OpenAI unveils GPT‑5.6 and ChatGPT Work AI agent while shutting down Atlas browser
OpenAI announced the launch of the GPT‑5.6 model family – Sol, Terra and Luna – and introduced the ChatGPT Work AI agent, a productivity‑focused tool that can retrieve context from emails, documents and collaboration platforms, plan tasks, and generate finished deliverables such as spreadsheets, presentations and mini‑sites. The service combines the new models with Codex and supports over 1,400 professional plugins, positioning it directly against Anthropic’s Claude Cowork.
At the same time OpenAI released GPT‑Live, a full‑duplex voice model that lets users speak and listen simultaneously, interrupt the model mid‑sentence and hand off complex queries to the underlying GPT‑5.6 engine. The feature rolled out to ChatGPT Plus, Pro and the Go version, with a wider release to free users under way.
OpenAI also confirmed that its independent Atlas browser, launched in October 2025, will be discontinued on 9 August 2026. The company said security and performance concerns led to the decision and that Atlas’s browsing capabilities will be folded into the new unified ChatGPT desktop application, which will retain integrated web navigation, password management and form‑filling functions.