OpenAI Makes GPT-5.6 Luna Default for Free ChatGPT
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- OpenAI upgraded the default model for free ChatGPT users to GPT-5.6 Luna and unlocked unlimited text chats, a release one commenter (@somewheresy) called "basically the opposite of what's going on at Anthropic"
- OpenAI rolled out an improved GPT-5.6 Sol for Plus and Pro users, which the company said produced 68% fewer factual errors than GPT-5.5 Instant in high-stakes evaluations covering finance, medicine, and law
- ChatGPT added a reasoning-effort slider for Plus and Pro users and consolidated Instant and deep reasoning under the upgraded GPT-5.6 Sol, while Free and Go users received a "Think" button for harder questions
- OpenAI highlighted meaningful safety gains for under-18 users in the launch, per a tweet from team member Hannah Mulvaney (@techwithhannahm)
- ChatGPT now has roughly 1 billion weekly active users, according to a figure cited in coverage by Mehul Mohan (@mehulmpt)
Why it matters: OpenAI is putting GPT-5.6 Luna—described by one industry watcher as "approximately Opus 4.6 level intelligence"—into unlimited free access while ChatGPT already sits at 1 billion weekly active users, narrowing what the company gates behind its paywall and putting pressure on rivals like Anthropic that have kept stronger models behind subscriptions.
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