Key facts
- OpenAI has paused new subscriptions for its $200-per-month Pro plan.
- The pause is due to unprecedented demand for OpenAI's new Astra AI model.
- OpenAI's product leader Thibault Sottiaux cited strain on infrastructure as the reason.
- Sottiaux stated the Pro plan puts the most strain on systems.
- Other OpenAI plans, including the API and lower-cost Go and Plus plans, remain available.
- Astra was launched on September 3 and is described as a generational leap in AI capabilities.
OpenAI has temporarily halted new subscriptions for its premium $200-per-month Pro plan, citing overwhelming demand for its latest and most powerful AI model, Astra. The company's product leader, Thibault Sottiaux, announced the move on X, explaining that the Pro tier places the greatest strain on their systems. This measure is intended to ensure continued service quality for existing users while managing infrastructure load.
Sottiaux had foreshadowed this possibility on Wednesday, noting the unprecedented demand for Astra. He stated that while the company was exploring all options to sustain the demand, a pause in new Pro subscriptions might become necessary if the trend continued. OpenAI has not specified the duration of this pause or the daily sign-up numbers that indicate the scale of the demand.
The company recently increased usage limits for Codex users last month, suggesting that the current infrastructure strain is a recent development. The Astra model, launched on September 3, is being integrated across various OpenAI plans, including Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts. OpenAI has heralded Astra as a significant advancement in AI reasoning, coding, and computer use, positioning it as the dawn of the "AGI era" and a generational leap, which has further fueled demand.