OpenAI made GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol about 50% faster, so you'll spend less time watching the dots
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
On 5 October OpenAI sped up its two newest models by about 50% for anyone using them through a ChatGPT subscription. Nothing to switch on, and no price change announced.
The short version
- OpenAI says GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol now run about 50% faster by default when used through a ChatGPT subscription.
- The change rolled out on 5 October 2026 across OpenAI products and partner apps that use Sign in with ChatGPT.
- No action is needed, but it is worth re-testing any task you gave up on because the answer took too long.
Waiting for an AI model to finish thinking has become the new watching the kettle. OpenAI has turned the heat up on its two newest models, and you don't have to do anything to get it.
What changed in GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol?
GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol now respond about 50% faster by default for people using them through a ChatGPT subscription.
OpenAI announced it on 5 October as day one of a 28-day run where the team ships one clear improvement each day, or resets everyone's usage limits on days when it doesn't. OpenAI's Vaibhav Srivastav said the gain came from optimising how the models run, rather than from a new model.
Who gets it, and when?
Every ChatGPT subscriber using GPT-6 Astra or GPT-6.1 Sol gets the faster speed, along with partner apps that use Sign in with ChatGPT, such as OpenCode, Amp and Devin.
OpenAI said it would roll out within about two hours of the announcement, with no setting to change. It didn't mention any change to prices or usage limits.
What should your business do about it?
Businesses on a ChatGPT plan don't need to do anything, but it is a good moment to re-test the jobs you stopped giving AI because they were too slow.
My take: speed matters most for the longer tasks, like reviewing a contract or working through a spreadsheet, where a few minutes of waiting is enough for most of us to wander off and forget we asked. Try one of those again and see if it now fits in the gap between meetings. And keep an eye on the other 27 days. A free usage reset now and then is the closest software gets to a shout at the pub.
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