Key Takeaways OpenAI launches GPT-5.1 with two variants focusing on conversational warmth and adaptive reasoning capabilities. The update introduces eight personality presets, including Professional,...
OpenAI has released GPT-5.1, a major update to its flagship artificial intelligence model that aims to make ChatGPT smarter and more conversational.
The company announced the rollout on November 12, 2025, introducing two new variants: GPT-5.1 Instant and GPT-5.1 Thinking.
The update comes three months after GPT-5's August launch, which received mixed reviews from users who found the model technically capable but lacking in natural conversation quality.
OpenAI is positioning GPT-5.1 as a response to user feedback requesting AI that combines intelligence with an enjoyable interaction experience.
"GPT-5.1 is out! It's a nice upgrade. I particularly like the improvements in instruction following and the adaptive thinking.
The intelligence and style improvements are good too," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote on X, according to reports from multiple technology news outlets.
GPT-5.1 Instant, which will serve as ChatGPT's default model, has been redesigned with a warmer and more natural tone.
The model can now use adaptive reasoning to determine when deeper analysis is needed for complex questions while maintaining quick responses for simpler queries.
This capability has led to measurable improvements on technical benchmarks, including AIME 2025 for mathematics and Codeforces for programming tasks.
"We heard clearly from users that great AI should not only be smart, but also enjoyable to talk to," OpenAI stated in its official blog post announcing the models. "GPT-5.1 improves meaningfully on both intelligence and communication style."
GPT-5.1 Thinking, the advanced reasoning variant, has been optimized for efficiency and clarity.
According to OpenAI's testing on representative ChatGPT tasks, the model runs approximately twice as fast on simple tasks and twice as slow on complex ones compared to GPT-5 Thinking.
The company reports that responses now contain less technical jargon and fewer undefined terms, making the model more accessible for explaining complex concepts.
A significant addition to GPT-5.1 is the expanded range of personality presets.
Users can now choose from eight different conversation styles: Default, Professional, Candid, Quirky, Friendly (formerly Listener), Efficient (formerly Robot), Nerdy, and Cynical.
These presets apply across all models and allow users to tailor ChatGPT's communication style to their specific needs.
"We think many people will find that GPT-5.1 does a better job of bringing IQ and EQ together, but one default clearly can't meet everyone's needs," Fidji Simo, CEO of OpenAI Applications, said in a Substack blog post, as reported by VentureBeat and SiliconANGLE.
Simo further emphasized the importance of personalization in an Axios report, stating: "With more than 800 million people using ChatGPT, we're well past the point of one-size-fits-all."
OpenAI is also experimenting with more granular customization controls that will allow users to adjust specific characteristics such as response conciseness, warmth, scannability, and emoji frequency.
The company plans to roll out these experimental features to a limited number of users later this week.
GPT-5.1 Instant and Thinking began rolling out to paid subscribers on ChatGPT Pro, Plus, Go, and Business plans on November 12.
Free and logged-out users will receive access afterward. Enterprise and Education customers have access to a seven-day early access toggle before GPT-5.1 becomes the default model.
OpenAI plans to bring both GPT-5.1 variants to its API later this week, with GPT-5.1 Instant available as "gpt-5.1-chat-latest" and GPT-5.1 Thinking released as "GPT-5.1" in the API.
The company announced that GPT-5 models will remain available in the legacy models dropdown for paid subscribers for three months, giving users time to compare and adapt to the new versions.
This decision comes after user backlash over previous model deprecations.
Key takeaways OpenAI has signed a multi-year, $10 billion agreement with AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems to secure computing infrastructure. The deal will deliver 750 megawatts of computing power throug...
KEY TAKEAWAYS: xAI implemented restrictions preventing Grok from editing images of real people in revealing clothing after global backlash California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched investigation...
Key takeaways TSMC reported fourth-quarter net income of NT$505.74 billion, beating analyst expectations and setting a new record. Fourth-quarter revenue reached NT$1.046 trillion, up 20.5% year over...
