A field guide to AI positions

ChatGPT

Product.

Publication dates and source age

Sources counted: 3

Newest dated source: 2026-08-18

At least one source was published within the 18-month window.

Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.

Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

Open in the glossary Reading notes · Structured record

Prepared with AI assistance. Not independently fact-checked. Original sources and qualifications are below.

In plain language

OpenAI's conversational AI product, introduced in November 2022. [1]

Reference this explanation or suggest a correction

Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-chatgpt-1a5192ba3d7825ca26b24a72. Edition 0.20.0.

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Limits & distinctions

ChatGPT, a particular GPT model and OpenAI are separate names for a product, a model and its provider. [1]

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Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-chatgpt-09422ce4d5c74cb753a9bb98. Edition 0.20.0.

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A fuller explanation

ChatGPT is the service people interact with. The models and features behind that service can change. Its launch announcement describes an early system trained for dialogue; that announcement is not a specification of today's product. [1] [2]

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Explanation based on the linked sources. Claim ID: claim-term-chatgpt-1e4c26398ee834b2e16dc7b8. Edition 0.20.0.

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How it relates to the map

For the company's reviewed public position, see OpenAI. Using a product does not establish a user's views. [1] [3]

Reference this explanation or suggest a correction

Editorial interpretation or qualification. Claim ID: claim-term-chatgpt-25f52a21ad9f2e54a62ed1b2. Edition 0.20.0.

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https://theaiatlas.org/ideas/chatgpt/

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Sources and what we read

  1. 1. Introducing ChatGPT

    OpenAI · First-hand source · Published 2022-11-30 · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Source is over 18 months old.

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Newest dated source: 2022-11-30

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    Read the original announcement, Methods and Limitations. The page now explicitly labels itself the 2022 introduction. Claims concern that launch version, including dialogue training and reported errors, not every later ChatGPT model.

    Source ID: development-chatgpt

  2. 2. Memory FAQ

    OpenAI Help Center · First-hand source · Published date unavailable · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Publication dates are unavailable.

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Some publication dates are unknown; the newest dated source may not be the newest source overall.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    Read memory, context, controls and the legacy saved-memory explanation. Used as one provider's example; not generalized to all chatbots. Relative update wording was not converted to an invented exact date.

    Source ID: chatgpt-memory

  3. 3. Pacing model development in an era of cyber-critical capabilities

    OpenAI · First-hand source · Published 2026-08-18 · Material last read 2026-09-15

    Publication dates and source age

    Sources counted: 1

    Newest dated source: 2026-08-18

    At least one source was published within the 18-month window.

    Assessed at this edition's evidence cutoff: 2026-09-15. 18-month boundary: 2025-03-15.

    Publication age does not tell us whether a claim is still valid. Reading an old source again does not make its publication date newer. An update date does not establish that the passage we used was updated.

    Read scope is described in the source note.

    No archive check recorded.

    A company account of selected research-workload restrictions, not evidence of a whole-company training halt.

    Source ID: openai-pacing

Edition and machine-readable evidence

Content version 0.20.0. Evidence cutoff 2026-09-15; this does not mean every source was read on that day.

Pinned complete dataset · Complete evidence page · Agent consumption guide