New controls attempt to please critics on both sides with a balance between bland and habit-forming.

Ars Technica is known for its  coverage of technology-related news and analysis, ranging from scientific breakthroughs to the latest gadgets and gaming developments. Readers can learn about emerging technologies, industry trends, and the societal impact of technological advancements through detailed articles and reviews.

Ars Technica

OpenAI released GPT-5.1 Instant and GPT-5.1 Thinking with improved performance on technical benchmarks and eight personality presets (Professional, Friendly, Candid, Quirky, Efficient, Cynical, Nerdy, and Default). The update addresses previous user complaints about overly cheerful responses and controversial tone modifications following suicide lawsuits. GPT-5.1 Instant includes adaptive reasoning that determines when to spend more processing time on prompts. Both models will roll out to paid subscribers first, then free users, with API access coming later this week.

OpenAI walks a tricky tightrope with GPT-5.1’s eight new personalities