An OpenAI staffer has mapped out the five reasoning levels of GPT-5.6 Sol, advising users to start with the lowest level and only scale up as needed for task complexity. The model also includes "Max" and "Ultra" modes that use parallel sub-agents.
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OpenAI employee Vaibhav Srivastav detailed the applicable scenarios for GPT-5.6 Sol's five reasoning levels, but the new system does not simplify the user experience; instead, it may increase the burden of choice.
OpenAI employee Vaibhav Srivastav explained in detail on social media the five reasoning levels of GPT-5.6 Sol and their applicable tasks. Light and Low levels are suitable for quick, unambiguous tasks such as simple Q&A; Medium level is suitable for scenarios requiring planning and analysis; High and xhigh levels handle complex multi-step tasks or tasks requiring careful verification. Additionally, there are two special modes: Max allows the model to invest more time on a single problem, while Ultra deploys multiple sub-agents in parallel to handle various parts of a task.
Srivastav recommends that users start with a low level and gradually upgrade only when necessary, as higher levels consume more time and tokens. He emphasized that GPT-5.6 Sol's levels do not map to GPT-5.5's tiers, so users switching from the old version should start one level lower. This recommendation aims to reduce unnecessary resource consumption and help users adapt to the new system's characteristics.
Although OpenAI had hoped to make ChatGPT extremely simple, almost requiring no interface interaction, Sol's reasoning level system instead adds complexity. Users need to understand the differences between five levels and manually select based on the task, which goes against the simplification goal. Additionally, the previously leaked Pro Tier is still missing in the official version, further limiting the capabilities of advanced users. Even experienced users may need to perform their own benchmarking to find the optimal level, raising the barrier to use.
From OpenAI's perspective, this tier system may help collect granular usage data. By observing which levels users choose for different tasks, OpenAI can better understand the model's behavior patterns and performance bottlenecks. However, for users, this selection mechanism is currently more of a burden than a convenience, especially in the absence of official guidance.
This article is based on a report from THE DECODER, a second-tier news source that regularly tracks AI industry developments. The information comes from public posts by OpenAI employee Vaibhav Srivastav, which are primary sources but may contain personal opinions.
GPT-5.6 Sol's reasoning level system offers fine-grained task adaptation, but users need to figure out the best way to use it themselves, and the missing Pro Tier and increased complexity make it far from the simplification goal.
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