GPT-5.1, a new chapter in Developer AI with agentic capabilities

OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.1, the latest model in the GPT-5 series, which is designed for developers who need intelligence without the hazard of long reasoning delays. The update is equally focused on speed, token efficiency, and dependable agentic behaviour. It reflects a shift from conversational assistants to AI systems. These are capable of performing multi-step work with greater autonomy.

GPT-5.1 changes how the model “thinks. Moreover, it adapts its reasoning depth according to the difficulty of the task. Most queries are handled quickly with fewer tokens, while complex tasks receive the deeper exploration associated with the GPT-5 line. This evaluation offers a visibly faster and economical experience, without compromising on accuracy for difficult workloads.

Early tests from financial and insurance AI users show GPT-5.1 completing tasks in a fraction of the time required by GPT-5, while maintaining or improving performance. In everyday use, the latency drop is immediately visible: prompts that previously took ten seconds now land in around two.

GPT 5.1: The new no-reasoning mode

One of the key additions is a “no reasoning” mode, which allows GPT-5.1 to respond in a fast, lightweight model for situations where deeper analysis is not required. It retains the advanced intelligence of GPT-5.1 but avoids lengthy internal thinking, making it suitable for chat flows, real-time product experiences, and rapid-fire code edits.

This mode also enhances the model’s ability to call tools in parallel, a critical element for agentic systems that orchestrate multiple actions at once. Developers can still request low, medium, or high reasoning effort when precision outweighs latency.

Longer Memory Through 24-Hour Prompt Caching

GPT-5.1 extends prompt caching from minutes to up to 24 hours, allowing longer-running interactions to benefit from preserved context.

This reduces both cost and response time, and opens the door to more stable multi-turn workflows. Such as extended coding sessions, research tasks, and complex knowledge retrieval routines. Cached tokens remain significantly cheaper than newly processed ones, with no added cost for storing or writing to the cache.

Sharper Coding Capabilities and a More Natural Developer Experience

OpenAI has tuned GPT-5.1’s coding behaviour to feel more intuitive, less prone to overthinking, and better aligned with typical software development rhythms. The model communicates more clearly as it works through tool calls, generates cleaner recommendations, and adapts better to multi-file projects.

On the SWE-bench Verified benchmark, GPT-5.1 achieves 76.3%, outperforming its predecessor. Early adopters, including teams building AI coding platforms, describe the model as more deliberate, more focused, and more dependable during complex edits. JetBrains has gone as far as describing it as “genuinely agentic”.

New System-Level Tools: apply_patch and shell

GPT-5.1 introduces two tools that significantly extend what an AI model can do in a real development environment.

The apply_patch tool enables structured diff-based editing of codebases. Instead of only suggesting changes, the model issues patches that can be applied directly and repeatedly. This reduces formatting errors, simplifies multi-step editing, and gives developers a more robust loop for improving code.

The new shell tool allows GPT-5.1 to propose and execute shell commands in a controlled environment. This supports exploratory tasks such as inspecting files, running utilities, or checking system state. It marks a meaningful step towards autonomous agent workflows where the model not only plans solutions but acts on them.

Access, Pricing, and the Road Ahead

GPT-5.1 and its variants are available on all paid OpenAI API tiers at the same price as GPT-5. Specialised versions such as gpt-5.1-codex are targeted at long-running coding and agentic tasks. OpenAI has stated that GPT-5 will continue to be supported for the foreseeable future.

The company also signalled that more improved agentic and coding-focused models are already in development, suggesting a rapid pace of improvement in the months ahead.

Conclusion: A Shift from Chatbots to Capable AI Workers

GPT-5.1 is a new shift in how developers can use AI. With adaptive reasoning, longer-lived context, improved coding behaviour, and tools capable of interacting directly with the system, the model is designed for advanced agentic workflows rather than simple conversation.

Its ability to improve thinking up or down, depending on the task, brings the model closer to how human developers operate, swift on simple tasks, thorough on complex ones. As organisations move towards automation and AI-driven development, GPT-5.1 is going to offer speed, control, and autonomy that might shape the next wave of AI-powered engineering.

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