OpenAI releases GPT-5.6 and ChatGPT Work tool

OpenAI broadly released GPT-5.6 on Thursday, introducing three versions of the model, including a new 'ultra' mode within a variant called Sol. The rollout was staggered per a request from the U.S. government, according to the announcement.

CEO Sam Altman told CNBC that Sol is 54% more token efficient on agentic coding tasks compared to previous models. The new ChatGPT Work tool, which focuses on code generation and automated task completion, was also released alongside GPT-5.6. The three flavors are designed for different use cases, with Sol targeting high-performance agentic workloads.

The release comes amid heightened government interest in AI safety and competition. The U.S. government's request for a staggered rollout suggests ongoing dialogue between policymakers and AI labs. OpenAI has not disclosed the full capabilities or benchmarks for the ultra mode, but Altman emphasized the efficiency gains for developers working with autonomous coding agents.