Laravel OpenAI integration is not simpler than Claude integration. The APIs differ, the model families differ — but the architectural requirements are nearly identical once you care about production stability. Laravel works well here because it already solves the problems AI integrations create: dependency boundaries, environment isolation, background work, failure handling, and observability. You’re not fighting the framework. You’re leaning on it. On model names: This guide uses gpt-4o and gpt-4o-mini as examples. These are current as of early 2026. OpenAI’s model catalogue evolves quickly — always verify against OpenAI’s official models reference before deploying. gpt-3.5-turbo is deprecated; gpt-4o-mini is its cost-effective replacement. Before committing to OpenAI as your sole provider, it is worth understanding where it sits in the broader Laravel AI provider landscape.…