“GPT-5.2 Is Frontier Only For The Frontier” by Zvi
Description
Here we go again, only a few weeks after GPT-5.1 and a few more weeks after 5.0.
There weren’t major safety concerns with GPT-5.2, so I’ll start with capabilities, and only cover safety briefly starting with ‘Model Card and Safety Training’ near the end.
Table of Contents
- The Bottom Line.
- Introducing GPT-5.2.
- Official Benchmarks.
- GDPVal.
- Unofficial Benchmarks.
- Official Hype.
- Public Reactions.
- Positive Reactions.
- Personality Clash.
- Vibing the Code.
- Negative Reactions.
- But Thou Must (Follow The System Prompt).
- Slow.
- Model Card And Safety Training.
- Deception.
- Preparedness Framework.
- Rush Job.
- Frontier Or Bust.
The Bottom Line
ChatGPT-5.2 is a frontier model for those who need a frontier model.
It is not the step change that is implied by its headline benchmarks. It is rather slow.
Reaction was remarkably muted. People have new model fatigue. So we know less about it than we would have known about prior models after this length of time.
If you’re coding, compare it to Claude Opus 4.5 and choose what works best for you.
If you’re doing intellectually [...]
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Outline:
(00:29 ) The Bottom Line
(01:58 ) Introducing GPT-5.2
(03:49 ) Official Benchmarks
(05:54 ) GDPVal
(08:14 ) Unofficial Benchmarks
(11:11 ) Official Hype
(12:36 ) Public Reactions
(12:59 ) Positive Reactions
(19:09 ) Personality Clash
(24:30 ) Vibing the Code
(27:25 ) Negative Reactions
(30:37 ) But Thou Must (Follow The System Prompt)
(33:09 ) Slow
(34:16 ) Model Card And Safety Training
(36:23 ) Deception
(38:10 ) Preparedness Framework
(40:10 ) Rush Job
(41:29 ) Frontier Or Bust
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First published:
December 15th, 2025
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Do4eWro8E552isGi5/gpt-5-2-is-frontier-only-for-the-frontier
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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
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