🧠 GPT-5 now free for everyone

Also: Google invests in AI skills for college students

Author

Evolving AI
August 08, 2025

In partnership with

Welcome, AI enthusiasts

GPT-5 is here, and it’s free for everyone. Free users can now try advanced reasoning for the first time, while Pro users get full access to GPT-5 and the even smarter GPT-5 Pro. Expect sharper answers, deeper thinking, and brand-new features across the board. Let’s dive in!

In today’s insights:

  • GPT-5 now free for everyone

  • Google invests in AI skills for college students

  • Grok Will Start Serving Ads

Read time: 4 minutes

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Evolving AI: OpenAI just launched GPT-5 and made it free for all ChatGPT users. It includes new models, better accuracy, and deeper reasoning.

Key Points:

  • GPT 5 comes in four versions and is rolling out to all ChatGPT tiers starting today.

  • Free users get access to reasoning for the first time.

  • New features include safer answers, better coding, and custom chat styles.

Details:

After more than 2.5 years, we finally have a true successor to GPT 4. OpenAI released GPT-5 along with Pro, Mini, and Nano versions. Free users now get access to reasoning for the first time, though with limits. When those limits are reached, GPT-5 Mini takes over. Pro users get full access to GPT-5 and the higher-performing GPT-5 Pro. The new model focuses on fewer errors, improved coding, and smarter responses. It uses a router to decide whether to respond fast or think through more complex tasks. The "safe completions" system replaces blocked answers with limited but helpful replies. OpenAI also reduced the model’s tendency to agree with users too much. ChatGPT now includes voice upgrades, Google integration, and preset chat styles like Robot or Cynic. Developers get access to new tools, a 256k context window, and cheaper API pricing for smaller models. GPT-5 is now the default model for signed-in ChatGPT users.

Why It Matters:

GPT-5 marks a real shift in how people use AI, not just to chat or summarize but to get expert-level help on demand. As Sam Altman put it, GPT-3 was like a high school student, GPT-4 like a college student, and GPT-5 now responds with the depth of a PhD in any field. That kind of jump means you're no longer just getting help with emails or code. You're working with something that can unpack complex ideas, reason through tough problems, and do it faster and more reliably. It's not AGI or superintelligence, and we should be clear about that, but giving hundreds of millions access to this level of AI for free changes what people expect from everyday tech.

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Source: Google

Evolving AI: Google commits $1B to free AI education and job training across U.S. colleges.

Key Points:

  • Google will spend $1 billion over three years to offer free AI tools and training to U.S. colleges and nonprofits.

  • Every U.S. college student can now access Google’s advanced AI tools like Gemini 2.5 Pro and Veo 3 for free.

  • The initiative comes amid concerns about AI-driven job cuts and fewer entry-level opportunities.

Details:

Google is launching a $1 billion AI education and training initiative, offering free access to tools and resources for all accredited U.S. colleges and non-profits. Through partnerships with over 100 universities, students will receive AI certificates and access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, NotebookLM, Veo 3, and Jules. The effort aims to equip the next generation of "AI natives" with practical skills amid shifting job market dynamics.

Why It Matters:

Big tech has spent the past year racing to flood the workforce with AI tools, but most students can barely afford textbooks, let alone access to premium models. Google flipping the script by making Gemini 2.5 Pro and AI coding tools free to every college student isn’t just good PR, it’s a direct play to shape who gets to compete in tomorrow’s job market. Entry-level roles are shrinking, job listings are tighter, and companies want graduates who already know their way around AI.

Source: Getty Images

Evolving AI: Elon Musk wants Grok to earn its keep by inserting ads into its answers.

Key Points:

  • Musk announced ads will soon appear in Grok's responses to help cover rising GPU costs.

  • Advertisers can pay to have their products recommended directly in answers.

  • Musk’s xAI will be used to improve targeting and make ads more relevant to users.

Details:

Musk is betting that embedding ads in Grok’s responses can help fix X’s shaky ad business. Instead of traditional banners, X will allow brands to insert sponsored suggestions that show up when users ask specific questions. xAI, the company behind Grok, will handle ad targeting to make the experience more helpful than disruptive. Musk called this move "instructive" and said it’s time for Grok to start justifying its GPU bill.

Why It Matters:

Grok slipping ads into answers isn’t just about revenue, it’s a test of whether people will trust an AI that’s also selling to them. If done right, it could change how products are marketed online, showing up exactly when you need them, not when you're scrolling mindlessly. But it blurs the line between help and promotion, and if users start to question whether Grok is answering or advertising, the whole thing could backfire.

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