OpenAI, the company behind popular AI tools like ChatGPT and Codex, has temporarily stopped accepting new sign-ups for its Astra Pro plan. The decision was made by Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux, OpenAI’s product leader, who oversees major products including Codex and ChatGPT. Sottiaux explained that the Pro plan puts the most pressure on the company’s systems, prompting the need to pause new subscriptions. He emphasized that the company is taking the “smallest step” possible to ensure it can still offer access to a wide audience. Other plans, such as the API and more affordable Go and Plus plans, remain available. OpenAI had previously hinted that such a measure might be necessary, with Sottiaux describing the demand for Astra as “unprecedented.” He noted that the company is “pulling all the levers possible” to keep up with the high demand, which has not been seen even during previous periods of rapid growth. However, the company has not provided specific details on how long the pause will last or the number of users signing up each day. The strain on systems appears to be a recent issue, despite OpenAI raising usage limits for Codex users just last month. Astra, which was launched on September 3, is being integrated across various OpenAI plans, including Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts, as well as the company’s broader AI offerings. The model is expected to bring major improvements in AI reasoning, coding, and computer interaction—areas where competition is fierce. OpenAI has described Astra as the beginning of the “AGI era,” referring to artificial general intelligence, a type of AI that could perform any intellectual task a human can. This vision has further fueled demand for the service, highlighting both the excitement and the challenges that come with developing increasingly advanced AI systems.