GPT-5.2

GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's most advanced and capable AI model series released on December 11, 2025, designed specifically for professional knowledge work and long-running agents. Born from OpenAI's response to competitive pressure from Google's Gemini 3 and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5, GPT-5.2 represents a significant leap in AI capabilities, delivering unprecedented performance across coding, reasoning, mathematics, and professional workflows.

The model series comes in three specialized variants: GPT-5.2 Instant for speed-optimized routine tasks, GPT-5.2 Thinking for complex reasoning and multi-step work, and GPT-5.2 Pro for maximum accuracy on the most difficult problems. All variants feature a massive 400,000-token context window and knowledge cutoff of August 31, 2025.

Core Features

1. Three Specialized Model Variants

GPT-5.2 Instant is optimized for speed and handles routine queries like information-seeking, writing, and translation with exceptional efficiency. GPT-5.2 Thinking excels at complex structured work including coding, analyzing long documents, mathematics, and multi-step planning. GPT-5.2 Pro delivers maximum accuracy and reliability for the most difficult problems where quality matters more than speed.

2. Professional Knowledge Work Excellence

On GDPval, an evaluation measuring well-specified tasks across 44 occupations, GPT-5.2 Thinking beats or ties top industry professionals on 70.9% of comparisons—nearly double GPT-5.1's 38.8% win rate. Early testing shows ChatGPT Enterprise users save 40-60 minutes per day on average using GPT-5.2.

3. Massive 400K Context Window

GPT-5.2 features a 400,000-token context window, allowing developers to process entire codebases, lengthy documentation, or comprehensive research papers in a single request. This represents over 3x the context length of GPT-5.1's 128,000 tokens.

4. Superior Coding Capabilities

GPT-5.2 scored 55.6% on SWE-Bench Pro (real-world software engineering tasks), outperforming Gemini 3 Pro (43.3%) and Claude Opus 4.5 (52.0%). On SWE-bench Verified for complex multi-language bug fixing, GPT-5.2 achieved 80%, an improvement from GPT-5.1's 76.3%.

5. Advanced Reasoning & Scientific Knowledge

GPT-5.2 Thinking scores 92.4% on GPQA Diamond (doctoral-level science knowledge), up 4.3% from GPT-5.1, giving it a lead over Gemini 3 Pro (91.9%). On ARC-AGI-2 abstract reasoning, GPT-5.2 achieved 52.9%, nearly doubling Gemini 3 Pro's 31.1% and far exceeding Claude Opus 4.5's 37.6%.

6. Dramatically Improved Reliability

GPT-5.2 Thinking responses contain 38% fewer errors than GPT-5.1, with a 50% reduction in errors when interpreting charts, diagrams, and screenshots. The model makes 30% fewer errors overall, making it significantly more dependable for critical decision-making.

7. Enhanced Multimodal Understanding

GPT-5.2 achieves almost perfect accuracy on MRCR v2 (Multi-Round Coreference Resolution) for long-context processing up to 256k tokens. Visual reasoning breakthroughs show >50% reduction in chart and UI understanding errors.

Model Specifications

Pricing

Note: 40% price increase over GPT-5.1 ($1.25 input, $10 output). 90% discount on cached inputs. 50% discount on Batch API.

Benchmark Performance

Coding Excellence:

• SWE-Bench Pro: 55.6% (vs Gemini 3 Pro 43.3%, Claude Opus 4.5 52.0%)
• SWE-bench Verified: 80% (vs GPT-5.1 76.3%)

Reasoning & Science:

• GPQA Diamond: 92.4% (vs GPT-5.1 88.1%, Gemini 3 Pro 91.9%)
• ARC-AGI-2: 52.9% (vs Gemini 3 Pro 31.1%, Claude Opus 4.5 37.6%)

Mathematics:

• AIME 2025: 100% accuracy with thinking mode + Python tools

Long-Context:

• MRCR v2: Near-perfect accuracy up to 256k tokens

Professional Work:

• GDPval: Beats/ties industry professionals on 70.9% of tasks across 44 occupations

GPT-5.2-Codex Variant

OpenAI also released GPT-5.2-Codex, a specialized version further optimized for agentic coding workflows. Key improvements include:

• Context Compaction: Enhanced long-horizon work capabilities
• Large-Scale Refactoring: Stronger performance on code migrations and refactors
• Windows Optimization: Improved performance in Windows development environments
• Cybersecurity: Significantly enhanced security capabilities
• Agentic Integration: Optimized for use with Codex coding assistant

API Access & Rate Limits

GPT-5.2 is available through OpenAI's API with tiered rate limits:

The model supports streaming, function calling, structured outputs, and the new "xhigh" reasoning effort level for maximum quality.

Real-World Use Cases

Software Development: Pietro Schirano asked GPT-5.2 Thinking to build a 3D graphics engine and received a single-file program with interactive camera controls and 4K export in one shot—a task that would typically require extensive iteration.

Game Playing Agent: Developer Clad3815 successfully connected GPT-5.2 to play Pokémon Crystal (Hard Mode) on Twitch, demonstrating the model's ability to function as a real-time decision-making agent in complex gaming environments.

Professional Workflows: Enterprise users report 40-60 minute daily time savings on knowledge work tasks including:

• Creating complex spreadsheets and financial models
• Building professional presentations with data visualization
• Writing and debugging production-quality code
• Analyzing long research documents and contracts
• Multi-step project planning and execution

Comparison with Competitors

Advantages & Unique Selling Points

Compared to Previous Models:

1. Nearly 2x Professional Performance: 70.9% GDPval win rate vs 38.8% for GPT-5.1
2. 3x Context Window: 400K tokens vs 128K for GPT-5.1
3. 38% Fewer Errors: Significantly more reliable for production use
4. 50% Better Visual Understanding: Dramatic improvement in chart/diagram interpretation

Versus Competitors:

1. Superior Coding: Leads on SWE-Bench Pro by over 12 percentage points
2. Best-in-Class Reasoning: Highest ARC-AGI-2 score among frontier models
3. Flexible Variants: Three optimized versions for different use cases
4. Mature Ecosystem: Comprehensive API, tooling, and integration support

Availability

ChatGPT:

• Rolling out to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users
• Free tier access with usage limits
• Available now on web, iOS, and Android apps

API Access:

• Available immediately to all developers
• Three model endpoints: gpt-5.2-chat-latest, gpt-5.2, gpt-5.2-pro
• Full support for streaming, function calling, structured outputs
• Batch API available with 50% discount

Enterprise Solutions:

• Microsoft Azure Foundry integration
• ChatGPT Enterprise with advanced security
• Custom deployment options available

Tips & Best Practices

1. Choose the Right Variant: Use Instant for routine tasks, Thinking for complex reasoning, and Pro when accuracy is paramount
2. Leverage Context Window: Take advantage of the 400K context to process entire codebases or documents in one request
3. Use Cached Inputs: Save 90% on repeated queries by leveraging prompt caching
4. Enable xhigh Reasoning: For critical tasks, use the xhigh reasoning effort level on Thinking or Pro variants
5. Batch API for Cost Savings: Use Batch API for non-urgent workloads to save 50% on costs
6. Structured Outputs: Utilize structured output mode for reliable JSON/schema generation

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does GPT-5.2 differ from GPT-5.1? A: GPT-5.2 offers 3x larger context window (400K vs 128K), 38% fewer errors, 70.9% GDPval win rate vs 38.8%, and significant improvements in coding, reasoning, and visual understanding.

Q: Which variant should I use? A: Use Instant for routine tasks prioritizing speed, Thinking for complex reasoning and coding work, and Pro for maximum accuracy on critical problems where quality matters most.

Q: Is GPT-5.2 worth the 40% price increase? A: For professional knowledge work requiring high reliability, yes. The 38% error reduction and nearly doubled performance on professional tasks justify the cost for most enterprise use cases.

Q: Can GPT-5.2 replace human professionals? A: GPT-5.2 beats or ties professionals on 70.9% of well-specified tasks, but still requires human oversight for critical decisions, creative judgment, and handling ambiguous requirements.

Q: What's the difference between GPT-5.2 and GPT-5.2-Codex? A: GPT-5.2-Codex is a specialized variant optimized specifically for agentic coding workflows with improvements in context compaction, refactoring, Windows environments, and cybersecurity.

Q: Does GPT-5.2 support vision capabilities? A: Yes, GPT-5.2 has significantly improved multimodal understanding with >50% reduction in visual reasoning errors for charts, diagrams, and screenshots.

Conclusion

GPT-5.2 represents OpenAI's most significant model release to date, delivering transformative improvements in professional knowledge work, coding, reasoning, and reliability. With three specialized variants, a massive 400K context window, and near-doubling of performance on professional tasks, GPT-5.2 sets a new standard for frontier AI models.

The 38% error reduction and 70.9% win rate against human professionals make GPT-5.2 Thinking particularly compelling for enterprises seeking reliable AI assistance for complex workflows. While the 40% price increase may give some pause, the dramatic performance improvements and time savings (40-60 minutes daily for enterprise users) provide strong ROI justification.

Whether you're building sophisticated software systems, analyzing complex data, or tackling challenging research problems, GPT-5.2's combination of intelligence, reliability, and versatility makes it an essential tool for modern knowledge workers and developers.