Conversations with ChatGPT’s default model are now more accurate, use fewer unnecessary emoji, and provide better personalization based on your previous messages, according to its maker, OpenAI.
Announced on Tuesday, ChatGPT 5.5 Instant is the brand’s new default model, set to replace 5.3 Instant in the near future. The new 5.5 Instant model is rolling out now, with 5.3 Instant remaining available to paid subscribers for the next three months.
According to OpenAI, “Instant is now more dependable, with significant improvements in factuality across the board,” with claims it produces 52.5% fewer inaccurate results than its predecessor. OpenAI says the newer model reduces inaccurate claims by 37.3% in situations such as “challenging conversations users had flagged for factual errors.”
Other improvements include better analysis tools for photo and image uploads, as well as improved knowledge of when the model should search the internet for an answer. It also promises more concise answers, making them easier to read without losing context or helpful information.
OpenAI says, “It also asks fewer unnecessary follow-up questions and avoids things that can make responses feel cluttered, like gratuitous emojis.” An example generated by GPT 5.3 Instant, and shared in OpenAI’s marketing, shows a smiling face when discussing workplace etiquette, but that smile is no longer present in a newer response.
Personalization improvements help add context from your previous conversations with ChatGPT, so it better remembers what you’ve discussed and bridges it into responses. It can also take information from files you’ve shared or connected emails.
OpenAI says, “It intelligently decides when a response can be improved with additional personalization and is faster at searching past conversations to find the right context, so you don’t have to repeat yourself as often.”
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An example shows how it would remember a visit to a local tea shop from a previous conversation. It can reference your earlier visit, but won’t recommend it as a new location; instead, it can find similar places you may want to visit.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
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