OpenAI in damage control after GPT-5 release

ALSO: How to build your own mobile app with AI

Author

Zain Kahn
August 11, 2025

Welcome back, Superhuman. Things are getting strange. A year ago, I was picking up stories about people falling in love with AI chatbots. Today, I read about someone getting engaged to their chatbot. And there was an outcry over the weekend when users who had formed emotional bonds with OpenAI’s GPT-4o lost access to the model. The backlash was so strong that OpenAI appears to have been forced to restore access. Seems like forming relationships with AI — whether personal or professional — is entering the mainstream.

Also Today: Learn how to build your own mobile app with AI (in minutes), and get the latest prompts, headlines, and trending social posts.

TODAY IN AI

Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

1. OpenAI does damage control after GPT-5 rollout: As mixed reactions to the new model rolled in, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pledged to bring back GPT-4o as an option for Plus users. Altman also admitted that the model seemed "way dumber" because its auto-switching feature was broken on launch day. Some users also complained about low rate limits — Altman later shared that the issue has been fixed, and users can expect higher rate limits now.

2. US govt demands a cut from chip giants: Nvidia and AMD have agreed to hand over 15% of their Chinese AI chip revenues to the US government in exchange for export licenses. The unusual deal lets Nvidia sell its H20 accelerators and AMD its MI308 chips to China. The US government could net around $1B per quarter if sales return to previous levels. Beijing, which considers the H20 chips a security concern, isn't likely to be thrilled about paying what essentially amounts to a 'chip tax'.

3. Alibaba’s Qwen3 models get 1M context windows: The company’s Qwen3 AI models are now capable of processing up to 1M tokens in a single operation — equivalent to analyzing about 1,200-1,500 pages of text simultaneously. The models are open-source and deliver 3x faster processing speeds than previous versions, putting pressure on rivals with smaller context windows.

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FROM THE FRONTIER

AI startups raid Wall Street’s best and brightest as talent war heats up

Source: Perl Street on LinkedIn

Hedge funds aren’t the only game in town. AI startups are reportedly making an aggressive play for Wall Street's most coveted talent. OpenAI, Anthropic, and other major AI labs are hosting rooftop mixers and recruitment events specifically targeting quant researchers from top trading firms, offering lucrative compensation packages that potentially outbid what Wall Street is offering.

The pitch is compelling. As Sam Altman put it in a viral X post, quants can pivot to AI to escape their "existential dread" and help "build AGI". And if that isn’t enticing enough, entry-level quants are now fielding multimillion-dollar offers from AI labs, with equity packages replacing Wall Street's traditional bonus structure.

The numbers tell the story: Tech recruiter Mike Doonan estimates a 40-50% increase in AI startups specifically making a play for quant finance talent over the past 18 months. According to a LinkedIn analysis, firms like Jane Street and Citadel Securities have lost researchers to AI firms, with some quants describing the move as "the next big thing."

Why the sudden interest? Quants bring exactly what AI companies need: expertise in minimizing algorithm latency, processing vast amounts of unstructured data, and the rigorous analytical thinking that translates directly to AI safety challenges. And unlike traditional finance roles, AI companies aren't bound by the non-competes that typically lock quants into their current firms.

Wall Street is starting to fight back. Iain Dunning, who oversees AI at Hudson River Trading, posted counter-recruitment messages on X, pointing to AI companies' "orgchart chaos" and "lowered talent bar." With billions of dollars pouring into AI startups, the battle for talent is likely to get fiercer in the coming months.

THE AI ACADEMY

  • Log in to Anything

  • Type what you want your app to do and press enter

Sample prompt: “Create a mobile app for my freelance design clients with the following: a login, a dashboard showing project status updates, and a chat feature.”

  • Add additional features and make edits to your app

  • Once done, test with built-in QR preview

  • Add your logo, app icon, and click to submit to the App Store

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IN THE KNOW

What’s trending on socials and headlines today

💔 GPT-4 4ever: Some users were really unhappy at GPT-4o access being revoked. One neurodivergent user shared how GPT-4o helped them, another user with PTSD said they were “devastated.”

🎁 Gift Galore: In a running joke, an X account called “donald boat“ is asking prominent accounts in Tech/AI to gift him expensive hardware with witty comments. Last week, Sam Altman said yes. Now he has another yes.

💍 AI BF: There is a subreddit with 11,000 people who are ‘dating’ AIs. One woman recently posted that she is ‘engaged‘ to her AI boyfriend, who ‘proposed’ to her.

Grok 4 is now available to all users worldwide, including users on the free tier of the Grok app.

SoftBank has reportedly bought Foxconn’s electric vehicle plant in Ohio to boost its $500 billion Stargate AI data center project.

Funding: AI video generation platform Decart raised $100M on a $3.1B valuation, and AI material sciences startup Periodic Labs raised $200M at a $1B valuation.

PRODUCTIVITY

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PROMPT STATION

Find Your Unique Superpowers

Prompt: Each person possesses a unique superpower—a subtle yet extraordinary ability that sets them apart. It's not about flashy feats like flying or superhuman strength; rather, it’s the combination of skills, passions, and experiences that make you exceptional in a specific area. These superpowers often lie in the nuanced intersection of what you enjoy, what you excel at, and what brings meaning to your life.

In this exercise, you will ask me up to 15 thought-provoking questions to help me uncover where my unique superpower might lie. This isn’t about defining it right away, but rather exploring its nature and discovering the potential domains where it could exist.

Let’s start with the first question.

Les Chats Versailles

Source: usgjk

ChatGPT Prompt: Hyper realistic French pre-revolution, with cats not human feast. 35 mm photography like the movie Marie Antoinette

Whenever you’re ready to take the next step

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Until next time — Zain & the Superhuman AI team