October 1, 2026
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OpenAI launches GPT-6.1 Sol with lower computer use cost

Tracks OpenAI's GPT-6.1 Sol model announced at DevDay on 29 September 2026, especially the claimed cost advantage over Astra and its use for computer use, plus later reactions and outcomes. It is separate from the September 22 GPT-6 Sol and Luna release.

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Updated

Overview

OpenAI announced GPT-6.1 Sol at DevDay on 29 September 2026. Ari Weinstein, who leads product and engineering for OpenAI's computer use agents, called it particularly good for computer use because of cost and speed. He said it costs a fifth as much as Astra in general and a seventh as much for computer use.

OpenAI's own announcement is the source of these figures. The one-fifth figure is standard token pricing. The one-seventh figure is cost per task on OpenAI's OSWorld 2.0 offline evaluation, where Sol at maximum effort scores 2.1 percentage points below Astra. It is a task-cost figure, not a speed figure.

On 1 October, Prakash Narayanan of AI in the AM gave a hands-on first impression. He described Sol as about the same price as, or slightly cheaper than, GPT 6 Sol, in effect Astra for the price of Sol. He said it is definitely better than GPT 6 Sol, which he said came out two or three weeks earlier, and concluded that the cadence of releases is stepping up. That is his opinion, and his price comparison with GPT 6 Sol could not be checked against the OpenAI documents. Most evidence on cost remains OpenAI's own claims.

Recent coverage

Changes to our coverage published in the past seven days. These are site update dates; podcast discussion dates and sources are in each version.

No changes to this account were published in the past seven days.

What changed

Dates show when each podcast discussion was published.

  1. Interpretation

    Prakash Narayanan of AI in the AM said he had used GPT-6.1 Sol and found it definitely better than GPT 6 Sol, at about the same or a slightly lower price, which he summed up as Astra for the price of Sol. He took the quick succession of releases as a sign that release cadence is stepping up. This is a first impression, and the price comparison with GPT 6 Sol is unverified.

  2. New information

    At DevDay, Ari Weinstein presented GPT-6.1 Sol as a model suited to computer use, citing one-fifth the cost of Astra in general and one-seventh for computer use. These figures come from OpenAI's own announcement, and the task-cost basis is its OSWorld 2.0 evaluation.

Podcast discussions

Sources

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Version history

  • Oct 1, 2026 · Version 2

    Prakash Narayanan of AI in the AM said he had used GPT-6.1 Sol and found it definitely better than GPT 6 Sol, at about the same or a slightly lower price, which he summed up as Astra for the price of Sol. He took the quick succession of releases as a sign that release cadence is stepping up. This is a first impression, and the price comparison with GPT 6 Sol is unverified.

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