OpenAI has released its latest model, GPT-4.1, and it's now available in GitHub Copilot and GitHub Models. This means you can now use OpenAI’s newest and smartest model directly in your coding tools.

GPT-4.1 is better than GPT-4.0 in many ways. It’s especially stronger at.

• Writing and understanding code
• Following instructions correctly
• Understanding longer conversations or code snippets
• Providing faster and smarter responses

It also has a larger memory for context and uses the latest knowledge available up to June 2024.

Improved for Real-World Coding

GPT-4.1 was fine-tuned based on what developers asked for. Here’s what’s better now.

• Frontend coding support (like HTML, CSS, JS)
• Fewer unnecessary edits
• More reliable formatting
• Better structure in responses
• Consistent tool usage

These improvements make GPT-4.1 a great default option for tasks like debugging, refactoring, testing, and more.

Available in Copilot (Even for Free Users!)

You can now use GPT-4.1 in all Copilot plans, including Copilot Free.

To use it,

• Open Visual Studio Code or go to github.com.
• Choose “GPT-4.1 (Preview)” from the model picker.
• Start using it for help with your code whether you're fixing bugs, updating old code, or writing something new.

For Copilot Enterprise Admins

If you're a Copilot Enterprise admin, you need to turn on access to GPT-4.1 in the Copilot settings.

Steps

• Go to your Copilot settings
• Find the GPT-4.1 policy option
• Set it to enabled

Once that’s done, your team will be able to use GPT-4.1 in both VS Code and GitHub Chat.

GPT-4.1 in GitHub Models Playground

If you use GitHub Models, you can now try GPT-4.1 in the Models Playground.

What you can do.

• Test sample prompts
• Experiment with AI-generated ideas
• Compare GPT-4.1 with other AI models like Cohere, DeepSeek, Meta, and Microsoft

It’s a great space to explore and build in using the newest AI technology from OpenAI.