the policy would boost economic performance and reduce interest payments on government debt.

“We have a man who just refuses to lower the Fed rate,” Trump said of Powell last month. “Maybe I should go to the Fed. Am I allowed to appoint myself? I’d do a much better job than these people.”

The Fed is an independent agency established by Congress. Trump is legally barred from appointing himself the head of the central bank.

In recent weeks, Trump has also slammed Powell, citing cost overruns tied to the central bank’s $2.5 billion building renovation project.

The Fed attributes spending overruns to unforeseen cost increases, saying that its building renovation will ultimately “reduce costs over time by allowing the Board to consolidate most of its operations,” according to the central bank’s website.

Federal law allows the president to remove the Fed chair for “cause” — though no president has ever done so. Powell’s term as chair is set to expire in May 2026.

The Fed is guided by a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment. In theory, a lowering of interest rates could help stimulate economic activity and boost employment, especially while inflation remains modest.

The central bank, however, issued a forecast last month indicating some concern about a rekindling of inflation due to elevated tariffs. Importers typically pass along a share of the higher tax burden in the form of price hikes.

Tariffs contributed modestly to the rise of inflation in June, though overall price increases owed largely to a rise in housing and food products with little connection to tariffs, analysts previously told ABC News.

Despite its patient approach, the Fed last month forecast two quarter-point interest-rate cuts over the remainder of 2025, carrying over a prediction issued in March.

Earlier this month, Powell said he would not rule out a potential interest rate cut as soon as the July meeting.

“I wouldn’t take any meeting off the table or put any on the table,” Powell told the panel at the European Central Bank forum in Sinatra, Portugal. “It depends on how the data evolve.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. economy expanded more than expected as President Donald Trump’s tariffs took hold over recent months, federal government data on Wednesday showed.

U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, increased at a 3% annualized rate over three months ending in June. The figure marked a sharp acceleration from an annualized contraction of -0.5% over the first three months of 2025.

The reading amounted to sturdy economic growth, suggesting the economy has continued to avert a significant tariff-induced cooldown. A boost in consumer spending helped propel the economic surge, the U.S. Commerce Department said.

To some degree, however, Trump’s levies have blurred the GDP findings.

The government’s GDP formula subtracts imports in an effort to exclude foreign production from the calculation of total goods and services. Changes in the reading on this account reveal neither underlying economic weakness nor strength.

The measure of the GDP fell over the first three months of the year, largely due to a surge of imports as firms stockpiled inventory to avoid far-reaching tariffs. Conversely, a drop-off in imports over the second quarter may have inflated the second-quarter GDP figure.

The GDP growth “primarily reflected a decrease in imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP,” the U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday.

The U.S. economy so far has largely defied fears of a tariff-induced downturn.

The unemployment rate stands near a historically low level and job growth remains robust, though it has slowed from previous highs. Inflation has climbed over the last two months but it remains below where it stood when Trump took office.

In the months following Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, in April, consumer sentiment declined to its lowest level in years, raising concern about a possible pullback in consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of economic activity.

Consumer sentiment has ticked up for two consecutive months, however, as Trump has rolled back some of his steepest tariffs. Consumer spending has proven fairly resilient.

Wednesday’s fresh GDP data arrived hours before the Federal Reserve is set to announce its latest decision on interest rates.

An overwhelming 97% of investors believe interest rates will hold steady, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

In theory, sturdy economic growth eases pressure on the Fed to lower interest rates, since consumers and businesses appear undeterred by high borrowing costs. If growth begins to slow, the Fed could seek to lower interest rates as a means of boosting economic performance.

The Fed has adopted a wait-and-see approach as it continues to observe the effects of Trump’s tariffs.

“Despite elevated uncertainty, the economy is in a solid position,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., last month.

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