OpenAI's updated GPT-5.5 Instant is better at shopping, complex constraints, and understanding user intent  — and it's already in the API

OpenAI has made a significant update to its most widely used language model, GPT-5.5 Instant, which is the default in the free version of ChatGPT. The company announced the upgraded version of GPT-5.5 Instant yesterday on X, calling it "much more fun to talk to" and saying it is "better at understanding the intent behind a question and adapting its response accordingly," as well as offering improvements in shopping results, local recommendations, and handling "complex co