OpenAI updates its GPT family with two versions: GPT-5.1 Instant and GPT-5.1 Thinking. What changes for you as a user and why does it matter? Basically, these models aim to answer better, think when needed, and do so under broader safety measures.
Key updates
GPT-5.1 brings two modes with different goals. On one hand there's gpt-5.1-instant, designed for quick, fluid conversations; on the other, gpt-5.1-thinking, which adjusts its "thinking" time based on how complex your question is.
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GPT-5.1 Instant: more conversational than previous models, it improves instruction follow-through and has an adaptive ability to decide when it needs to process more before replying. What does that mean in practice? More natural answers in everyday chats and fewer interruptions when your question is straightforward.
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GPT-5.1 Thinking: tunes how long it spends thinking depending on each query. For tasks that require deeper reasoning—like complex explanations, case analysis, or nuanced questions—it takes just enough time to deliver a better-founded answer.
