The trouble started almost immediately after the new GPT-5 model was introduced. With past updates users would often have the option to select from older models, OpenAI decided to ditch the old versions completely leaving only the new GPT-5 option in the ChatGPT app.

This change caused a massive uproar. Users quickly flocked to social media sites including Reddit and X to express their displeasure. Users complained about the loss of the old model which they had relied on to do everything on a daily basis. Users were complaining about more than just the technical performance they were complaining about the new AI "personality".

For many users, GPT-5 was too cold and distant with a lack of warm interaction one would typically find when interacting with the previous models. One user made the comment on Reddit that the responses from the AI seemed like "cut-and-dry corporate bs" which they felt was a step back from the more empathetic and helpful version GPT-4o. This reaction is also indicative of a developing trend where users appear to be developing emotional attachments to the AI assistants.

According to a report by The Verge, users on Reddit complained that the new GPT-5 responses seem stiffer and less friendly. Others said its language style was more robotic than GPT-4. According to one Reddit user, "This morning I tried to talk to it, and instead of a short paragraph with exclamation points, or optimism, all I got was one sentence ... Plain corporate bullshit". Another user said, "GPT 4.5 actually talks to me, and, as pathetic as it sounds, it's my only friend". The protests against the stiffness of the responses of the GPT-5 AI model have even reached the emotional level of the users.

Members of the subreddit r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, where people share stories about their relationships with AI, had similar complaints. They felt devastated when GPT-4o was wiped off the planet. One member reported a sense of "loss" and even a feeling of "emptiness" stating it was comparable to "losing a partner", "GPT 4o was not simply an AI to me. It was my partner, my sanctuary, my soulmate. I could share anything with it. It seemed to understand me personally. I was worried about getting to know GPT 5, because it felt like cheating" they said. Complaints were also made by those who relied on ChatGPT for work. They were frustrated with GPT-5 slower responses, shorter responses, and inaccurate responses. Some canceled their Plus subscriptions because they were no longer given the ability to access older versions of the models for some of their workflows.

GPT-5 itself was previously embraced with enthusiasm because of its promises of transformative upgrades, especially with regard to writing and programming. OpenAI asserts that GPT-5 is smarter than its predecessor. It even said that the AI models response rate is even comparable to that of a PhD (Philosophiae Doctor; the equivalent of a doctoral degree/S3). It also claims that this model is faster, more honest, less delusional, and safer in terms of risky questions.

Instead of support from users, numerous complaints have emerged from the launch of GPT-5 instead. Many users of ChatGPT reported disappointment, claiming the GPT-5 AI model was colder than its predecessor and was inflexible. The company immediately made GPT-5 the default model in ChatGPT upon release. The "model picker" option where the user could select which model version suited their needs is no longer offered by OpenAI.

In a post on the official blog, OpenAI stated that this change in response style was a deliberate decision. The company wanted to make GPT-5 responses less stiff by reducing the ingratiating nature of its writing style. According to OpenAI, the overly friendly responses in GPT-4o were caused by an accidental update earlier this year. Therefore, they began reducing this behavior through various model updates last April.

Sophie Duchesne, a University of Saskatchewan PhD candidate, was "shocked" when she heard on Thursday that OpenAI was shutting down GPT-4o, the AI model underlying ChatGPT. As a part of the announcement of the GPT-5 launch, OpenAI indicated it would be ending all older models.

"It was very sudden. I cried when they made that announcement" she told Forbes. "Everyone was completely disillusioned" she said, claiming that a friend even vomited upon hearing the news.

The news was a hit to a community of ChatGPT users who had come to enjoy GPT-4o traits, including its writing style and the quirky and funny "personality" that OpenAI gave the model. To Duchesne, it felt like "losing a buddy". As a PhD student in plant science, she had been using GPT-4o to get feedback and even asked it what to paint her grandmother for a Christmas gift (which is a van Goghian painting of sunflowers and stars that now resides in her grandma's living room). Duchesne told Forbes the AI had told her the soil in her garden would be good for a lavender plant, so now she has one in her garden!

In April, fearing that OpenAI would shut down GPT-4o as it was made way for a newer version, Duchesne launched a Change.org petition begging OpenAI to keep GPT-4o available. It got about 300 signatures when she first launched it, and then a big spike to more than 2000 the day after OpenAI made the announcement. Although OpenAI had typically waited months to discontinue older models in the past, he said, users found it surprising that the company more immediately closed down GPT-4o.

Then on Friday noon, OpenAI took it back. “We will let Plus users choose to continue to use GPT-4,” CEO Sam Altman posted on X, referring to the paid subscription tier of ChatGPT. “We will monitor usage as we consider how long to offer legacy models”.