What changed
OpenAI moved the Decisions API from public beta to general availability on 22 October. The endpoint evaluates text, images or structured data against explicit questions and returns typed booleans, fixed choices or rubric scores with probabilities. GPT-6 Luna remains the only supported model. OpenAI says the API is about ten times faster than the Responses API for this class of work; that is a vendor claim rather than an independent benchmark.
The GA release adds prompt caching for shared input, direct JSON input, images inside individual question instructions and up to 400 questions in one request, double the beta limit. It also accepts hosted image URLs, can evaluate conversation history that includes tool calls and outputs, and adds organization-level usage reporting.
These changes matter when the same evidence must be checked repeatedly. A build log, proposed code change or conversation can now be scored against many stable rules without converting structured data into prose, while caching can reduce repeated-input cost.
Our perspective
The release makes dedicated decision calls more credible as a production control layer for classification, routing and evaluation. They can keep bounded choices separate from open-ended generation and make outcomes easier to observe.
Probability is not the same as calibrated confidence, however, and a larger batch can amplify a weak rubric across hundreds of answers. Teams should test on representative examples, record overrides and eventual outcomes, and define an escalation path for uncertain or high-impact cases.
Start with one reversible decision, such as categorising a build failure or selecting a review queue. Compare accuracy, latency, total cost and cache behaviour against the existing approach before expanding the endpoint into deployment gates or other consequential automation.
Go to the source
Primary reporting behind this brief. Our perspective is editorial analysis.
- OpenAI API changelog — Decisions API general availability 22 Oct 2026
- OpenAI — Decisions API guide 22 Oct 2026