Why Does OpenAI Have So Many Models? The Full Story (2018–2026)

ChatGPT was just the beginning. How did OpenAI go from predicting the next word to creating images, generating video, speaking naturally, and working through complex tasks?

Explore the history of OpenAI models from 2018 to October 2026 in this illustrated, beginner-friendly journey. From the original GPT to ChatGPT, DALL·E, Whisper, Sora, Codex, and the reasoning models, discover what each major release changed—and how the pieces connect.

You’ll learn:
• What makes each major OpenAI model different
• How text, images, audio, video, and coding evolved together
• Why OpenAI introduced mini, nano, Pro, and specialist models
• The difference between a model announcement, preview, and public release

No technical background needed—just curiosity about how AI got here.

CHAPTERS
00:00 The OpenAI journey
00:15 The first GPT
01:32 GPT-3
02:06 CLIP
03:22 InstructGPT
04:25 ChatGPT and GPT-3.5
05:26 GPT-4
07:33 Sora
07:52 GPT-4o
08:32 o1-preview and o1-mini
11:58 GPT-4.1, mini, and nano
13:05 codex-1 and Codex mini
14:25 GPT-5, mini, and nano
16:28 GPT-5.1 and Codex variants
18:10 GPT-5.3-Codex
19:37 GPT-5.4 and Pro
22:28 GPT-5.6 model family
23:33 GPT-6 Astra
25:22 GPT-6.1 Terra
25:43 What actually changed?

Which OpenAI release felt like the biggest turning point to you? Share your pick in the comments.

Subscribe for more illustrated explainers about AI, its history, and the tools shaping its future.

Research draws on OpenAI’s official announcements and model documentation. Coverage focuses on major model generations and named families through October 27, 2026.

#OpenAI #ChatGPT #AIExplained