ChatGPT is OpenAI's assistant product, built on its GPT family of models. Developers use it for everything from explaining unfamiliar code and writing tests to drafting documentation and rubber-ducking design problems. It ships new features and models frequently, often several times a month.
ChatGPT is distinct from the OpenAI API: the app is the end-user product, while the API is how developers build ChatGPT-like capabilities into their own software. Both move quickly and publish their changes in different places.
Why it matters
ChatGPT changes fast, and new models or features can meaningfully change what it can do for your workflow. Knowing where its release notes live (and getting notified when they update) means you adopt useful capabilities the week they ship rather than months later.
Deep dive: What ChatGPT Offers Developers in 2026
Related terms
See ChatGPT in action across releases — browse the Claude Code changelog.
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