OpenAI on Thursday released GPT-5.5, codenamed 'Spud,' its most capable model yet, just one week after Anthropic launched its own latest offering. The model is now available in ChatGPT and Codex for paid subscribers.
Co-founder Greg Brockman described it as 'a new class of intelligence,' marking a step toward more agentic and intuitive computing. The model can handle messy, multi-part tasks by planning, using tools, and checking its own work without step-by-step prompting.
OpenAI says GPT-5.5 is a 'faster, sharper thinker for fewer tokens' compared to version 5.4, yet matches its predecessor's response speed in real-world use. Improvements are strongest in coding, computer use, office work, and early scientific research.
API access will follow once the company finishes incorporating additional cybersecurity guardrails. The rapid release cycle underscores intensifying competition, with rivals pushing out updates at an accelerating pace.
Brockman emphasized the model's ability to execute multi-step workflows more autonomously. Still, the lack of immediate API availability may temper enterprise adoption until safety checks are complete.