OpenAI is updating ChatGPT with a more capable model and expanding access to everyone, the company said in its August release notes published Wednesday. Free and Go users receive a new default model for everyday chats, while Plus and Pro subscribers get an updated GPT-5.6 Sol with a slider that lets them choose how much effort ChatGPT uses for each response. The new models replace GPT-5.5 Instant across ChatGPT.
What Changes
The August versions of GPT-5.6 Sol and GPT-5.6 Luna are distinct from the models released in July, which remain in use inside Codex and via ChatGPT Work, OpenAI said in its Deployment Safety Hub. The effort slider gives Plus and Pro users finer control over reasoning depth per query, a capability previously reserved for API developers. The update also broadens the default model tier, putting a more capable engine in front of the free tier for the first time since the 5.x line launched.
Safety Assessment
Under the company's Preparedness Framework, OpenAI treats the August release as High capability in both the Cybersecurity and Biological and Chemical domains — the same designations as the July models. Neither version reaches the High threshold in AI Self-Improvement, and OpenAI said it has implemented the same set of safeguards detailed in the GPT-5.6 System Card. The company is publishing a full system card update alongside the rollout, documenting capability testing across each risk domain.
The release lands amid an intensifying frontier-model race: Google's Gemini flagship has slipped two months, per Reuters reporting, while Anthropic and DeepSeek have both shipped major model updates this week. OpenAI's decision to upgrade the default ChatGPT experience signals it is defending the consumer tier as rivals target the price-performance segment, analysts note.
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