Late-Night Bombshell: GPT-5.1 Released, Altman Talks Emotional Intelligence — Has OpenAI Finally Learned to “Speak Human”?

Produced | NetEase Technology

OpenAI Shines Again: GPT‑5.1 Launches Just 3 Months After GPT‑5

Only three months after GPT‑5’s debut, OpenAI has announced GPT‑5.1 — positioning it as a major upgrade aimed at making ChatGPT “more intelligent and better at conversation.”

Two brand‑new models arrive with this release:

• GPT‑5.1 Instant
• GPT‑5.1 Thinking

> “GPT‑5.1 is live! This upgrade is quite good. Improvements in instruction‑following and adaptive reasoning stand out,” — CEO Sam Altman via X

OpenAI’s blog opens with a telling line:

“We’ve heard clearly from our users: A great AI should not only be smart, it should be enjoyable to talk to.”

This marks a shift away from competing solely on IQ — toward winning users through emotional intelligence (EQ) and personalization.

---

From GPT‑5’s Stumble to GPT‑5.1’s Rescue

• GPT‑5 launched in August with high expectations — but user feedback quickly turned lukewarm.
• Many found no significant performance jump, some even reported worse coding and math outputs vs. GPT‑4o.
• An attempted retirement of GPT‑4o triggered user backlash, forcing OpenAI to restore it.
• Microsoft, a key partner, began looking more seriously at Anthropic’s Claude.

Faced with disappointed users and wary partners, GPT‑5.1 is clearly OpenAI’s move to win back trust.

---

GPT‑5.1: Smarter Shortcuts, Deeper Thinking, More Soul

1. GPT‑5.1 Instant (Default Model)

The Instant model now features adaptive reasoning that changes response depth by question complexity:

• Quick replies for simple queries
• Slower, more thorough problem‑solving for complex math or code
• Benchmark gains on AIME 2025 math and Codeforces coding challenges

Additional upgrades:

• Warmer tone — less mechanical, more empathetic
• Playfulness — occasional witty surprises
• Better instruction‑following — reliably respects constraints like “limit to 100 words”

---

2. GPT‑5.1 Thinking (Advanced Mode)

This model balances depth with efficiency:

• Faster for simple tasks — fewer tokens used
• More persistent on complex problems
• Less jargon — clearer, easier‑to‑read answers

---

3. Personalization Gets Serious

OpenAI admits: “A one‑size‑fits‑all model no longer works for our 800M+ users.”

Upgraded Tone Options

• Retained & improved: Default, Friendly, Efficient
• New: Professional, Candid, Quirky
• Unchanged: Cynical, Nerdy

Users can switch AI personas anytime.

Experimental Fine‑Tuning

Small group beta allows direct adjustment of:

• Conciseness
• Warmth
• Scannability (headings, bullet points)
• Emoji usage

If ChatGPT notices repeated tone requests (e.g., “keep it brief”), it can proactively suggest settings updates.

---

Managed Rollout & Transition Period

Available now for paid (Pro, Plus, Go, Business) and free users; enterprise/education get 7‑day early access.

API access is also live for both models, with adaptive reasoning.

To smooth changeover:

• GPT‑5 Instant & Thinking remain accessible in the legacy models menu for 3 months.

---

Expert Insights

> “Adaptive reasoning reduces prompt‑engineering overhead; Thinking mode can vary 2× in speed — developers should plan timeouts.” — AI Solutions Architect

---

For AI Content Creators

Cross‑platform publishing ecosystems are evolving alongside model upgrades. Platforms like AiToEarn官网 enable open‑source global AI content generation, publishing, and monetization across Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), and more.

With GPT‑5.1’s personalization and adaptive reasoning:

• Creators can produce smarter, more engaging outputs
• Integrated analytics & model rankings (AI模型排名) help monetize efficiently

---

Summary & Outlook

OpenAI’s Mid‑Life AI Anxiety

• IQ parity is here — Baidu’s ERNIE‑4.5 and others beat GPT‑5 in instruction‑following tests.
• User experience matters more than raw IQ — an unpleasant AI won’t get adoption.
• Investor patience is finite — Microsoft’s Claude interest and Siri’s mediocre GPT‑5 integration are warning signs.

---

Strategic Pivot

GPT‑5.1 signals:

• Shift from brute‑force IQ to EQ, usability, and personalization
• 3‑month transition to ease comparison/adaptation

If successful, GPT‑5’s image as “high IQ, low EQ” could fade.

---

Creators aligning with this UX focus can benefit from platforms like AiToEarn官网, which integrate:

• AI‑driven content generation
• Cross‑platform distribution
• Monetization & analytics

---

AI developers and KOLs report GPT‑5.1 feels closer to GPT‑4o’s approachable personality.