AI model families: GPT-5 and what's new

GPT-5 is OpenAI's flagship model. It's smarter at reasoning, handles longer documents, and is better at code. Knowing what version you're using matters because answers differ.

Some examples

• Use GPT-5 for hard reasoning tasks
• Notice GPT-5's better code than GPT-4
• Compare GPT-5 vs GPT-4 on the same prompt
• Check which model your tool actually uses

Try it!

Find a hard math or logic question. Ask it to GPT-4 and GPT-5 (if you have access). Note where the answers differ. Even if both right, the explanations vary.

GPT-5 is OpenAI's frontier model. It can read images, write code, do math, and reason through hard problems. ChatGPT Plus uses GPT-5 by default for paying users.

Some examples

• Upload a photo and ask GPT-5 to identify what's in it.
• Use GPT-5 for coding when Sonnet gets stuck.
• GPT-5 is great at structured outputs (JSON, tables).
• It's slower than smaller GPTs but more accurate on hard stuff.

Try it!

Try the same hard question on GPT-5 and a smaller model (Haiku or 4o-mini). Compare which one nails it.

GPT-5 Thinking pauses to reason step by step before answering. It's slower but way better at math, code, and tricky logic. Use it when the answer matters more than the speed.

Some examples

• Use Thinking for AP Calc problems — it shows its work.
• Use standard GPT-5 for chat, drafting, and quick answers.
• Thinking can take 30+ seconds — chill and let it cook.
• Cost more per token — don't burn it on 'what's the weather'.

Try it!

Pick a tough math problem. Run it on standard GPT-5 and Thinking. Compare answers AND the work shown.

most prompts do not need the flagship; benchmark on your real data

Some examples

• Use mini for chat support classifying
• Reserve flagship for novel research help
• Run both on the same 50 examples to decide

Try it!

Open your favorite AI tool and try one of the examples above. Pick the one that matches what you are actually working on this week. Spend 10 minutes, no more. Notice what worked and what did not — that's the real lesson.