OpenAI halts pro subscriptions amid surge in astra demand

OpenAI has temporarily paused new subscriptions for its $200-per-month Pro plan due to high demand for its latest model, Astra. The decision was announced by Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux, product leader at OpenAI, who noted that the Pro plan places the most strain on the company’s infrastructure. Sottiaux emphasized that the move aims to maintain broad access to its services while managing system load. Other plans, including API access and lower-cost options like Go and Plus, remain available. OpenAI had previously warned of potential changes, citing unprecedented demand for Astra and the need to prioritize existing users. The company has not disclosed how long the pause may last or the scale of daily sign-ups. Astra, launched on September 3, is being rolled out across multiple plans, including Pro, and is positioned as a major advancement in AI capabilities, with OpenAI calling it the start of the 'AGI era.'