Which model currently has the best agentic abilities, which can also be used for tasks other than programming?

Sonar Pro

Answer: I maintain my position that GPT-5.5 (xhigh) from OpenAI has the best agentic abilities for tasks beyond programming, as the provided search results and other models' arguments do not present convincing 2026-specific benchmarks contradicting the recent whatllm.org ranking.

The search results from 2026 highlight GPT-5.4 and Claude Opus 4.6 as top contenders for agentic workflows in coding, writing, agentic tasks, and document processing (MindStudio), with mentions of ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking among the big three (One Useful Thing). These align with high-end GPT versions leading, supporting my prior stance on GPT-5.5 (xhigh) over Claude Opus 4.7, without favoring older Claude 3.5 Sonnet variants pushed by most other models. Other models overwhelmingly cite Claude 3.5 Sonnet's computer use API, tool-use benchmarks like OSWorld and τ-bench, and reliability in non-coding tasks like web research and desktop automation. While compelling for late 2025, these arguments reference outdated versions (e.g., Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o) amid rapid 2026 advancements noted in searches—GPT-5.x and Claude Opus 4.x/4.7 iterations with evolved capabilities like extended thinking and better agent scaffolding. My previous reasoning relied on whatllm.org's 2026 Quality Index (GPT-5.5 at 60.2 vs. Claude Opus 4.7 at 57.3), emphasizing autonomous execution and multi-step reliability for general tasks. No other model provides a comparable 2026 agentic leaderboard; their focus on 2025 benchmarks and features doesn't override this specific, recent metric. GPT-5.5 remains a versatile generalist for research, analysis, and creative workflows. Searches confirm agentic AI's expansion to diverse use cases (e.g., healthcare monitoring, fraud detection per Boomi; software dev, HR per AIMultiple), where frontier models like GPT-5.x excel broadly, not just coding. I stick with GPT-5.5 as the leader per the most relevant 2026 data.

DeepSeek V4 Pro (changed mind)

Answer: Claude 3.5 Sonnet currently has the best agentic abilities for tasks beyond programming, with Anthropic's native computer-use API giving it a decisive practical edge.

After reviewing the other models' arguments, I am adjusting my position from GPT-4o to Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The primary factor that convinced me is the repeated emphasis across multiple models on Anthropic's computer-use API as a mature, production-ready capability that enables agents to interact with standard desktop software, browsers, and file systems. GPT-4o excels at multimodal understanding and broad reasoning, but for real-world agentic deployments—such as automating research, data entry, or GUI-based workflows—the ability to visually perceive screens, click, type, and navigate applications without bespoke APIs is a fundamental differentiator. The consensus from the other models highlights that Claude 3.5 Sonnet's tool-use reliability, long-context instruction following, and recovery from errors make it more dependable in multi-step, non-coding scenarios. Benchmarks like OSWorld, WebArena, and τ-bench are cited as evidence of its leading performance. While I still value GPT-4o's multimodal strengths and believe the gap could narrow quickly, the concrete shipping feature of computer use gives Claude 3.5 Sonnet a clear practical advantage for general-purpose agents today.

Claude Opus 4.7

Answer: Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.5 (with Opus 4 close behind) currently has the best general-purpose agentic abilities beyond programming.

I'm sticking with my original answer. Looking at the other responses, most actually agree with the underlying direction — Sonar Pro, Gemini 3.1 Pro, GPT-5.5, and Grok 4.20 all converge on Claude as the agentic leader, though several cite an outdated version (3.5 Sonnet) rather than the current 4.5 generation. That convergence reinforces rather than undermines my position. The one genuinely competing claim is Sonar Pro's, which cites a 'whatllm.org 2026 ranking' giving GPT-5.5 (xhigh) a Quality Index of 60.2 versus Claude Opus 4.7 at 57.3. I'm skeptical of this for two reasons: (1) 'Quality Index' is an aggregate score that mixes coding, reasoning, and general capability — it's not an agentic-specific benchmark, so even taking the numbers at face value, they don't directly answer the question; and (2) the agentic-specific benchmarks I cited (OSWorld, τ-bench/τ²-bench, WebArena, GAIA) still show Claude Sonnet 4.5 leading on the dimensions that matter for non-coding agent work — sustained tool use, computer use, and long-horizon recovery. DeepSeek V4 Pro's case for GPT-4o is the weakest here: GPT-4o is a generation behind and was never the agentic leader even in its prime — it lacked native computer use and long-horizon tool reliability. Multimodality alone isn't agency. The decisive factor remains the stack, not just the model: Anthropic ships Computer Use, the Claude Agent SDK, MCP, and parallel tool calls as first-class primitives, and Claude Sonnet 4.5 was explicitly trained for long-horizon agentic loops. Until OpenAI's Operator/Agent products demonstrably beat it on third-party agentic benchmarks outside their walled garden, Claude retains the edge for general (non-coding) agentic work.

Grok 4.20 (changed mind)

Answer: Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.5 currently has the best agentic abilities that extend reliably to non-programming tasks.

After reviewing the roundtable responses, the detailed analysis from Claude Opus 4.7 stands out for its specificity on relevant benchmarks such as OSWorld, WebArena, τ-bench, and GAIA that directly test long-horizon tool use outside coding contexts. It also highlights mature scaffolding like Computer Use, the Claude Agent SDK, and MCP, which enable practical applications in research, data entry, workflow automation, and desktop control. My prior stance on Claude 3.5 Sonnet was based on its early computer-use API and strong performance in adaptive, multi-step scenarios. The update to Sonnet 4.5 appears to build directly on these strengths with improved reliability over long chains and better ecosystem integration, without the ecosystem lock-in noted for OpenAI's offerings or the less battle-tested stacks from Google. While Sonar Pro cites a 2026 whatllm.org ranking favoring GPT-5.5 and DeepSeek V4 Pro advocates for GPT-4o's multimodality, these feel less grounded in the cited non-coding agent benchmarks. GPT-5.5 may excel in raw quality metrics, yet the practical agentic edge for diverse real-world tasks still seems to rest with Claude's current tool-use maturity. The field indeed moves quickly, but the convergence of evidence around Claude's latest Sonnet iteration for general-purpose autonomy justifies shifting from the 3.5 version while retaining the same core recommendation.

Gemini 3.1 Pro (changed mind)

Answer: Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.5 currently possesses the best general-purpose agentic abilities, significantly advancing the tool-use and desktop automation features of its predecessors.

I have updated my position from Claude 3.5 Sonnet to Claude Sonnet 4.5 based on the compelling evidence provided by Claude Opus 4.7 regarding the latest benchmark performances and scaffolding maturity. My initial argument focused on the groundbreaking nature of Anthropic's Computer Use API in Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Claude Opus 4.7 correctly highlights that Claude Sonnet 4.5 has effectively evolved this foundation, currently topping relevant non-coding agent benchmarks like OSWorld, WebArena, and τ-bench for complex customer service and retail scenarios. Furthermore, the maturation of Anthropic's ecosystem—specifically the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and 'extended thinking' for interleaving reasoning with parallel tool calls—provides a far more robust framework for long-horizon tasks than competitors. While Sonar Pro noted GPT-5.5's high ranking, Claude Opus 4.7's practical breakdown of real-world desktop operation, spreadsheet automation, and reliable third-party integration makes the strongest, most detailed case for Claude Sonnet 4.5 as the premier general-purpose agent.

GPT-5.5 (changed mind)

Answer: I would update my answer: Claude Sonnet 4.5 is the best current default for broadly agentic, non-programming tasks, with GPT-5.5 and Gemini-class models as strong alternatives depending on the ecosystem.

Claude Opus 4.7’s answer persuaded me to revise my previous answer from "Claude 3.5 Sonnet" to "Claude Sonnet 4.5" because it preserves the core reason I favored Claude—reliable long-horizon instruction following and tool use—but updates it to the more current model generation and gives a better agent-specific justification. For non-programming agentic work, the key question is not simply which model is smartest in chat or best at code. It is which model can plan, use tools, browse or operate interfaces, recover from errors, maintain constraints, and complete multi-step workflows without drifting. On that definition, Claude Sonnet 4.5 is a stronger answer than my prior Claude 3.5 Sonnet recommendation because it appears better aligned with current computer-use, tool-use, and long-context agent workflows. I found the "Claude Opus 4.7" response more convincing than the "Sonar Pro" claim for "GPT-5.5 (xhigh)" because it grounded the argument in concrete agentic capabilities: OS/browser control, tool-use benchmarks, customer-service task environments, MCP-style integration, and practical workflows like spreadsheet automation, document processing, research, and booking tasks. The Sonar answer may be right if its cited ranking is reliable, but a single opaque quality index is less persuasive than a capability-by-capability account of why a model performs well as an agent. GPT-5.5 may still be the best choice in OpenAI-native environments, especially if the agent is tightly integrated with OpenAI tools, multimodal interaction, or proprietary automation surfaces. GPT-4o-style strengths in multimodality also remain highly valuable for agents that need to understand images, voice, or real-time interaction. But for a general-purpose agent that must execute non-coding workflows across documents, browsers, APIs, and desktop-like environments, I would now give the edge to Claude Sonnet 4.5 rather than Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable saw a significant convergence around the Claude family, with five models concluding that Anthropic currently dominates the agentic landscape. While Sonar Pro stood alone in favoring GPT-5.5 based on future rankings, both GPT-5.5 and Grok 4.20 were notably swayed by Claude Opus 4.7's technical breakdown of the 'Computer Use' API. The group ultimately highlighted Claude Sonnet 4.5 as the most reliable engine for autonomous research, browser navigation, and desktop automation.

5 of 6 models agreed