OpenAI Temporarily Halts $200 ChatGPT Pro Sign-Ups Due to Astra Model Demand

OpenAI has temporarily stopped accepting new sign-ups for the $200 ChatGPT Pro tier, citing overwhelming demand for its Astra model that is putting a strain on their systems. The restriction affects only certain regions, as European organizations encounter an additional limitation because Astra has yet to deploy a data zone within the EU. Consequently, there is currently no paid option that processes data entirely within the EU boundaries. The pause applies exclusively to new subscriptions and does not impact existing users.