OpenAI Expands GPT

OpenAI is expanding access to its latest artificial intelligence models as the company looks to push ChatGPT further into everyday use, rolling out improvements designed to make responses more accurate, focused and reliable.

The company said it has updated GPT-5.6 Sol, its model for Plus and Pro subscribers, with improvements aimed at reducing factual errors, improving response quality and creating a more consistent experience between quick answers and deeper reasoning tasks.

At the same time, OpenAI is making GPT-5.6 Luna the default model for free users, expanding access to unlimited text chats and adding a new "Think" feature that allows users to trigger deeper reasoning for more complex questions.

The rollout comes as AI companies compete not only to develop more powerful models but also to attract a broader base of users. OpenAI said more than 1 billion people use ChatGPT each week for tasks ranging from research and planning to writing and decision-making.

For paid users, GPT-5.6 Sol will now power both faster responses and higher-effort reasoning experiences, with a new slider allowing users to adjust how much processing power ChatGPT applies to a response. OpenAI said the goal is to create a smoother transition between simple questions and more complex tasks.

The company also highlighted improvements in factual reliability. According to OpenAI, internal evaluations across financial, medical and legal prompts found responses containing at least one factual error were about 68% less common with GPT-5.6 Sol and 62% less common with GPT-5.6 Luna compared with GPT-5.5 Instant.

The broader access push reflects a growing focus among AI companies on distribution and adoption as the industry moves beyond the initial race to build larger models. Making advanced AI tools available to free users could help OpenAI gather more usage data, increase engagement and strengthen ChatGPT’s position against rivals.

OpenAI said GPT-5.6 Luna will become the default model for Free and Go users this week, with unlimited text chats and the Think button rolling out next week. Limits will remain in place for features including file uploads, images and other tools.

The company is also continuing to emphasize safety measures, saying the latest updates include additional protections for users under 18, including safeguards around sensitive topics and age-restricted content.

The update follows a series of recent moves by OpenAI aimed at improving the economics and accessibility of its AI products. The company has been lowering model costs while expanding ChatGPT’s reach, a strategy that could accelerate adoption as competition with rivals including Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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