Model Release
OpenAI Upgrades GPT-5.5 Instant for Better Readability
OpenAI is improving GPT-5.5 Instant with enhanced readability while retiring o3 and GPT-4.5 by August 26 and June 27, 2026, respectively.
OpenAI announced updates to its ChatGPT offerings, including a readability improvement for GPT-5.5 Instant. The company stated that responses should now feel more natural, easier to read, and better structured, with fewer long bullet-point lists. According to OpenAI, the changes aim to enhance user experience by making content more accessible. The upgrade also involves removing the Canvas feature from GPT-5.5 Instant and GPT-5.5 Thinking. Canvas, a side panel that appears during text editing or code previewing, will no longer be available in these models. Instead, writing and coding tasks will be handled directly in the chat through special blocks. Paying users can still access Canvas through older models during the transition period. OpenAI is also retiring the o3 and GPT-4.5 models. o3 will leave ChatGPT on August 26, 2026, after a 90-day sunset period, while GPT-4.5 will be retired on June 27, 2026, following a 30-day sunset period. Until then, both models remain available to paying users through the model settings. o3 will continue to be available in the API, while GPT-4.5 was already removed from the API earlier. *Source: [thedecoder](https://the-decoder.com/openai-gives-gpt-5-5-instant-a-readability-upgrade-while-phasing-out-two-older-models/)*
Key points
- OpenAI is improving GPT-5.5 Instant to make responses more natural, easier to read, and better structured.
- Canvas, a side panel for text editing and code previewing, is being removed from GPT-5.5 Instant and GPT-5.5 Thinking.
- Paying users can still access Canvas through older models during the transition period.
- o3 will be retired from ChatGPT on August 26, 2026, after a 90-day sunset period.
- GPT-4.5 will be retired on June 27, 2026, following a 30-day sunset period.
- Until their retirement, o3 and GPT-4.5 remain available to paying users through the model settings.
- o3 will continue to be available in the API, while GPT-4.5 was already pulled from the API earlier.