GPT-5.5 tops benchmarks but still hallucinates frequently at a 20 percent higher API cost

THE DECODER / 4/26/2026

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Key Points

  • GPT-5.5 has returned OpenAI to the top position on AI benchmarks, improving overall benchmark performance.
  • Despite its gains, GPT-5.5 still hallucinates frequently, indicating persistent reliability issues.
  • OpenAI’s API cost for GPT-5.5 is about 20% higher, which affects total cost of ownership for developers.
  • The report concludes that GPT-5.5 remains the strongest value proposition among proprietary models despite the higher price and ongoing hallucinations.

GPT-5.5 pushes OpenAI back to the top of the AI benchmarks. The price went up, but it still looks like the best bang for your buck among proprietary models.

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