Chinese users praise OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 for efficiency, even at higher cost than local rivals
The release of the new models signals a broader industry shift towards cost-efficient AI systems designed for enterprise use OpenAI’s latest GPT-5.6 release marks a growing emphasis on cost-efficiency, a move welcomed by some users in China who continue to access the blocked service via virtual private networks (VPNs) and third-party proxies, even as the artificial intelligence model remains more expensive than local rivals. The launch on Thursday introduced a trio of models tailored to different capabilities, speeds and price points: the flagship Sol, the balanced Terra and the lightweight Luna. According to OpenAI, Terra delivers performance comparable to its predecessor, GPT-5.5, at roughly half the price, while Luna is engineered to offer robust capabilities at low inference cost. The release signals a broader industry shift towards cost-efficient AI systems designed for enterprise use, said Li Yitao, a Chinese entrepreneur and co-founder of Canada-based AI start-up Quotaflow. GPT-5.6 Sol is priced at US$5 per million input tokens and US$30 per million output tokens, while Terra costs US$2.50 and US$15, respectively. Luna, the entry-level one, is priced at US$1 for input tokens and US$6 for output tokens.
