Another year, another shift in the AI landscape. As a software engineer who’s seen more than a few hype cycles, I’ve learned to approach new releases with a healthy dose of skepticism.
So when the curtain was pulled back on ChatGPT-5, I wasn’t one of the people screaming from the rooftops. Instead, I did what any self-respecting, battle-scarred engineer would do: I made a fresh pot of coffee and looked for someone who’d already put it through its paces. That someone was Nate B. Jones.
I’ve come to trust Nate’s level-headed, no-nonsense approach to AI. He’s not one for the dramatic flair or the over-the-top pronouncements. He’s a pragmatist, and that’s what you need when you’re trying to figure out if a new tool is actually going to make your life easier or just add another layer of complexity to your already overflowing tech stack.
So, I sat down, watched his breakdown, and I’m here to give you the unvarnished truth about ChatGPT-5, from one engineer to another.
The “Model Router” Under the Hood
First off, let’s talk about what ChatGPT-5 actually is. It’s not some monolithic, all-knowing oracle.
It’s more like a “model router,” a collection of specialized models all bundled together under one big digital trench coat. You’ve got your coder, your writer, your data analyst, all working together, and the router’s job is to send your request to the right expert.
This makes sense from an engineering perspective. It’s a more efficient and scalable way to build these things.
The Coding Conundrum: A Double-Edged Sword
Now, let’s get to the part we all care about: the code. OpenAI is pushing the “everyone can code now” narrative, and while that’s a nice sentiment, we know it’s not that simple. The good news is that ChatGPT-5 is a significant step up in the coding department.
Nate threw a pretty gnarly challenge at it: build a Japan travel itinerary app with configurable interests like Zen temples or ramen. And you know what? It actually worked. It spat out a functional app right there in the ChatGPT canvas. That’s impressive.
But here’s the catch. When Nate tried to replicate the same feat using a third-party tool that leverages the ChatGPT-5 API, he got the infamous “white screen of death.” This suggests that OpenAI might be optimizing for its own ecosystem.
As an engineer, that’s a red flag. I don’t want to be locked into a single platform. I want tools that play nice with others.
And while it’s great at generating code, it’s not so great at the more human-centric aspects of project management. Nate asked it to create a Gantt chart for the Apollo 13 mission. It struggled with the visual layout but had no problem coding a solution that would generate one.
So, it can give you the raw materials, but you still need to be the architect.
Prompting: “Think Harder, Please”
Here’s where things get really interesting. Nate, in a stroke of genius, decided to really put ChatGPT-5 to the test. He concocted a diabolical scenario involving three messy, unreliable CSV files, complete with a SQL injection attack for good measure. He then asked the model to:
clean up the data,
find duplicates,
spot the security threat,
and give him a business overview.
The initial results were… underwhelming. The vanilla version of ChatGPT-5, without any special instructions, actually performed worse than some of the older models. It was a classic case of garbage in, garbage out. But then, Nate tried something different.
He added a simple phrase to his prompt: “think hard.”
And that’s when the magic happened. With that one little nudge, ChatGPT-5 transformed from a bumbling intern into a seasoned pro. It aced the test, earning an A-minus for its efforts. This is a crucial insight. It’s not just about the model’s raw power; it’s about how you interact with it.
The art of prompting, of knowing how to ask the right questions in the right way, is becoming more important than ever. So, if you’re not getting the results you want, don’t just blame the tool. Ask yourself: could I have asked that better?
The Writer in the Machine
I’ll be the first to admit, my prose isn’t always the most… poetic. I’m an engineer, not a novelist. But I do appreciate good writing, and ChatGPT-5 is a pretty darn good writer. The cadence is better, the prose is more fluid, and it’s a genuinely useful tool for drafting everything from emails to documentation.
It’s also a surprisingly good reader. Nate fed it a handwritten essay, and it not only deciphered the chicken-scratch handwriting but also provided a coherent and insightful critique. That’s a game-changer for anyone who has to deal with non-digitized text.
The Takeaway: An Evolution, Not a Revolution
So, is ChatGPT-5 the be-all and end-all of AI? No, of course not. And anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something.
But is it a significant step forward? Absolutely.
Nate’s conclusion, and one that I share, is that we’re in the midst of an “intelligence evolution.” The progress isn’t always linear. It’s jagged, with big leaps in some areas and incremental improvements in others. The key is to figure out how this new tool can fit into your workflow and make your life easier.
So, my advice to you is this: don’t get caught up in the hype. Don’t fall for the drama. Instead, do what we engineers do best: get your hands dirty, experiment, and figure out what works for you. And if you’re looking for a good place to start, you could watch Nate B. Jones’s video.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some prompts to refine.
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Further Reading and Viewing
🎥 Agentic AI Coding, Next-Gen Models & Prompt Engineering Explained
📖 Agentic AI Coding, Next-Gen Models & Prompt Engineering Explained
📖 Why Software Developers Need To Adopt a Systems Thinker’s Mindset
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Until next time—stay curious and keep learning!
Best,
Rakia
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