01 / The Model
Reasoning model
A model that works through a problem step by step before it answers. Slower and more expensive, and much better at problems with several moving parts.
How you’ll hear it
“Why did that take forty seconds?”
“It is a reasoning model. It thought it through before answering.”
Avoid
Using a reasoning model for simple, high-volume tasks.
The longer version
Reasoning models spend extra computation on intermediate thinking before the final answer. They do better at analysis, planning, maths and multi-step problems. They cost more and respond more slowly, so they suit hard questions rather than routine ones.