How to use this page
The FAQ answers broad, recurring buyer questions. The release-status glossary defines announced, preview, restricted, generally available and deprecated. The release ledger records dated provider events. Keeping those jobs separate prevents three pages from competing to answer the same query.
Six checks before the firm acts
| Question | Minimum answer | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| What exactly changed? | Provider, product surface, exact model ID, date and official source. | Open the catalog, not a social post. |
| What is its status? | Official state and any preview or restricted conditions. | Use the glossary; do not infer production fitness. |
| Can our account access it? | Plan, region, program, project and entitlement. | Verify inside the purchased route. |
| What does it cost? | Current official unit, tier, tools and committed fees. | Calculate completed-task cost. |
| Which terms apply? | Seller, order form, service terms, DPA and feature-specific documents. | Build the contract chain. |
| Should we move? | Regression, review effort, economics and rollback versus the approved baseline. | Run a bounded change file. |
Current official record
Checked September 3, 2026: Google's Gemini model catalog, Anthropic's Fable 5.1 overview and OpenAI's model catalog are product-specific starting points. They do not establish that the model is enabled in the buyer's account, available in the required region, or approved for a legal workflow.
For price, check the dated provider pages: Anthropic pricing, Gemini API pricing and OpenAI API pricing, all checked September 3, 2026. Preserve the unit and tier. A lower input-token price does not prove a lower completed-task cost.
A release is a change event, not a migration order
Keep the current approved route live while the candidate is tested. Freeze the baseline task, sources, prompt, tools and reviewer. Compare material quality, citations, review minutes, latency, cost and permission behavior. Promote only the named workflow if its blocking gates pass; keep rollback until the observation window closes.
What if the release is only rumored?
Record the claim as unconfirmed and do not publish availability, price or procurement conclusions. Prepare the questions that would matter if an official source appears. Rumor can justify monitoring; it cannot justify a client promise or production change.
The shortest defensible answer
For most readers, the right answer fits in one line: “Officially available in this route as of this date; account access, terms and workflow approval still require verification.” If one of those fields is missing, say Unknown. Clarity earns more trust than filling the gap with launch language.
FAQ
How do I know whether a new model is really available?
Check the provider’s current model catalog and the purchased account. Record the model ID, product surface, region, access condition and checked date. Official source · checked 2026-09-03
Does a new model automatically replace the previous model?
No. Keep the approved baseline until a bounded regression and rollback test supports migration. Official source · checked 2026-09-03
Does general availability mean approved for legal work?
No. It identifies a current production route, not confidentiality, accuracy, professional-duty or workflow approval. Official source · checked 2026-09-03
How should a law firm verify model pricing?
Open the current official pricing page for the exact route and preserve the unit, tier, tools and date; then calculate completed-task cost. Official source · checked 2026-09-03
What should the firm do with an unconfirmed model rumor?
Monitor it and prepare questions. Do not state availability, price or legal suitability until an official source supports the claim. Official source · checked 2026-09-03
Sources checked
- Gemini API model catalog, checked 2026-09-03.
- Fable 5.1 overview, checked 2026-09-03.
- OpenAI model catalog, checked 2026-09-03.
- Anthropic pricing, checked 2026-09-03.
- Gemini API pricing, checked 2026-09-03.
- OpenAI API pricing, checked 2026-09-03.
Operational information, not legal advice. Verify current terms, account configuration and applicable professional duties before use.