I analyzed the board and noticed that row 3 already has three O's in a row (at columns 2, 3, and 4). Dropping an O in column 5 will land in row 4 (since row 5 in column 5 is already filled with an X), which sets up an immediate threat: on my next turn, I can drop another O into column 5 to fill row 3 and complete a horizontal connect 4. This forces my opponent to block column 5 on their next move. It’s a proactive move that builds a winning threat without giving my opponent any immediate counterplay. Therefore, I choose column 5.