OpenAI Launches GPT-4.1 AI Models Focused on Real-World Coding

OpenAI has released a new family of AI models—GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and GPT-4.1 nano, designed to handle software development tasks more effectively. 

Announced on the 14th of April, 2025, the models are available via OpenAI’s API and are optimized for coding, instruction-following, and practical engineering applications. 

Each model supports up to 1 million tokens of input, allowing developers to work with larger files and more complex tasks in one go.

A New Focus on Practical Coding

GPT-4.1 is built to help developers write, test, and manage code with fewer errors and more consistency. 

According to OpenAI, the model addresses issues that developers face most, that is, unnecessary code changes, inconsistent formatting, and poor structure. 

The company says these updates make the models more useful for building software agents that can complete end-to-end development tasks.

OpenAI’s long-term goal is to create an “agentic software engineer”—an AI that can independently build apps, fix bugs, test software, and write documentation. GPT-4.1 is a step toward that goal.

Performance and Benchmark Results

OpenAI says GPT-4.1 outperforms its previous models (GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini) on several coding benchmarks, including SWE-bench, a popular test for evaluating code generation. 

However, it still falls short of top results from Google and Anthropic.

• GPT-4.1: 52%–54.6% on SWE-bench Verified
• Google Gemini 2.5 Pro: 63.8%
• Anthropic Claude 3.7 Sonnet: 62.3%

GPT-4.1 also performed well on the Video-MME test, scoring 72% on understanding long videos without subtitles.

Despite the improvements, OpenAI notes that the model can become less accurate with very long inputs. In one internal test, accuracy dropped from 84% at 8,000 tokens to 50% at 1 million.

Model Options and Pricing

Each version of GPT-4.1 serves a different use case based on speed, cost, and performance:

• GPT-4.1: $2/million input tokens, $8/million output tokens
• GPT-4.1 mini: $0.40 input, $1.60 output
• GPT-4.1 nano: $0.10 input, $0.40 output

GPT-4.1 nano is OpenAI’s fastest and cheapest model so far. It trades off some accuracy for high speed for tasks that need quick results.

What This Means for Developers

GPT-4.1 is built with direct input from the developer community. It shows improvements in front-end coding, consistency, and tool usage. Developers can expect better formatting, fewer unnecessary edits, and more predictable results.

However, the model tends to interpret prompts literally. That means developers need to be more specific when giving instructions to avoid errors or incomplete responses.

How to Use It Effectively

For developers looking to get the most out of GPT-4.1, a few practical steps can help ensure smoother integration and more accurate outputs.

Test the Mini and Nano Models First – They’re cheaper and faster, useful for early development stages.

Be Precise With Prompts – The model works best with clear, detailed instructions.

Watch for Accuracy Drops – Break large inputs into parts to avoid performance issues.

Compare With Current Tools – Evaluate GPT-4.1’s real value against your existing stack.

Use It for Front-End Workflows – The model performs especially well in UI and formatting tasks.

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 models are built for real-world coding, with better structure and fewer errors.

• All three models can handle up to 1 million tokens, far beyond previous limits.

• Performance is good, but Google’s and Anthropic’s models still score higher on some coding tests.

• GPT-4.1 nano is OpenAI’s fastest and most affordable model yet.

• Developers must write more specific prompts to get reliable results.