The GPT-5 leak that wasn’t a leak

Claim: A supposed GPT-5 leak revealed internal details about the model.

Verdict: Misleading — the circulated material was repurposed speculation, not an actual leak.

Every few weeks, the internet discovers some new “GPT-5 leak” that is supposedly going to break reality, automate emotions, and replace three religions by Thursday.
This week’s version came from a blurry screenshot, a Discord username, and someone confidently saying “trust me bro.”

Let’s do what we do here: sort the nonsense from the real signals.

The Claim

A screenshot circulated showing what appeared to be an internal OpenAI dashboard referencing “GPT-5 Early Weights,” “Training Metrics,” and an ominously fuzzy timestamp.

Hype accounts immediately declared victory. Reddit exploded. And a few X users declared sentience again.

Our Assessment

Here’s what the screenshot actually shows when you’re not running on pure adrenaline:

• The typography doesn’t match internal OpenAI tools
• The UI structure is wrong for any real research dashboard
• The timestamp format matches a very common public template
• The image metadata was stripped (classic sign of a mock-up)
• A reverse-search found… someone’s Figma portfolio

In other words:
This wasn’t a leak.
It was a design exercise with delusions of grandeur.

The Signal

There are real indicators about GPT-5 development:

• Hiring patterns
• Model scaling evidence
• Architecture research
• Infrastructural investment
• Behaviour of partner organisations

But none of those appeared in the viral screenshot — because the viral screenshot was a piece of fanfiction.

Verdict

Rumour Status: ❌ Nonsense
Confidence: 95%

Wake me up when a real leak drops.

• For grounding in model behaviour, see What Is an AI Model, Anyway?
• For how rumours gain traction, see The Benchmark Game.