On Tuesday, OpenAI released a novel core model called GPT-5.5 Instant, which will replace GPT-5.3 Instant as the default ChatGPT model. The company said the model reduces hallucinations in sensitive areas such as law, medicine and finance, while maintaining low latency compared to its predecessor.
Last month, OpenAI released its latest GPT-5.5 model, with the company claiming it has improved in areas such as coding and knowledge work.
The novel model also scored 81.2 on the AIME 2025 math test, compared to 65.4 for the older model. It also outperformed its predecessor on the MMMU-Pro Multimodal Reasoning Test, with a score of 76 compared to 69.2.
The release places particular emphasis on context management. GPT-5.5 Instant can employ the search tool to reference previous conversations, files and Gmail to provide more personalized responses. This feature will be available to Plus and Pro users on the web, with plans to roll it out to mobile devices soon. OpenAI said it plans to expand access to the feature to Free, Go Business and Enterprise users in the coming weeks.
With this update, ChatGPT will also show memory sources on all models to lend a hand you understand where it generated responses. Users can remove old-fashioned sources or correct them if the answer was wrong. Most importantly, the company stated that if you share your chat with someone, they will not be able to see your storage sources.
For developers, GPT-5.5 will be available via the API as “latest in chat”, and version 5.3 will be available as an option for paid users for three months only.
The company has faced pushback over previous model recall moves. When OpenAI retired its GPT-4o model, there was significant backlash from users who related to the “personality” of the model. GPT-4o often validated users’ choices, which made them feel connected to that particular model. Users who signed petitions to stop OpenAI from backing down, he described the model as a “best friend” or “mirror”. Despite protests, GPT-4o was retired in February 2026.
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