OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 Instant update to make ChatGPT smarter with fewer emoji

Source: 9to5Mac

ChatGPT should feel “smarter and more accurate” starting today, according to OpenAI. The company is replacing the default model with an update called GPT‑5.5 Instant and says the upgrade cuts back on the “gratuitous emojis” in responses.

GPT‑5.5 Instant is the new default ChatGPT model

GPT‑5.5 Instant arrives on May 5 (5/5), two months after the last version upgrade to GPT‑5.3 Instant on March 3.

While the previous Instant model promised to make ChatGPT “less cringe,” the new version focuses on accuracy and conciseness. OpenAI specifically calls out a departure from excessive emoji use:

With this update, the model’s responses are tighter and more to‑the‑point without losing substance, while keeping the warmth and personality that makes ChatGPT enjoyable to use. It can deliver the same information, often with more utility than previous models, while reducing verbosity and over‑formatting that can make responses too long. It also asks fewer unnecessary follow‑up questions and avoids things that can make responses feel cluttered, like gratuitous emojis.

Accuracy improvements

OpenAI claims the enhancement also leads to fewer hallucinations (made‑up facts):

• 52.5% fewer hallucinated claims than GPT‑5.3 Instant on high‑stakes prompts covering medicine, law, and finance.
• 37.3% fewer inaccurate claims on especially challenging conversations flagged for factual errors.

GPT‑5.5 Instant replaces GPT‑5.3 Instant for all users starting today. Paid users will retain access to GPT‑5.3 Instant for three months.

Last month, OpenAI enhanced ChatGPT and Codex with the release of GPT‑5.5 Thinking and Pro, two models it calls “a new class of intelligence for real work.”

You can learn more about the latest default ChatGPT model here.

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