ChatGPT Plus subscriptions are back on

If you've been stuck on the waitlist trying to pay for ChatGPT Plus, your wait is officially over.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman just posted on X that the company has re-enabled ChatGPT Plus subscriptions, wrapping up the update with a Christmas tree emoji and a brief message thanking users for their patience while the team found more GPUs.

Scrambling for more compute

OpenAI had previously hit the pause button on new paid sign-ups because their servers simply could not keep up with the post-DevDay surge in demand.

Altman did not share specific numbers regarding how many chips were added, but the core takeaway is straightforward: they went out, secured more GPU capacity, and can now handle incoming subscribers again.

Why it matters

For anyone looking to use GPT-4, build custom GPTs, or bypass the free tier's constraints, the paywall is open again without the barrier of a waiting list.

We think this brief shutdown served as a glaring reality check for the entire AI industry. Even when customers are literally lining up with credit cards in hand, hardware constraints can still force the top player to turn business away. OpenAI managed to scrape together enough GPUs to reopen the doors for now, but compute availability remains the single tightest bottleneck holding back the entire sector.