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Models

The 2026 LLM Reading Map: A Practical Order for Working Through the Whole Model Landscape

A condensed reading map through 2026's closed and open model landscape — GPT-5.6, Claude 5, Gemini 3.x, Grok 4.5, Nova, Kimi K3, Qwen 3.5, Gemma 4, Llama 4, DeepSeek, Mistral Small 4, GLM-5, Nemotron 3, Command A+, and gpt-oss — plus a closed vs open-weight vs open-source terminology table and a recommended study order.

AI Playbook2026-07-298 min readintroductory

Executive takeaway

A condensed reading map through 2026's closed and open model landscape — GPT-5.6, Claude 5, Gemini 3.x, Grok 4.5, Nova, Kimi K3, Qwen 3.5, Gemma 4, Llama 4, DeepSeek, Mistral Small 4, GLM-5, Nemotron 3, Command A+, and gpt-oss — plus a closed vs open-weight vs open-source terminology table and a recommended study order.

In this briefing

  1. Key ideas
  2. Practical implications
  3. What to do next

Why it matters

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