Introducing GPT-6.1 Sol
This gives businesses using ChatGPT a much cheaper option for high-quality AI work, with near-flagship performance on coding, document review and research tasks at a fraction of the cost of the top-tier model. If your team has been holding back from the most capable model due to cost, this narrows that gap.
What changed
Source summary
OpenAI released GPT-6.1 Sol, an upgraded version of GPT-6 Sol that delivers near-Astra-level intelligence at a fifth of the price, with improvements to coding, professional document analysis, computer-use tasks and scientific research while remaining significantly cheaper than the flagship Astra model.
Why it matters to your work
Practical interpretation
This gives businesses using ChatGPT a much cheaper option for high-quality AI work, with near-flagship performance on coding, document review and research tasks at a fraction of the cost of the top-tier model. If your team has been holding back from the most capable model due to cost, this narrows that gap.
When this could help
Worth trying for a document review, coding task, or research job where you would normally reach for the most capable (and most expensive) model.
GPT-6.1 Sol delivers close to GPT-6 Astra's quality on coding, professional document analysis, computer-use tasks and scientific research at roughly a fifth of Astra's price, narrowing the gap for teams that had been avoiding the most expensive model on cost grounds.
Try this · The SCALA method
Give AI a clearer brief
- Situation
- You have a coding, document-review or research task in ChatGPT Work or Codex and have been avoiding the top-tier model due to cost.
- Consultant
- Act as a technical reviewer or researcher appropriate to the task.
- Action
- Using GPT-6.1 Sol, [the task, e.g. 'review this contract for unusual clauses' or 'fix this bug']. [Fill in the real task.]
- Language
- Match the task's natural output (code diff, document review notes, research summary).
- Ask
- Confirm whether the task's complexity genuinely needs the flagship model (Astra) instead before relying solely on Sol for anything high-stakes.
SCALA suggested prompt · Adapt the context and check the result.
Learn the SCALA method →Build it into your routine
SCALA suggested workflow
Cost-conscious model choice
Before defaulting to the most expensive model for a coding or document task in Work/Codex, try GPT-6.1 Sol first and only escalate to Astra if the result falls short.
What to check
- Not available in the standard ChatGPT Chat tab at launch — only in ChatGPT Work and Codex. Source ↗
Sources & provider guides
Official documentation checked 12 Oct 2026. SCALA prompts and workflows are suggestions, not claims of hands-on testing.
Source & availability
This is a summary of a published provider announcement, with practical context from SCALA’s feed.
Plan, region, workspace and rollout conditions may affect access in Australia. Check the original source for current availability.
openai.com