Which AI Model Should You Pick? Nate B Jones on GPT-5.6 vs Fable 5

Key Takeaways

• Don't lead with benchmarks. Jones benchmarks these models on a private suite, but his advice is to pick by looking at your own best work and the process you use to get there — then ask which model accelerates that loop.
• GPT-5.6 "Soul" is a specialist. OpenAI has invested in reinforcement learning on existing model lineages, making it very strong on knowledge work and long-running agentic coding — but, for him, it lacks the "big model smell."
• Fable 5 is the generalist. Anthropic's pre-training investment gives it a stronger ability to generalize — better for high-level ambiguity, wrestling with concepts, and front-end instinct.
• His workflow fits GPT-5.6. He dictates lengthy, specific prompts via Whisper Flow and steers Codex, which learns from his work to improve its skills — a high-intent loop that suits a persistent, instruction-following model.
• Cheaper coding options exist. For fast, efficient coding he points to OpenAI's Luna series, Grok, or GLM 5.2 — and to orchestrating cheap models under a smart architect (his "Ringer" setup, with Fable 5 as the architect breaking down intent).