GPT-5: What's New and Why It Matters
GPT-5 is here. And it rolled out to ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot at the same time, so Copilot users weren’t left behind.
It’s faster, it’s smarter, and it combines all the models into one.
I’ll show you what it looks like in both ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, how to get started, and a tip that can give you a bit more capacity in GPT-5.
So, what is GPT-5?
It’s the latest OpenAI model. It’s faster, it’s smarter, it was trained on more data, and the algorithm has improved and it has more tools.
But the biggest change or the thing that is new is that it now rolls all the old models into one.
In ChatGPT, you’re now straight into GPT-5. You can see that at the top, with beautiful background colours.
Why the change matters
Before, there were multiple models 4o for general purpose, o3 for reasoning, 4.1, 4.5, o4 mini and more and more.
Many got confused about when to use each, and frustratingly, many didn't even know they had these options, and so they missed out.
Now - there is just GPT-5 to rule them all!
GPT-5 reads your prompt, and decides whether to think deeper, go into reasoning, or just give a quick response.
So, it is easier and more accessible to everyone.
Why some people still complain
Not everyone is happy about this change.
Ethan Mollick (I follow him on LinkedIn, he's great) shared a comparison of the different modes GPT-5 uses to deliver responses with the older models.
He highlighted how the results from GPT-5 are sometimes at top quality, other times not so much, and the users don't have control or transparency over it.
Your options in ChatGPT
There is still some control.
In ChatGPT, you have two options:
GPT-5
GPT-5 Thinking
The Thinking option is slower, but goes deeper, more factual, and more accurate. Anything mathematical or involving scientific calculations — that’s where you want to go.
There are usage limits, so you can only run a certain number of queries in a set time.
Tip: Even if you stay in regular GPT-5, if you add think deeper on this one to your prompt, it often will and you’ll get higher-quality results.
Using GPT-5 in Copilot
In Microsoft Copilot 365, GPT-5 is built right in. You’ll see a message letting you know you’re using it.
There’s no separate “think deeper” button. But you can still type it into your prompt. It will take longer, but go deeper for you.
How to get started
Here is what I suggest:
Go through your chat history and pick a few prompts you’ve done recently.
Choose one about writing, one about brainstorming, and one about data analytics.
Run them again in GPT-5 and in GPT-5 Thinking. Get a sense for the difference.
Let me know what you find.
—-
Inbal Rodnay
Guiding Firms in Adopting AI and Automation
Keynote speaker | AI Workshops | Executive briefings | Consulting CIO
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