OpenAI has introduced one of its biggest ChatGPT updates yet by launching GPT-5.6, a new ChatGPT Work agent, an upgraded desktop app with Codex built in, and a hosted sites feature for paid users.
The announcement marks the next stage of ChatGPT’s evolution as OpenAI brings coding tools, AI agents, and everyday productivity features together inside a single experience. Alongside these changes, the company has also introduced a new naming system for its AI models with Sol, Terra, and Luna.
GPT-5.6 arrives with three different capability tiers designed for different types of users. Sol serves as OpenAI’s flagship model for advanced work, Terra focuses on balanced everyday performance, and Luna delivers faster responses at a lower cost.
OpenAI says the new naming system makes it easier for users and developers to understand the balance between intelligence, speed, and pricing, while the GPT-5.6 generation number identifies the overall model family.
OpenAI says the rollout of all three GPT-5.6 models will continue over the next 24 hours across ChatGPT and its developer platform.
GPT-5.6 introduces ChatGPT Work, Ultra mode, and a unified desktop experience
The biggest addition is ChatGPT Work, a new AI agent available on the web, desktop, and mobile. Instead of acting as a standard chatbot, ChatGPT Work helps users complete larger tasks while giving them access to different GPT-5.6 models and adjustable effort levels depending on the complexity of the job.
Another major update arrives on desktop. OpenAI has merged Codex into the ChatGPT desktop app for both macOS and Windows, allowing users to switch between regular ChatGPT conversations, ChatGPT Work, and Codex from a single application. Existing Codex users can keep their projects, settings, and workflows after updating, while macOS users can still choose the familiar Codex app icon.
“GPT-5.6 Sol sets a new standard for both intelligence and efficiency, achieving state-of-the-art results across coding, knowledge work, cybersecurity, and science while outperforming previous and competing frontier models with fewer tokens and at lower estimated cost. We also introduce a new way to accelerate the most demanding work: ultra is our highest-capability setting, coordinating multiple agents across parallel workstreams to finish complex tasks faster.”
OpenAI also says GPT-5.6 delivers much stronger design judgment than previous models. The company explains that the model creates cleaner and more functional interfaces from high-level instructions while inspecting the rendered results to identify visual or functional issues before returning the finished work.
The updated desktop app also adds several developer-focused improvements that simplify software development without leaving ChatGPT.
- Edit Markdown files and source code directly inside the app with inline annotations.
- Review GitHub pull requests in a built-in sidebar alongside reviewer comments.
- Work across multiple repositories within a single project.
- Faster Computer Use performance powered by GPT-5.6.
- Better task tracking and progress updates while Codex completes requests.
- Simpler plugin management through Settings.
- Improved mobile connectivity along with fixes for SSH project video rendering.
Availability depends on the subscription plan. Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users receive access to GPT-5.6 Sol in ChatGPT, while Pro and Enterprise subscribers can also select GPT-5.6 Sol Pro for demanding workloads.
Free and Go users receive GPT-5.6 Terra inside ChatGPT Work and Codex, while paid subscribers can switch between Sol, Terra, and Luna. OpenAI has also enabled Ultra mode for Pro and Enterprise users in ChatGPT Work, while Codex offers Ultra mode for Plus plans and above.
Developers can access all three GPT-5.6 models through the OpenAI API. OpenAI has also introduced Programmatic Tool Calling and a beta Multi-agent feature that allows GPT-5.6 to run multiple subagents simultaneously before combining the results into a single response. API pricing starts at $5 per one million input tokens and $30 per one million output tokens for Sol, while Terra costs $2.50 and $15, and Luna costs $1 and $6 respectively.
Alongside today’s launch, OpenAI confirmed that GPT-5.4 will retire on July 23 following the rollout of GPT-5.6, while the GPT-5.5 models will continue to remain available. The company also introduced hosted sites for paid users, completing a broader update that brings AI agents, coding workflows, and desktop productivity into one unified ChatGPT platform.
