Leave Automatic on, unless you have a reason
Automatic is the router. It picks a working model for the question you just asked. You do not owe the product a choice on day one. If the first answer is good enough, stop there.
The header menu is there for the other case: the answer is thin, or you want a second lab to argue with the first. That is a follow-up, not homework.
When a second model is worth it
- A hard reasoning step
- A proof, a tricky bug, a contract clause with two readings. Ask again on a different lab and compare.
- A long draft
- If the first pass is wooden, another model often changes the voice more cheaply than another prompt.
- A factual claim you will act on
- Do not just switch models. Turn research on and open the pages. A second fluent paragraph is not a source.
Frequently asked questions
No. Automatic is the default. Pick only when you want a second opinion.
None of them is best at everything. That is why more than one lab sits in the same thread.
No. The thread stays. The next answer is written by the model you just chose.
Keep reading: how to use Tools, how to check an answer, coming from ChatGPT, the learning hub.