GPT-5: First Impressions

Bottom line: GPT-5 isn't magic or AGI, but it does provide tighter adherence, better voice, cleaner coding sandbox. An incremental step forward rather than a giant leap, but I'll take it knowing there will be rapid iterations with constant improvement over coming months.

Key Observations

Improved Voice & Tone Consistency

GPT-5 demonstrates noticeably better consistency in maintaining voice and tone throughout longer conversations and documents. The model seems to have a stronger "memory" of stylistic choices made earlier in a session.

Coding Sandbox Improvements

The coding environment feels cleaner and more reliable. Fewer hallucinated imports, better error handling suggestions, and more accurate code completion overall.

Tighter Instruction Following

One of the most welcome improvements is the model's adherence to specific instructions. When asked to format output in a particular way or follow specific constraints, GPT-5 is more likely to comply consistently.

Still Not AGI

Let's be clear: this is still a language model with all the familiar limitations. It can still hallucinate, make logical errors, and occasionally miss context. But within those constraints, it's a meaningful step forward.

Looking Ahead

The pace of improvement in foundation models continues to be impressive. While GPT-5 isn't a revolutionary leap, it's a solid evolutionary step that makes daily AI-assisted work just a bit smoother and more reliable.

I expect we'll see rapid iteration on this base over the coming months, with specialized fine-tunes and capability additions building on this foundation.