OpenAI launches ChatGPT 5.1; here is how it is set to benefit brands

What is new with GPT 5.1? 

With the latest upgrade, the most-used GPT model is now more conversational, warmer by default, and demonstrates better instruction following. For the first time, it incorporates adaptive reasoning for complex questions, leading to improved performance on evaluations like AIME 2025 and Codeforces. Further, the upgrade to Thinking, the advanced reasoning model is now more efficient and clearer. It adjusts its thinking time more precisely based on complexity, and responses use less jargon and are easier to understand. The default tone is also warmer and more empathetic. The Auto mode will continue to route queries to the best-suited model, providing smarter and more natural responses across the board. 

How can brands leverage ChatGPT 5.1 upgrade? 

The latest upgrade gives enhanced tonality control to the users, including Professional, Candid, and Quirky, alongside updated Default, Friendly, and Efficient styles. This can be a great use-case for brands that deploy ChatGPT APIs to develop their chatbots. 

"We’re bringing both GPT‑5.1 Instant and GPT‑5.1 Thinking to the API later this week. GPT‑5.1 Instant will be added as gpt-5.1-chat-latest, and GPT‑5.1 Thinking will be released as GPT‑5.1 in the API, both with adaptive reasoning. GPT‑5 (Instant and Thinking) will remain available in ChatGPT under the legacy models dropdown for paid subscribers for three months, so people have time to compare and adapt at their own pace," the company wrote in its blog post. 

The company is also undergoing small experiments giving users control of the frequency of emojis or warmth. This can help brands craft better narratives and maintain their brand image in their creatives prepared with the help of ChatGPT. The company shared that changes made in personalization settings (tone or custom instructions) now take effect immediately across all active and new chats.