OpenAI launches GPT-5.1 with faster responses, smarter reasoning, and customizable personalities

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By TechWatch PH Staff

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5.1, the newest version of its flagship model powering ChatGPT, introducing faster performance, deeper reasoning, and a more natural conversational tone as it rolls out across Plus, Pro, and Business users.

“GPT-5.1 is out! It’s a nice upgrade.I particularly like the improvements in instruction following, and the adaptive thinking.The intelligence and style improvements are good too,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said.

”Also, we’ve made it easier to customize ChatGPT. You can pick from presets (Default, Friendly, Efficient, Professional, Candid, or Quirky) or tune it yourself,” Altman added.

GPT-5.1 arrives in two variants — Instant and Thinking — designed to make the AI more adaptable depending on the task.

Instant focuses on quick, responsive conversations, while Thinking slows down where needed to handle analytical and multi-step prompts with more deliberate reasoning.

According to OpenAI, the model now makes better decisions on when to think faster or when to pause for more complex queries, improving accuracy without sacrificing speed.

The update also brings built-in personality presets, allowing users to adjust how the chatbot sounds.

Options like Friendly, Professional, Candid, Efficient, Nerdy, Quirky, and Cynical tailor tone and delivery, giving users more control over how ChatGPT communicates.

In a statement, OpenAI said the improvements respond directly to user feedback, emphasizing that great AI is not only measured by intelligence but also by how natural it feels to interact with.

GPT-5.1 follows three months after GPT-5’s release earlier this year, which received mixed reactions for performance inconsistencies.

The new version appears positioned to refine the experience: better instruction-following, improved contextual memory, and more intentional reasoning, along with a warmer conversational style. GPT-5 will remain accessible as a legacy model for paid users for the next three months.

For content creators, journalists, and digital teams in the Philippines, the update could reshape day-to-day workflows.

The Instant model’s quicker response time can support rapid drafting and ideation, while the Thinking model offers more reliable deep-dive analysis for long-form content, technical explainers, or investigative work. The tone presets may also help local storytellers craft outputs that match brand voice more closely, especially in multi-platform campaigns.