OpenAI Launches GPT-5.6 Publicly and Unveils ChatGPT Work Agent

OpenAI released GPT-5.6 to the public on July 9, 2026, after receiving approval from the Trump administration. The company also launched ChatGPT Work, an agent-based product that can autonomously execute complex workflows across multiple applications and files.

GPT-5.6 comes in three tiers. The flagship model, Sol, costs $5 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens. Terra costs $2.50 and $15, and Luna costs $1 and $6. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called GPT-5.6 "the best model we have ever produced."

Model Pricing and Performance Tiers

Each tier targets a different use case. Sol is designed for high-intelligence tasks requiring deep reasoning. Terra offers a balance of capability and cost for enterprise workloads. Luna is optimized for speed and low latency, suitable for real-time applications. The model family is available through the OpenAI API as well as in ChatGPT.

ChatGPT Work: Autonomy Across Apps

ChatGPT Work builds on Codex technology and integrates with a new Unified Plugins Directory. At launch, the directory includes Google Drive, SharePoint, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, Adobe, Zoom, LinkedIn, GitHub, Canva, and Dropbox. Users can trigger specific plugins with an @ mention or let the model decide which data source to use.

OpenAI describes ChatGPT Work as an agent that can handle entire workflows from a single prompt. For example, it can turn customer research into a campaign brief, generate marketing assets, and adapt them for different markets while maintaining context across steps. The product is available immediately on the desktop app for all plans, including the free tier. On web and mobile, Pro, Enterprise, and Edu users get access first, with Plus and Business customers following in the coming days.

On security, OpenAI introduced an Auto-Review feature that checks important actions before execution. The company says Auto-Review blocked 100 percent of attempts to extract protected data during adversarial red-teaming.

Usage-Based Billing and Competition

ChatGPT Work shares a consumption pool with Codex, ChatGPT for Excel, and Workspace Agents. Task costs depend on size, complexity, and the model selected. Enterprise and Edu admins can set spend controls at the workspace, group, or individual level. The approach mirrors Anthropic’s recent shift from Claude Code to Cowork, which launched for web and mobile days earlier.

OpenAI’s broader strategy appears to be merging ChatGPT and Codex into a single super app. The company’s 2023 plugin push failed because the models were not ready, co-founder Greg Brockman admitted. With GPT-5.6, OpenAI expects a different outcome. The public rollout of both the model and the agent marks a significant step toward autonomous AI assistants that work alongside humans for hours at a time.