OpenAI has now upgraded ChatGPT to the latest GPT-5.1 version, which offers significant improvements, making it "warmer, more intelligent, and better."

OpenAI Debuts GPT-5.1 for ChatGPT With Instant, Thinking Traits

OpenAI is rolling out GPT-5.1 for all users, but the company claims that it would first be available to paying users before Free access accounts.

There are two main focuses of GPT-5.1 which aim to improve on how "enjoyable" it is to talk to, apart from its focus on making the chatbot smart.

First, there is the GPT-5.1 Instant, which is now "warmer, more intelligent, and better at following your instructions," with OpenAI also saying that it is the most-used model in the lineup.

Next, there is the GPT-5.1 Thinking, which is a version of the model that takes some time to look for deeper answers and generate a more well-thought-out response to users, with OpenAI making it more efficient and easier to understand.

According to OpenAI, Thinking gets an upgrade in GPT-5.1 as it can be more precise in generating answers with its newfound focus on complex problems while also responding to simpler ones.

Warmer, More Intelligent, and Better Chatbot

Overall, OpenAI stressed how its chatbot is better than before with GPT-5.1's upgrade. OpenAI released GPT-5 last August with the promise of delivering a chatbot experience that is versatile, speedy, and more intelligent than before, but is already looking to top it with GPT-5.1's release.

According to OpenAI, its development of GPT-5.1 centers on improving the already-powerful GPT-5 experience with more focus on the two traits. In GPT-5.1 Instant's case, users may have the chatbot follow strict parameters on their responses called "instruction following" so ChatGPT will answer the questions presented to it reliably.

On the other hand, GPT-5.1 Thinking offers clearer responses with less jargon or undefined terms. It also has a default tone that is "warmer and more empathetic" for a more approachable model that is capable of complex processing.