Industry observers note that any similarities to the Claude desktop app and Claude Cowork are quite surely intentional. Rolling out starting today, the fresh ChatGPT does a little — scratch that — a lot of everything, including coding, web browsing, publishing to the web, and even controlling your PC.
As part of the ongoing story, powering it all is GPT-5.6, OpenAI’s newest family of AI models. With the revamped ChatGPT (available now for Mac users, with a Windows version coming in the next few days) comes a fresh agent, called ChatGPT Work, that promises to tackle your most complex projects with a simple prompt.
As part of the ongoing story, it’s a lot to take in, and as I’ve only played with the fresh ChatGPT for less than an hour, I have a lot more experimenting to do before I can render any opinions.
The report highlights that openAI’s separate Codex app, meanwhile, is morphing into the fresh ChatGPT, and it can be used in two modes: Work and Codex. For now, I’ll just tick off some of the basics, starting with the fact that the old ChatGPT Desktop app is turning into ChatGPT Classic.
In a fresh development, chatGPT’s Codex mode is still for AI-assisted coding, while Work is for general office productivity, allowing you to connect files and apps for tasks ranging from finance and business operations to sales and marketing.
Industry observers note that during a demo, OpenAI staffers showed off the fresh ChatGPT and ChatGPT Work, the fresh GPT-5.6-powered agent, poring over publisher documents and compiling slick reports in seconds, ready for instant distribution to the team.
The report highlights that still, I’ll hold my skepticism until I have more of a chance to kick the tires. It was one of those “holy cow!” AI demos that strike me as a) technically impressive but b) not the greatest idea in practice — shouldn’t a human look over that report before handing it out?
In a fresh development, in another demo, we got to see ChatGPT’s fresh computer use abilities, with ChatGPT taking control of the Apple Notes app and organizing the various notes into folders, all on its own, and just like the Claude desktop app can do.
The report highlights that chatGPT Work projects are accessbile over the web as well as via the ChatGPT app.
In a fresh development, speaking of the web, ChatGPT Work is fully accessible via the web, while a fresh Sites capability lets you publish and share ChatGPT Work projects instantly. The fresh ChatGPT app also offers browser tabs, meaning there’s no need to leave ChatGPT when it comes to visual web searches.
According to the latest update, aside from picking a GPT-5.6 model, you can also choose an effort level, ranging from Standard all the way to Ultra (for Sol). Underpinning the all-fresh ChatGPT is GPT-5.6, which (as we learned a couple of weeks ago) comes in three flavors: the flagship Sol, the everyday Terra, and the fast and lean Luna.
According to the latest update, government review). That said, not all ChatGPT subscribers will get access to every GPT-5.6 flavor and effort level, and the exact models and effort levels you do get depend on the ChatGPT application you’re using. Unlike Fable, the best-in-class Claude model that Anthropic will soon be yanking from Claude subscription plans, ChatGPT subscribers will be getting sustained access to the fresh models (which were previously in a closed preview pending a U.S.
In a fresh development, and while $20-a-month ChatGPT Plus users will get a crack at GPT-5.6 Sol, only Pro and better subscribers get dibs on the highest Sol versions (there’s a Sol Pro) and effort levels. It’s all pretty confusing, but suffice to say that free ChatGPT users and budget Go plan subscribers get the least amount of GPT-5.6 access (those users only get Terra for ChatGPT Work and Codex, for example).
As part of the ongoing story, personally, I’ve yet to see GPT-5.6 Sol appear via my ChatGPT Plus plan; reached for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson said GPT-5.6 will have a “gradual rollout over the next 24 hours.”.
The report highlights that how will ChatGPT handle security and privacy when it comes to computer use? What should we know about publishing projects on the web with ChatGPT’s Sites capability? What agentic safeguards can we expect from ChatGPT Work? Most importantly, how quickly will all this fresh functionality burn through our ChatGPT usage windows? Again, there’s a lot to unpack with the fresh ChatGPT, along with a lot more questions.
Industry observers note that we’ll find out more as we take the revamped ChatGPT for a spin over the next several days, but one thing’s for sure: The Claude desktop app now has some serious competition on its hands.
As part of the ongoing story, his coverage of artificial intelligence interrogates the most recent LLMs, and how they can be used at work and at home to be best prepared for the AI revolution. “AI is going to change our lives sooner than we think,” Ben writes. “Our best way to adapt is by using it every day.” Ben has been a PCWorld author since 2014, and has covered everything from laptops to security cameras before launching PCWorld’s AI beat. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature. Ben has been writing about consumer technology for more than 20 years, and now focuses his reporting on AI as it relates to the basic human experience.