THE AI LANDSCAPE 02 / MODELS & CAPABILITIES

Meet the models.
Know the difference.

Explore selected current AI releases: who makes them, what they focus on, and how you can access them. A model map with the context behind each name.

THE BIG PICTURE

AI Models

Selected coverage. Check each entry for context and evidence.

10 entries

Each entry links to its primary source ↗

AI Models. Reviewed 2026-09-23. Editorial classifications, not a performance ranking.
Model / makerPrimary focusAccessWeightsRelease context
GPT-6 SolOpenAI1 source General work & codingWork and computer tasksAPI · Work · CodexNot yet in Chat at announcementHostedNo downloadable weights listedSep 22, 2026New GPT-6 variant
GPT-6 LunaOpenAI1 source Fast everyday tasksSmaller GPT-6 variantAPI · Work · CodexPlan and surface limits applyHostedNo downloadable weights listedSep 22, 2026New GPT-6 variant
GPT-6 AstraOpenAI1 source Complex reasoningFrontier work and codingAPI · ChatGPTSee rollout and plan detailsHostedService accessSep 3, 2026GPT-6 Astra announcement
Claude Opus 5.5Anthropic1 source Coding & knowledge workGeneral-purpose reasoningClaude · API · cloudsAWS, Google Cloud, AzureHostedService accessSep 22, 2026Current Opus release
Grok 4.7SpaceXAI1 source Coding & knowledge workAgent-oriented workloadsAPI · Cursor · Grok BuildSee provider availabilityHostedService accessSep 21, 2026Current Grok 4.7 release
Gemini 3.8 FlashGoogle DeepMind2 sources Multimodal reasoningCoding and general tasksGemini APICheck model-specific limitsHostedService accessSep 2, 2026Flash announcement
Gemini 3.8 LiveGoogle DeepMind1 source Real-time interactionLive audio conversationsLive APIGenerally availableHostedService accessSep 15, 2026GA changelog entry
Muse Spark 1.3Meta1 source Agentic work & codingLong-running tasksMeta developer APICurrent developer catalogHostedCatalog offers API accessCurrent catalogChecked Sep 23, 2026
DeepSeek V4.1 FlashDeepSeek2 sources Multimodal reasoningVisual understandingAPI + downloadable weightsdeepseek-flash API aliasMITOfficial checkpoint licenseSep 10, 2026API update
Qwen3.8-27BQwen / Alibaba2 sources Text + image tasks27B checkpointDownloadable weightsSelf-host or use a hostApache 2.0This checkpoint onlyAug 14, 2026Repository release history
Access available / permissive licenseLimited or upcoming accessHosted accessRead the classification notes ↗

A manually reviewed snapshot as of September 23, 2026. Colors organize the evidence; they do not score quality. On smaller screens, swipe across the comparison.

CONTEXT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

How to read this landscape.

Our interpretation of the comparison.

01

A family is not one model

Compare a named release, not just a brand. Size, speed, modalities, and access can differ inside the same family.

02

Access has several meanings

An API release does not automatically appear in every consumer app. The access column follows the specific release announcement.

03

No universal leaderboard

This map describes positioning and distribution. Vendor benchmark claims are not converted into a cross-provider performance ranking.

TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN

Follow the evidence.

Official announcements, product documentation, and model repositories. All linked sources were checked on September 23, 2026. Publication dates and review dates are shown separately.

11primary sources
behind this comparison
Suggest a correction
Scope & methodology

Selected general-purpose and specialist releases from major developers. Release context identifies an announcement, a dated changelog entry, or a current catalog; it is not always the original model launch date. Focus labels summarize the cited developer descriptions. Hosted means the cited release is accessed as a service; open weights means the specified checkpoint can be downloaded, subject to its license. Coverage is selective, not a complete release feed.

Dates on continuously updated documentation are labeled “Current documentation” unless a specific publication date is available. This page is maintained manually; the review date is not a live-feed timestamp. Company announcements describe the company’s claims and plans, not an independent audit.

GPT-6 Sol1 source

OpenAI / Hosted models

GPT-6 Sol

Sol launched for the API, ChatGPT Work, and Codex on September 22. OpenAI said Chat access would follow. Astra remains a separate GPT-6 option.

GPT-6 Luna1 source

OpenAI / Hosted models

GPT-6 Luna

Luna is the lighter GPT-6 variant. Its launch includes Free and Go desktop access as well as paid plans; access differs by product surface.

GPT-6 Astra1 source

OpenAI / Hosted models

GPT-6 Astra

Astra is included alongside the newer Sol and Luna releases to distinguish a model family from its individual capability and efficiency tiers.

Claude Opus 5.51 source

Anthropic / Hosted models

Claude Opus 5.5

Anthropic announced Opus 5.5 across its supported platforms, including AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. The Claude Platform identifier is claude-opus-5-5.

Grok 4.71 source

SpaceXAI / Hosted models

Grok 4.7

The September 21 announcement lists Cursor, Grok Build, and API distribution. This row does not assume simultaneous availability in every Grok app or plan.

Gemini 3.8 Flash2 sources

Google DeepMind / Hosted models

Gemini 3.8 Flash

Gemini 3.8 Flash is a general multimodal model. Flash Cyber is a separate specialized variant; its launch does not imply the same access conditions.

Gemini 3.8 Live1 source

Google DeepMind / Hosted models

Gemini 3.8 Live

The API changelog records general availability of Gemini 3.8 Live and Live Extended Thinking on September 15. Live is a distinct interaction model, not simply a renamed Flash endpoint.

Muse Spark 1.31 source

Meta / Hosted models

Muse Spark 1.3

Meta lists Muse Spark 1.3 in its current developer catalog for coding and agentic work. The catalog check date is shown because it is not a dated launch announcement.

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash2 sources

DeepSeek / Open weights

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash

V4.1 Flash adds native visual understanding. DeepSeek publishes the checkpoint under MIT and serves it through the deepseek-flash alias. Downloadable weights still require substantial compute to run.

Qwen3.8-27B2 sources

Qwen / Alibaba / Open weights

Qwen3.8-27B

The official 27B checkpoint carries Apache 2.0. Other Qwen3.8 checkpoints can use different terms, so the license must be checked at the model level.

PRIMARY SOURCES

Reviewed 2026-09-23 · AIstify Research