Summary

The article provides a comprehensive guide on effectively prompting the new GPT-5.5 model from OpenAI, emphasizing strategies for optimizing user interactions and code migration.

Key Points

• OpenAI has released a prompting guide for the new GPT-5.5 model, available via API.
• A recommended practice for multi-step tasks is to send a short user-visible update acknowledging the request and stating the first step.
• Users have observed this technique in the Codex app, enhancing user experience during longer tasks.
• To upgrade existing code, users can run `$openai-docs migrate this project to gpt-5.5` in Codex.
• The upgrade guide includes instructions for rewriting prompts to align with GPT-5.5.
• OpenAI advises treating GPT-5.5 as a new model family, rather than a direct replacement for previous versions (gpt-5.2 or gpt-5.4).
• Starting migration with a fresh baseline is recommended, rather than carrying over all previous instructions.
• Users should begin with the smallest prompt that maintains the product contract and then tune various aspects based on examples.

Analysis

The guidance provided by OpenAI is significant for IT professionals, particularly those involved in AI development and integration. By emphasizing the need for a fresh approach to prompting, it encourages developers to rethink their strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of AI models.

Conclusion

IT professionals should adopt the recommended practices for prompting GPT-5.5 to enhance user experience and ensure optimal performance. Starting with a clean slate for prompt design can lead to more effective interactions with the model.