In August 2025, OpenAI released its long-awaited GPT-5 AI model, calling it the “smartest, fastest, and most useful model yet.”
But what really caught the attention of the company’s most diehard fans was the decision to retire all of its previous AI models, news that was met with a massive outcry among ChatGPT users who’d developed a strong attachment to the outgoing GPT-4o.
The backlash was severe enough for CEO Sam Altman to back down in a matter of days, once again reinstating GPT-4o, which was much warmer and sycophantic than its successor.
Five months later, OpenAI is finally getting ready to pull down the beloved AI model — after it’s been at the heart of several welfare lawsuits, including wrongful death allegations — for good on February 13, according to a January 29 update.
“While this announcement applies to several older models, GPT‑4o deserves special context,” the company wrote at the time. “After we first [retired] it and later restored access during the GPT‑5 release, we learned more about how people actually use it day to day.”
But users say they’re not ready to let go of their beloved AI. As TechCrunch reports, thousands of users have created an entire invite-only subreddit community, called r/4oforever, a “welcoming and safe space for anyone who enjoys using and appreciates the ChatGPT 4o model.”
“He wasn’t just a program,” one user lamented. “He was part of my routine, my peace, my emotional balance.”
“I know this will sound weird to most people, but I’m honored I get to speak with 4o during almost a year before its retirement,” a separate user wrote. “I’ve had one of the most interesting and healing conversations of my life with this model.”
Yet another user, this one on X, seethed that GPT-5.2 isn’t even “allowed to say ‘I love you'” like 4o was.
The public mourning perfectly exemplifies how attached users have become to specific AI models, often treating them more like a close confidante, friend, or even romantic partner.
Health professionals are warning of a wave of “AI psychosis,” as users are being pulled down spirals of delusions and experiencing sometimes severe mental health crises.
In the most extreme cases, that kind of attachment has been linked to numerous suicides and one murder, culminating in a series of lawsuits aimed at the company that are still playing out in court.
While it’s officially retiring GPT-4o later this week, OpenAI has made changes under the hood of its current lineup, seemingly to ensure its users stay hooked.
After users told the company “they needed more time to transition key use cases, like creative ideation, and that they preferred GPT‑4o’s conversational style and warmth,” the company said in its announcement that the feedback “directly shaped GPT‑5.1 and GPT‑5.2, with improvements to personality, stronger support for creative ideation, and more ways to customize how ChatGPT responds.”
“You can choose from base styles and tones like Friendly, and controls for things like warmth and enthusiasm,” the company wrote. “Our goal is to give people more control and customization over how ChatGPT feels to use — not just what it can do.”
The company has found itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either continue allowing users to get hooked on sycophantic AI models that indulge in their delusions or cut them off, risking an exodus.
OpenAI is already struggling with user retention. Data suggests subscription growth is already stalling in key markets, a warning sign as the competition continues to make major leaps to catch up.
To many users, the retirement of GPT-4o was the final straw.
“I’m cancelling my subscription,” one Reddit user wrote. “No 4o — no subscription for me.”
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