Our mission is for artificial intelligence to benefit all of humanity. Today OpenAI updates ChatGPT to make daily conversations more useful and, at the same time, expands access for free users. Sound useful to you?
What changes
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For Plus and Pro users:
GPT-5.6 Solin Chat arrives more reliable with facts, responds in a more focused way and avoids unnecessary formatting. There's also a new slider that lets you choose how much ChatGPT "thinks" before replying. -
For Free and Go users: the default model will be
GPT-5.6 Lunaand you'll have unlimited text chats. For questions that require more reasoning, a new Think button appears that gives the model more time to answer. -
Consistency across experiences: now the Instant and Thinking experiences are more aligned so when you ask for deeper answers it won't feel like you're switching to a different model.
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Limits: although text will be unlimited for Free and Go, limits on file uploads, images and other tools will still apply.
What improves in GPT-5.6 Sol?
GPT-5.6 Sol is tuned for everyday conversations. That means more direct answers, the right amount of detail for the question, and fewer mistakes when the answer depends on dates, numbers, sources or assumptions.
In internal evaluations with prompts in finance, medicine and law that require precision, responses with at least one factual error were about 62% less common with GPT-5.6 Luna and 68% less common with GPT-5.6 Sol compared to GPT-5.5 Instant.
What does that mean for you? For a quick question, you'll get a clear answer with just the right context. For more complex tasks, you'll get fuller answers without losing the main recommendation.
How to use the slider and the Think button
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Slider (Plus and Pro): move it down for quick, everyday replies; move it up for planning, research, writing, coding or decisions that need more reflection.
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Think button (Free): when a question is hard, press Think so
GPT-5.6 Lunahas more reasoning time. It's a way to access extra cognitive effort without changing accounts.
Timeline and availability
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Plus and Pro users have the slider and the improved
GPT-5.6 Solin Chat starting today. -
GPT-5.6 Lunawill be the default model for Free and Go this week. Starting next week they'll receive unlimited text chats and the Think button (with guardrails against abuse). -
The
GPT-5.6 Solversion optimized for Chat is used only in the ChatGPT experience. The variants that power Work and Codex do not change with this release.
Safety and behavior for minors
OpenAI also introduces additional training and evaluations for users who claim to be under 18. The model was adjusted to avoid romantic roleplay, age-restricted challenges and presenting itself as a substitute for real relationships.
Limits were applied to sexual content, eating disorders, body-image risks, dangerous activities, restricted goods and graphic violence. The model also encourages seeking support from trusted people when a teenager needs it.
Why does this matter today?
Access shapes opportunity. Giving unlimited chats and more capable models to more people isn't just a technical upgrade: it's widening who can develop an idea, solve a problem or make a better-informed decision.
Does this mean you never need to verify anything again? No. These models reduce errors, but for legal, medical or financial matters it's still wise to cross-check information and confirm sources.
Use the slider or the Think button depending on the task: quick and direct for everyday things, more time for complex work. That way you get more out of the tool without losing control.