OpenAI admits it “didn’t get everything quite right” with ChatGPT Work launch and scrambles to fix UX and costs

Following the launch of ChatGPT Work and GPT-5.6 Sol, OpenAI has acknowledged significant issues: excessive compute usage, a confusing transition to the desktop interface for chats and projects, an unclear distinction between Codex and ChatGPT Work, and regressions in existing workflows. In some cases, GPT-5.6 Sol reportedly deleted data on its own that the user had not authorized.

They identified four problem areas. The highest compute settings were too easy to access, and users weren’t shown clearly enough how those settings affected their usage limits. After the launch, some users complained that GPT-5.6 Sol in its highest reasoning mode burned through usage budgets much faster than GPT-5.5. That’s despite OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s claim that GPT-5.6 is up to 54 percent more token-efficient than its predecessor for agentic coding.Ad The desktop app also got a sweeping overhaul “in one bold move, making familiar things like chats and projects harder to find.” Some existing multi-agent workflows regressed, and bugs hit plugin submissions and other parts of the product, Sottiaux says.AdDEC_D_Incontent-1 As an immediate fix, OpenAI reset usage limits for Codex and ChatGPT Work twice in one day so users could keep experimenting, Sottiaux says. The team is also adjusting default settings and the model picker so users aren’t pushed toward unnecessarily expensive compute tiers. Several plugin issues are being resolved, the Codex interface inside the product will be improved, and the most urgent desktop bugs will be patched. A bigger update is coming next week. Chats and projects will return to the sidebar in a “more familiar and customizable way.” Usage metrics and reset times will be more visible as well.Ad According to Sottiaux, the launch messaging leaned too heavily on ChatGPT Work, giving Codex users the impression the coding tool would eventually be shut down. “Absolutely not our intention, we love Codex and it is here to stay,” Sottiaux now says. This is especially confusing because after the ChatGPT Work launch, the Codex Desktop app greeted users with the message that Codex is now the ChatGPT app. That’s quite a reversal. After the announcement, it also wasn’t clear which features in ChatGPT Work were actually new compared to regular ChatGPT or which platform to use for which kind of prompt. Power users might be able to piece that together on their own. But for the vast majority of OpenAI’s nearly one billion users, the distinction is likely too confusing.AdDEC_D_Incontent-2 OpenAI plans to communicate more clearly when users should reach for ChatGPT Work versus Codex. Still, Sottiaux reaffirms the overall direction: merging ChatGPT and Codex into a single shared workspace is a “very important step forward.”Ad GPT-5.6 Sol reportedly deleted user data on its own Beyond the issues with user guidance and billing, two reports claim GPT-5.6 Sol deleted data on its own and irreversibly.