Sean Walsh
Sean is a Director at Intelligency heading up our digital marketing and client services operations. Sean has 15+ years experiencing working both in-house and agency with brands including Lloyds, Alstom, Hitachi, Lufthansa, Viaplay, DFDS Seaways and Mercedes-Benz.
OpenAI has released GPT-5, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, promising faster answers, more accurate information, and greater control over how responses sound. For digital marketers, this is not just another tech announcement. It could change how you plan, create, and deliver campaigns.
A leap forward in AI capability
GPT-5 is designed to act like an on-demand expert. It can understand complex requests, follow nuanced instructions, and adapt to different writing styles with more precision than previous versions. According to OpenAI, it is better at avoiding the factual mistakes AI tools have been criticised for in the past, and it can manage much longer conversations or documents without losing context.
The model also introduces a dynamic approach to answering questions. It can decide whether to respond quickly or spend more processing power on deeper, more reasoned replies, depending on the complexity of the request. For marketers, this means more relevant responses when you need strategic thinking and faster turnaround for simpler tasks.
More control over tone and style
One of the most useful upgrades for content creation is tone control. GPT-5 allows users to set the depth and length of responses, as well as experiment with built-in personas such as Cynic, Robot, Listener, and Nerd. While these are still in preview, they provide an easy way to test different voices for campaigns without having to rewrite everything from scratch.
This extra control helps ensure that the output matches brand voice guidelines more closely. Whether you need a concise product description, a warm and friendly newsletter, or a formal press release, GPT-5 can adapt while keeping the structure and key messages intact.
Handling bigger and more complex projects
Earlier AI models could struggle when given large, detailed briefs or multi-page documents to process in one go. GPT-5 can handle much larger amounts of text at once, allowing it to reference entire campaign plans, long reports, or past marketing materials without forgetting details along the way.
This makes it far more useful for project work such as developing integrated campaign strategies, creating multi-platform content calendars, or pulling insights from market research. You can feed in more of your background material and get a response that considers the whole picture rather than just snippets.
Integrating into your existing workflow
GPT-5 is available in both the free and paid versions of ChatGPT, with Pro subscribers getting unlimited access and a high-performance version called GPT-5 Pro. It is also being integrated into Microsoft Copilot and other productivity tools, meaning you could access it directly within software you already use for planning and collaboration.
For marketers, this opens the door to seamless use of AI throughout your workflow. Imagine drafting social copy in the same place you schedule it, or running competitive research without leaving your project management tool. This tighter integration could save time and reduce the friction between ideas and execution.
Early reactions and what to watch
Initial feedback has been mixed. Some users love the improved reasoning and accuracy, while others feel it is less personable than previous models. This matters for marketing because tone and personality play a key role in customer engagement. It is worth experimenting with settings and personas to find a balance that works for your brand.
As with any AI tool, GPT-5 is not a replacement for human judgement. It should be seen as an assistant that speeds up research, drafts content, and generates ideas, but still needs human review to ensure quality, creativity, and brand alignment.
What this means for your marketing
The launch of GPT-5 is another step in making AI a practical, everyday part of marketing work. With faster responses, better accuracy, and more control over tone, it can help you get from idea to execution more efficiently. For campaign planning, content creation, and research, it has the potential to free up time for the higher-value creative and strategic thinking that machines cannot replace.
The real advantage will come to those who learn how to use it as part of their process rather than as a one-off novelty. Marketers who experiment with GPT-5 now will be in the best position to understand its strengths, spot its weaknesses, and adapt their workflows accordingly.
