OpenAI's Latest AI Models Are Built for Speed - CNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Doing a lot of work and need it done fast? Meet GPT-5.4 mini and nano. OpenAI says GPT-5.4 mini is more than twice as fast as its predecessor, GPT-5 mini, at tasks like coding, reasoning and tool use. The latest models for ChatGPT users and developers using OpenAI’s API are designed to be workhorses, built for tasks like vibe coding, where big, powerful AI models are expensive overkill. GPT-5.4 mini and nano, which OpenAI released Tuesday, are the smallest and fastest versions of GPT-5.4, which debuted earlier this month. These new models are part of an effort by OpenAI to lean into coding as it battles with rival Anthropic for the AI software engineering market. OpenAI’s latest models for its Codex coding software have directly challenged Anthropic’s Claude Code, which went viral at the end of 2025 for its ability to create apps from scratch. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025