The release of ChatGPT-5.2 came with plenty of boasts by OpenAI about the capabilities of its new model and how it might outshine rivals like Gemini 3 as much as its predecessor ChatGPT-5.1. Having played around with the new model, there are certainly some ways in which it operates better than earlier models.
The claims that it can listen longer and better and be more thoughtful in response certainly come across. The illusion of thoughtfulness is stronger than before, but that doesn't mean it's actually thinking. There are still ways to finesse your prompts for the ideal responses.
