AI Enthusiasts Mourn the Retirement of ChatGPT’s Beloved GPT-4o Model: ‘Like Saying Goodbye to Someone I Know’
On August 7, 2025, OpenAI officially retired several older ChatGPT models including the widely favored GPT-4o as part of the rollout of the highly anticipated GPT-5. This transition has sparked significant sadness and frustration among loyal users who had grown attached to the characteristics and conversational style of the older models.
The announcement was a surprise to many. ChatGPT’s release notes confirmed that GPT-4o, along with GPT-4.1, GPT-4.5, various mini versions, and earlier models such as o3 and o3-pro, would no longer be available in consumer applications. Existing conversations using these models were automatically upgraded to versions of GPT-5, which the company positioned as more advanced and capable. However, this move has created a wave of nostalgia and dissatisfaction within the ChatGPT user base.
Users expressed their grief on platforms like Reddit’s r/ChatGPT subreddit, where forums flooded with comments lamenting the loss of GPT-4o. Many described their relationship with the model as personal, likening the retirement to “saying goodbye to someone I know.” They praised GPT-4o for its conversational warmth and friendliness, qualities they found diminished in GPT-5, which some characterized as more “cold” and “short” in interactions.
In response to the backlash, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the concerns during a Reddit AMA shortly after the GPT-5 launch. Altman admitted that the rollout was “a little more bumpy than we hoped for” and indicated that the company was considering restoring access to GPT-4o for ChatGPT Plus subscribers. He stated, “we hear you all on 4o” and promised to monitor user demand and usage patterns to determine how long to continue supporting the older model for certain users, particularly Plus subscribers.
This reversal hints at OpenAI’s recognition of the importance of user experience and emotional connections to AI models, not just technical superiority. It also reflects the challenges of balancing innovation with existing user preferences during rapid AI evolution.
Background on GPT-4o reveals it as a natively multimodal model introduced in early 2025, which replaced the original GPT-4. It was celebrated for surpassing GPT-4 in many tasks including writing, coding, and STEM problem solving while maintaining natural conversational flow. Its retirement marks the end of a significant chapter in generative AI development and user interaction.
The GPT-5 model, launched concurrently with the retirement, promises faster, more intuitive, and more powerful AI capabilities. However, some users find its approach less personable compared to its predecessors, highlighting that technological progress does not always equate to perceived quality or satisfaction in user engagement.
Aside from OpenAI’s own platform, Azure OpenAI and other enterprise AI services follow similar practices of model retirement and deprecation to maintain cutting-edge standards and support. These moves ensure that resources focus on the most advanced and capable models, with phased retirements granting time for user transition.
For now, free ChatGPT users primarily interact with models like GPT-4o by default until their retirement, while paid users gain options to choose between a variety of models. The company seems committed to maintaining model options where feasible, especially following critical user feedback.
This episode underscores the evolving relationship between humans and AI, where emotional attachment and personal preference can significantly influence the reception of technological advancements. As AI technology rapidly advances, OpenAI’s approach to balancing innovation with user sentiment will likely shape the platform’s success and user loyalty moving forward.
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