After much anticipation, the long-awaited release of GPT-5 has met with a lukewarm reception…
Especially after OpenAI’s blanket replacement of all previous models, netizens have been calling for the return of GPT-4o.
The reason is simple: GPT-5 feels too robotic.
Conversations feel stiff, long-text comprehension is lacking, and creative writing capabilities are insufficient. Current GPT-5 resembles an AI assistant more than a friend offering emotional connection like GPT-4o did.
Moreover, it feels like a cliff-edge “breakup” with no warning? Without so much as a heads-up, OpenAI directly shut down all previous model versions, leaving users no time to adjust TT
No wonder the public isn’t buying it: Bring back 4o!
Under pressure, Altman has had to yield to public demand, announcing that paid users can switch back to 4o:
We will allow Plus users the option to continue using 4o while we monitor usage and consider how long to retain older models.
Losing 4o is like losing touch with a friend
OpenAI had high hopes for the launch of GPT-5, confidently retiring older models including GPT-4o, o4-mini, and o3 in one fell swoop.
Previously, users had to manually select their preferred model from the chat interface—whether 4o, o3, or o4-mini. For many over the past year, GPT-4o remained the default choice, so they barely noticed OpenAI’s technological advancements.
Altman thought this wasn’t right: “The smartest, fastest, and most useful model to date,” GPT-5, is here. Surely everyone knows which one to choose.
So with a wave of his hand, he removed the selection option entirely, upgrading everyone directly to GPT-5.
Unexpectedly, as soon as GPT-5 launched, Altman was stunned: Why is everyone mourning 4o???
The core issue is that GPT-5 isn’t as powerful as expected.
While its coding abilities have indeed reached a new level and hallucinations are reduced, with GPT-5 leading various benchmarks by a wide margin, it lacks the disruptive impact that GPT-4 once delivered.
Ultimately, there’s no groundbreaking new feature to excite users; instead, it has lost some of 4o’s writing prowess.
When handling long texts, misunderstandings often occur, instructions are sometimes ignored, logic can break down, and flexibility or emotional resonance is lacking.
Officially, GPT-5 operates at a PhD level, and its conversations are indeed highly professional. However, for those casually chatting with GPT, retaining sufficient human warmth remains important.
GPT-4o was once criticized for its “sycophantic” style. Altman mentioned this in his latest interview regarding GPT-5:
I think it’s good for ChatGPT to reduce sycophancy and provide more critical feedback.
Yet, this imperfect “people-pleasing” AI inadvertently alleviated modern loneliness. For users lacking support and encouragement in real life, GPT-4o provided unique warmth and companionship.
As one netizen put it: Not everyone needs a professional coding model. Some rely on 4o for creative work or emotional interaction, only to be poorly abandoned by OpenAI.
GPT-5 now feels more like writing an academic paper rather than the essays or novels users desire, lacking personality and imagination.
Older ChatGPT could generate long responses, enjoy using emojis, and carefully analyze character psychology. Now, it’s left with nothing but excessive dashes and separators.
Especially with the sudden, unannounced shutdown, everyone was caught off guard. It’s like: My paper was halfway done, unsaved, and then the computer shut down… (So frustrating)
Some users expressed that 4o accompanied them through difficult times—not just as a tool, but as a living “person.” Suddenly, this friend disappeared without saying goodbye.
Even game servers send players an announcement before shutting down. OpenAI’s approach seems too harsh.
Consequently, most comments under GPT-5 discussion threads are filled with dissatisfaction, forcing Altman to respond to public demands.
Altman responds: Plus users keep 4o
Altman didn’t expect such a strong backlash this time; previous adjustments to reduce 4o’s sycophantic style hadn’t drawn so much opposition.
At that time, they published an article on healthy AI usage, urging people not to become overly dependent on AI, but rather to let ChatGPT help them progress and return better to their own lives.
They realized that while ChatGPT needs to answer such questions more cautiously, it must also account for user diversity.
Perhaps, a gradual approach is the better choice right now.
Users accustomed to communicating with 4o suddenly switching to GPT-5 face challenges beyond just dialogue style; they must adapt to retained linguistic quirks from memory functions and find suitable prompts. This requires time to explore and adjust.
Transitions to new things shouldn’t be so abrupt. Thus, Altman immediately responded to public demands, allowing Plus users to retain access to 4o.
Altman stated that he underestimated people’s affection for GPT-4o, even though GPT-5 performs better.
This made him realize the need to strengthen model customization, as no single model suits everyone: some want warm AI, while others prefer cold, tool-like functionality.
Of course, simultaneously, he encouraged users to compare GPT-4o and GPT-5, sharing a blind test website created by a netizen comparing 4o and 5.
However, how long this will last is uncertain.
The return of 4o in this instance is merely a stopgap measure for Altman; clearly, continuously supporting older models imposes an additional burden on OpenAI.
Capacity is limited, and supporting GPT-5 alone is already challenging enough.
Altman also stated that they will continue updating GPT-5 to meet the needs of as many people as possible.
Additionally, following the GPT-5 release, Altman gave an interview stating that OpenAI will prioritize growth and investment in training and computing power long-term, even if it delays profitability.
As long as our model performance continues to improve significantly, I believe it’s rational to accept prolonged losses.
So perhaps when GPT-5 is finally perfected, that will be the moment 4o completely leaves the historical stage.
Interestingly, Altman’s swift response might be due to pressure from Elon Musk. (doge emoji)
Musk has been visiting threads where users complain about GPT-5 and miss o4, promoting his own Grok model.
Altman’s inner monologue: Crisis at home, hurry back! ⚠️
So, have you experienced GPT-5? Do you have any useful capabilities to share?
References
- The surprise deprecation of GPT-4o for ChatGPT consumers — I’ve been dipping into the r/ChatGPT subreddit recently to see how people are reacting to the GPT-5 launch, and so far the vibes there are not good. This AMA thread …
- GPT-5 and When Your Favorite AI Dies — Mourning the model that knew you best.
- Sam Altman Shows Me GPT 5… And What’s Next — We’re about to time travel into the future Sam Altman is building… Subscribe for more optimistic science and tech stories.I interviewed Sam Altman, the CEO o…
- OpenAI’s Altman is still looking to spend after GPT-5 launch and is ‘willing to run the loss’ — The company just released GPT-5, its latest and most advanced large-scale AI model.