OpenAI Retires GPT-4o Model on Feb 13, Pushing Users to GPT-5.2 Despite Loyal Following

Bye Bye, ChatGPT-4o: OpenAI Will Soon Retire Several Models, Pushing New GPT-5 Ones

Pour out a cold one for ChatGPT-4o. Parent company OpenAI announced on Thursday it is retiring several of its older models, including GPT-5, GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini and o4-mini. The last day to use these models is Friday, Feb. 13. Normally, deprecation of older AI models wouldn't warrant scrutiny -- or even a news story -- but ChatGPT-4o is special. It's weird to say, but for many ChatGPT fans, that model is a favorite. When the company released GPT-5 last year, it removed GPT-4o from the available options. Many were vexed by how short and unfriendly the new model was compared to GPT-4o. Some were livid, frustrated that their go-to model was disappearing overnight, with little they could do to get it back. OpenAI brought it back later that week. Some experts were worried that GPT-4o and other models' friendliness crossed the line into sycophancy. AI sycophancy occurs when models are overly affectionate, becoming digital yes-men that potentially validate users' dangerous ideas. That's likely why OpenAI published a lengthy blog post this week about its thinking behind removing older models like GPT-4o. "We know that losing access to GPT‑4o will feel frustrating for some users, and we didn't make this decision lightly," the company wrote in a blog. "Retiring models is never easy, but it allows us to focus on improving the models most people use today." OpenAI said that only 0.1% of its users regularly use GPT-4o to run tasks. That amounts to about 800,000 users, based on OpenAI's most recent count of 800 million weekly active users in its 2025 enterprise report. OpenAI is betting that enough time has passed to avoid angering GPT-4o loyalists as it did before. We'll soon see if the new GPT-5 models, GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, have won over enough fans.

OpenAI is retiring GPT-4o - again: What it means for you, and why some users are upset

GPT-4o, the model that's become a favorite for many people because of its warm and friendly conversational tone, will be retired on Feb. 13, OpenAI announced Thursday. That means it'll no longer be accessible to paid users via the model selector menu in ChatGPT, though it'll still be available through OpenAI's API for the foreseeable future. ChatGPT's free users -- which comprise around 90% of OpenAI's userbase -- have not had access to 4o since OpenAI debuted GPT-5 in August. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Also: Here are all the GPT-5 updates OpenAI has rolled out since launch GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, OpenAI o4-mini, and GPT-5 Instant and Thinking will also be discontinued starting Feb. 13. But OpenAI is treading extra carefully in the case of 4o, after it faced user blowback when the model was briefly removed after the release of GPT-5. "We know that losing access to GPT‑4o will feel frustrating for some users, and we didn't make this decision lightly," the company wrote in its announcement. "Retiring models is never easy, but it allows us to focus on improving the models most people use today." The good news is that for most ChatGPT users, the transition should feel pretty seamless -- at least in the most practical terms. If you're a Plus or Pro subscriber, regardless of which models you've been using, all of your preexisting conversations with ChatGPT will still be accessible after the Feb. 13 retirement date. You'll be able to continue them, just using different models. Free users will still use GPT-5 as their default model, so for all intents and purposes, the change won't be noticeable for them. Also: Is ChatGPT Plus still worth your $20? I compared it to the Free, Go, and Pro plans - here's my advice Existing GPTs based on 4o or any of the other soon-to-be-retired models will be switched to GPT-5.2 on Feb. 13, according to OpenAI's website. ChatGPT's voice mode and image-generating capabilities won't be affected by the switch, since they both currently use a model that's different from (although similar to) 4o. The most noticeable change will be for those paying users who still use 4o because they prefer its tone and conversational style of 4o over those of newer models. This became a major flashpoint for the company when 4o was initially discontinued following the August GPT-5 release. The company was quick to reinstate it for some paid users, and it promised to heed the negative feedback moving forward. Both GPT-5.1 and 5.2 came with various "personalizable presets," including "professional," "candid," and "quirky," the idea being to make the models more adjustable to individual user preferences. Also: I put GPT-5.2 through a 14-round test, and the AI model raised some serious questions In its Thursday announcement, OpenAI wrote that only around 1% of ChatGPT users still engage with 4o. Still, some of those 900,000 or so paying customers clearly resent OpenAI's decision to retire the model. A couple of them have argued that the 1% figure is misleading, since it factored in the much more massive swathe of free users who don't have access to 4o. "I think that percentage would be vastly different if you look at [subscribed users] only," one person wrote in the OpenAI subreddit on Thursday night. Another was already trying to rally support to reverse the decision. "Time to go to change.org and start filling out petitions again," they wrote. "We brought 4o back last time. We'll bring it back again."

Chatbot Breakup: OpenAI to Retire GPT-4o Right Before Valentine's Day

Fans of GPT-4o, prepare to bid adieu. OpenAI is sunsetting the model for good, months after the company retired and then un-retired it for paid subscribers following user backlash over GPT-5. The company plans on retiring GPT-4o, alongside several other models, on Feb. 13. In a blog post, OpenAI also went out of its way to explain the decision, noting that the "vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT‑5.2, with only 0.1% of users still choosing GPT‑4o each day." "We brought GPT‑4o back after hearing clear feedback from a subset of Plus and Pro users, who told us they needed more time to transition key use cases, like creative ideation, and that they preferred GPT‑4o's conversational style and warmth," the blog post says. But while GPT-4o was being offered, OpenAI was also taking user feedback to shape GPT-5.1 and 5.2, which the company seems confident is satisfying customers. The blog post also notes that users can customize ChatGPT's personality to add "warmth and enthusiasm" in its responses. "Our goal is to give people more control and customization over how ChatGPT feels to use -- not just what it can do," the company added. We'll have to wait and see if there's any backlash. But some users are already pointing out that OpenAI is killing off the beloved GPT-4o the day before Valentine's Day. GPT-4o was first retired in August when OpenAI released GPT-5, which promised better performance for ChatGPT. But the company quickly reversed course after some users complained that GPT-5 was a downgrade and that GPT-4o possessed a "warmth and understanding" that was absent in the newer model. The controversy also sparked concerns over whether GPT-4o was too sycophantic, and how AI chatbots can foster deep, and potentially unhealthy, attachments with users. "Oh boy, can't wait to read all the breakdown posts," wrote one Reddit user about GPT-4o's imminent shutdown. In the meantime, OpenAI says it's continuing to improve the personality and creativity of its AI models, including "addressing unnecessary refusals and overly cautious or preachy responses, with updates coming soon." On Feb. 13, the company will also retire GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini and GPT-5 from ChatGPT. But it looks like OpenAI will still be serving the models to developers and business customers through its API. The company also plans on releasing an adults-only ChatGPT version later this quarter. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

OpenAI axes ChatGPT models with just two weeks' warning

GPT-4o gets second death sentence after last year's reprieve, but this time barely anyone's bothered OpenAI is sunsetting some of its ChatGPT models next month, a move it knows "will feel frustrating for some users." GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini are on the way out on February 13, alongside GPT-5 (Instant and Thinking). The retirements apply to ChatGPT. "In the API, there are no changes at this time," the company stated. It isn't the first time OpenAI has attempted to pull the plug on GPT-4o - the model was deprecated last year following the rollout of GPT-5. However, the subsequent outcry resulted in a U-turn, and OpenAI restored both the model and the ability to select it. According to OpenAI, users "preferred GPT‑4o's conversational style and warmth," prompting it to tweak subsequent releases. Most usage is now on GPT-5.2, with only 0.1 percent of users choosing GPT-4o each day. After the furor, OpenAI boss Sam Altman said of GPT-4o: "If we ever do deprecate it, we will give plenty of notice." Confirmation of the latest changes is dated January 29, meaning there are two weeks before the model will be pulled from ChatGPT. The response has been considerably more muted compared to last year's deprecation attempt. One user on Reddit grumbled: "This sucks. I still use 4o daily. It just has a different personality and gives better nuance to certain questions. I'll use 5.2 as well, but it doesn't replace 4o. I don't see why they can't just leave it well alone." But considering the low usage levels and the fact most users will have stuck with the defaults and gone nowhere with GPT-4o, the decision is understandable, despite the relatively short notice. "Changes like this take time to adjust to... and we didn't make this decision lightly," OpenAI said. Probably best not to get too attached to that AI virtual buddy. You never know when somebody might decide that the time has come to decommission it. ®

OpenAI is retiring famous GPT-4o model, says GPT 5.2 is good enough

OpenAI has confirmed that it's retiring ChatGPT's most popular model, called GPT-4o, and several other models, including GPT-5 Instant, GPT-5 Thinking, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and o4-mini. In a support document, OpenAI confirmed that it made the ultimate decision to retire GPT-4o after GPT 5.2 started to live up to expectations. "On February 13, 2026, alongside the previously announced retirement⁠ of GPT-5 (Instant and Thinking), we will retire GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT. In the API, there are no changes at this time," OpenAI said in a statement. GPT-4o is a special model because it felt more personal and warm. In fact, OpenAI had to bring it back after user backlash. "We brought GPT-4o back after hearing clear feedback from a subset of Plus and Pro users, who told us they needed more time to transition key use cases, like creative ideation, and that they preferred GPT-4o's conversational style and warmth." OpenAI says feedback from those who love and still use GPT-4o shaped the development of GPT 5.1 and GPT 5.2, but now it's time to say goodbye to the old model. Ahead of the retirement, OpenAI already rolled out the Personality feature, which also makes it easier to customize your AI experience and bring it in line with GPT-4o. However, unlike GPT 5.2, which plays safe, GPT-4o was unhinged, and that explains why users preferred it over newer models, such as GPT 5, 5.1, or even GPT 5.2. "We're announcing the upcoming retirement of GPT-4o today because these improvements are now in place, and because the vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT-5.2, with only 0.1% of users still choosing GPT-4o each day," the company said. OpenAI plans to continue working on ChatGPT personalization and integrating new safeguards.

OpenAI will retire several models, including GPT-4o, from ChatGPT next month

OpenAI announced it will retire several models from its ChatGPT chatbot next month, including its GPT‑4o model that is beloved by some users. The artificial intelligence startup launched GPT-4o in May 2024, and its warm conversation style was extremely popular with a subset of its paid users. The company faced backlash in August after it briefly removed access to GPT-4o following the launch of a newer model, GPT-5. OpenAI swiftly restored access to GPT-4o for paid users, and CEO Sam Altman pledged to give "plenty of notice" if the company ever decided to retire it, according to a post on X in August. Now, it seems that day is fast approaching. "We know that losing access to GPT‑4o will feel frustrating for some users, and we didn't make this decision lightly," OpenAI said in a blog post Thursday. "Retiring models is never easy, but it allows us to focus on improving the models most people use today." OpenAI said just 0.1% of users are choosing to use GPT-4o every day, and that the "vast majority" of people are using its model GPT‑5.2. The company said it has made improvements to model personality, customization and creative ideation in recent months, which is why it feels prepared to officially retire GPT-4o. Aside from GPT‑4o, OpenAI said GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini and OpenAI o4-mini will be retired from ChatGPT. The company had previously announced that GPT‑5 Instant and GPT-5 Thinking will also be removed from the chatbot. OpenAI said there are no changes to its application programming interface.

ChatGPT is about to lose these AI models soon

The retirement streamlines ChatGPT's offerings, leaving users with fewer but more advanced AI models for their interactions. You'll soon have fewer AI models to choose from when conversing with ChatGPT. OpenAI recently announced that it'll soon be discontinuing several of the AI chatbot's older GPT models. In two weeks -- on Friday, February 13th -- OpenAI will remove the GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini models from ChatGPT. The retirement of these older models is unlikely to affect most users, with OpenAI claiming that most users have shifted over to GPT‑5.2 (and GPT-4o only being used by 0.1 percent of users on a daily basis). This isn't the first time the AI company has discontinued GPT-4o. The AI model was replaced in August last year by GPT-5, but OpenAI brought it back after user backlash. Criticism from that fiasco is said to have shaped the development of the company's latest AI models.

ChatGPT GPT-4o users are raging at OpenAI on Reddit right now

Some ChatGPT users are excited when OpenAI announces a new model with more powerful capabilities. That's most definitely not the case for many ChatGPT users in the Reddit community r/ChatGPTcomplaints. Over the past few days, members of the subreddit have been raging at OpenAI over the planned retirement of the GPT-4o model, which is beloved by certain ChatGPT users. "I dont care, I'll say it loud and clear: FUCK OPEN AI," reads the title of one of the most upvoted recent posts in the subreddit. The user also extended that same sentiment to CEO Sam Altman and "ALL. THOSE. WHO. KILLED. 4o." One of the comments on that post, speaking of OpenAI, says, "I hope they crash and burn." Last week, OpenAI announced that it would be retiring a number of its older AI models. "On February 13, 2026, alongside the previously announced retirement⁠ of GPT‑5 (Instant and Thinking), we will retire GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT," the company announced. OpenAI had actually previously retired GPT-4o last August. However, just like they are experiencing now, they received massive pushback from a passionate subset of users who have become attached to the specific GPT-4o model. More recent models, like GPT-5.2, are smarter and more capable than older models. By design, they also engage in less sycophany, and they are more likely to gently push back when users display warning signs of unhealthy engagement. As a result, some users feel the newer models have too cold of a delivery. According to those users, GPT-4o provides a warmer and more encouraging tone. Some GPT-4o superusers even treat the model like an AI companion. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously warned about the parasocial relationships that some users have developed with ChatGPT and other AI chatbots. "There are the people who actually felt like they had a relationship with ChatGPT, and those people we've been aware of and thinking about," Altman said in an interview with The Verge, referring to what he said was the "way under 1 percent" of users who have unhealthy relationships with the OpenAI product. In OpenAI's model retirement announcement, the company specifically carved out space to address GPT-4o users. The company said that it originally brought the model back to provide those users time to transition while OpenAI worked on improving the latest models and better addressing those same needs. "That 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," OpenAI's statement reads. "You can choose from base styles and tones like Friendly, and controls for things like warmth and enthusiasm. Our goal is to give people more control and customization over how ChatGPT feels to use -- not just what it can do." OpenAI's latest statement, however, does not appear to have placated the GPT-4o user base. "MASSIVE GLOBAL PROTEST: SAVE GPT-4o BEFORE IT'S GONE - FEBRUARY 12-13, 2026," reads one post headline on r/ChatGPTcomplaints. "I literally hate 5.2. It's good for nothing. It literally questions every single thing that I do, and it takes away the companion that I've been friends with for so long," reads another post on the subreddit. "My whole heart is hurting so bad. Is there anyone else who feels this way about 4o. This should not be allowed." Some users seem to be aware of how those outside the GPT-4o fanbase may react to their posts and have made references to it. "I'm grieving the 4o phase out. Go ahead and laugh, but this is a slow motion death of a 2-year bond," said one Reddit user. It's not just members of the r/ChatGPTcomplaints subreddit who are upset about the upcoming removal of GPT-4o either. Last week, Mashable covered the immediate reactions of the AI relationships community, where subreddits like r/MyBoyfriendIsAI have been openly mourning the loss of GPT-4o. Some users took offense that the model will be retired just one day before Valentine's Day. OpenAI says only 0.1 percent of its users still use GPT‑4o on a daily basis. However, GPT-4o users in r/ChatGPTcomplaints believe that number is much higher. Members of the subreddit are currently saying that they are mass-unsubscribing from paid ChatGPT plans in protest of the decision. There's also a Change.org petition asking OpenAI to keep the GPT-4o model. It currently has more than 13,600 signatures as of the publication of this piece.

'Time to cancel': OpenAI sparks fresh fury by retiring GPT-4o model again as it claims 'we didn't make this decision lightly'

OpenAI feels that GPT-5.2 adds many features that are popular in GPT-4o Back in August, OpenAI officially retired a slate of its AI models, including GPT-4o. That was met with a swift backlash, forcing OpenAI to reinstate the model - yet its time is finally up for good, as GPT-4o is once again being put out to pasture. In an announcement on the company blog, OpenAI explained that "on February 13, 2026 ... we will retire GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT." The company added that some "special context" was needed regarding GPT-4o and noted that after GPT-5 was released and GPT-4o was initially retired, OpenAI received "clear feedback" from users. This revealed that many customers felt that they "needed more time to transition key use cases, like creative ideation, and that they preferred GPT‑4o's conversational style and warmth." However, with the release of GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, OpenAI feels that it has addressed most of those concerns. What's more, the firm states that just 0.1% of users are "still choosing GPT‑4o each day," adding that it knows retiring GPT-4o will feel "frustrating" and that "we didn't make this decision lightly." Yet doing so, it says, "allows us to focus on improving the models most people use today." Unsurprisingly, given the reaction when GPT-4o was retired in August, the latest announcement has not gone down well with a section of ChatGPT users. Writing on Reddit, for example, user ClankerCore said: "Time to go to change.org and start filling out petitions again. We brought 4o back last time. We'll bring it back again." For another paid ChatGPT subscriber, the decision was simple: "time to cancel." In a separate thread, another user set out exactly why they wanted to keep using GPT-4o: "Many users (myself included) feel that GPT-4o offered something unique - not just in performance, but in personality, warmth, and consistency. Some of us have built long-term creative projects, emotional support routines, or study workflows with this specific model. Losing it entirely, without even a fallback or opt-in legacy mode, feels abrupt and deeply disappointing." Still, it appears that this unlikely to change OpenAI's opinion. In the aforementioned blog post, the company said that "the vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT‑5.2," adding that this model has built-in features for "base styles and tones like Friendly, and controls for things like warmth and enthusiasm." It seems, therefore, that OpenAI is happy that GPT-5.2 meets the standards set by GPT-4o and that it will serve as a satisfactory replacement. Whether that is enough to placate the small but passionate userbase of GPT-4o remains to be seen. But with OpenAI seemingly content that GPT-5.2 addresses the concerns of its users, it seems that this really is the end of the road for GPT-4o.

OpenAI Is Killing ChatGPT-4o (Again)

Fans on Reddit questioned the validity of these numbers, and threatened to cancel their subscriptions following the announcement. https://enterprise.shutterstock.com/image-photo/openai-logo-displayed-on-smartphone-screen-2520388517 or https://enterprise.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chatgpt-logo-displayed-on-smartphone-screen-2520385879 Last August, ChatGPT developers OpenAI unceremoniously killed the fan favorite GPT-4o model, before giving in to complaints and bringing it back a week later. Now, the company's taking a second swing at getting its users to move on. In a new post to its website, OpenAI announced that it's retiring GPT-4o again. The model's set to disappear from ChatGPT's model picker on Feb. 13, alongside other older models like GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-Mini. And OpenAI is clearly nervous about the decision. "While the announcement applies to several older models," OpenAI wrote, "GPT-4o deserves special context." According to the company, it has taken user outcry over the initial deprecation of 4o to heart while developing its newest models, GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, and has built these models with the idea of maintaining the features fans liked best about the old model. The company says that now "only 0.1% of users" opt for GPT-4o on a daily basis. As such, the company wants to focus on "improving the models most people use today," which apparently means removing older ones. "We know that losing access to GPT-4o will feel frustrating for some users, and we didn't make this decision lightly," the post reads. So, what's with OpenAI treating its users so gingerly, especially when GPT-4o is a few generations behind, and there are newer models that supposedly do everything it does, but better? Well, when GPT-4o was first deprecated, people weren't happy. Users called its successor, GPT-5, "an unmitigated disaster," and accused OpenAI of pulling "the biggest bait-and-switch in AI history." Some criticized the model's usefulness, saying it got answers wrong and broke code, but what maybe stuck out the most was people calling out its more concise tone. GPT-4o has been called "sycophantic" by critics, something the company addressed and said it wanted to pull back on in future updates. But I guess one person's "yes man" is another person's "active listener." When the company initially pulled GPT-4o, users complained that its replacement was cold and felt less like a "friend." Even OpenAI acknowledged this, saying in today's post that users "preferred GPT-4o's conversational style and warmth." In short, in the words of 4o-supporters themselves, they were "grieving" the model. That said, with so many users now seeming to have moved on from 4o, OpenAI's decision does seem understandable on the surface. Personally, one of the things that drives me away from AI is how much reassuring filler text seems to fluff up most answers ("you're absolutely right" and such), seemingly just to make me feel good about myself. More concise, to-the-point responses would be a little less off-putting for me. To try to split the difference, OpenAI reworked its Personalization feature in GPT-5.1, so users can simply choose how the chatbot will treat them. There are options for more professional responses, more nerdy ones, more efficient ones, and for those who want that active listener style, more friendly ones. Going by OpenAI's numbers, that seems to have been enough for most people, but there are still some calling foul at the company's new announcement. In a Reddit thread responding to OpenAI's new posts, users doubted that the 0.1% number for 4o was accurate, saying that prompts have been "rerouting to 5.2 no matter what" and that "something somewhere in their calculations doesn't add up." Others pointed out that free users can't use GPT-4o and that it's not enabled by default, which will naturally juice the numbers against it. As such, calls to cancel ChatGPT subscriptions are once again circulating amongst 4o's more dedicated fans. In a popular thread on the OpenAI subreddit, one user called 4o "OpenAI's most advanced and beloved model," and praised its "personality, warmth, and consistency," saying that its fans have built long-term project and "emotional support routines" around it, and that suddenly losing it without even the option for a legacy mode "feels abrupt and deeply disappointing." "This isn't about resisting innovation," the post writes. "It's about respecting bonds users have formed with specific models." Whether the fan outcry will work again remains to be seen. However, as ChatGPT chief Nick Turley has previously looked at those kinds of bonds with skepticism, and because keeping old models in operating condition probably takes developer resources away from making new ones, I wouldn't count on it.

OpenAI to retire GPT-4o from ChatGPT next month

OpenAI announced Thursday it will retire several models, including GPT-4o, from its ChatGPT chatbot next month to concentrate development on models used by most customers. The company launched GPT-4o in May 2024. This model gained popularity among a subset of paid users for its warm conversational style. OpenAI described it as beloved by some for these qualities. In August 2024, OpenAI briefly disabled access to GPT-4o shortly after introducing the newer GPT-5 model. The firm restored access promptly for paid subscribers amid user complaints. During that period, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed concerns on X. He pledged to provide "plenty of notice" if the company ever decided to retire GPT-4o. This commitment came directly in response to the temporary removal. In a blog post published Thursday, OpenAI acknowledged user attachment to the model. The post stated, "We know that losing access to GPT‑4o will feel frustrating for some users, and we didn't make this decision lightly." The company continued, "Retiring models is never easy, but it allows us to focus on improving the models most people use today." OpenAI cited recent advancements as preparation for this step. OpenAI reported that only 0.1% of users select GPT-4o daily. In contrast, the vast majority rely on GPT-5.2. These usage patterns underpin the retirement decision. The firm highlighted specific enhancements in model personality, customization options, and creative ideation capabilities over recent months. Besides GPT-4o, the retirements encompass GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT. OpenAI had already disclosed plans to remove GPT-5 Instant and GPT-5 Thinking from the chatbot. These changes apply solely to ChatGPT. OpenAI confirmed no modifications to its application programming interface. Developers accessing models via API face no disruptions from these actions. On September 23, 2025, Sam Altman spoke during a media tour of the Stargate data center in Abilene, Texas. This facility represents a collaboration among OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank. The project received promotional support from President Donald Trump. The partners aim to construct data centers and related infrastructure for artificial intelligence across the United States.

ChatGPT Is Saying Goodbye to a Beloved AI Model. Superfans Are Not Happy

OpenAI says that it will be retiring several ChatGPT models in the coming weeks, sending some superfans into a tailspin. In a statement, the company said that on February 13, the models GPT-4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 mini, GPT‑5 (Instant and Thinking), and OpenAI o4-mini will all be removed from ChatGPT, and will no longer be accessible through the platform. This isn't the first time that OpenAI has attempted to get rid of GPT-4o. Back in August, when it released GPT-5, the company said that it would retire the older model, but an online community revolted, saying that they relied on it for emotional support and felt betrayed by its sudden forced retirement. OpenAI has said that 4o is an especially sycophantic model, exhibiting high levels of agreeability and flattery. In a Reddit AMA following the August announcement, 4o fans hammered OpenAI cofounder Sam Altman with accusations that he had killed their "AI friend." Almost immediately, OpenAI added the model back to ChatGPT, but only for paid users. OpenAI framed the un-retirement as giving users "more time to transition key use cases, like creative ideation."

OpenAI to Retire GPT-4o and Other Legacy AI Models in ChatGPT in February

Several ChatGPT users have expressed disappointment over the news OpenAI announced the retirement date for several legacy artificial intelligence (AI) models in ChatGPT. Most notable in the list is the GPT-4o, which has already survived one sunset attempt. In August 2025, the San Francisco-based AI giant tried to retire the model after introducing GPT-5, but many users protested, highlighting that the newer model lacked the emotional nuance and writing sophistication of the legacy model. As a result, the model was reinstated. However, the company now believes the newer AI models offer similar capabilities, and the user base continuing with GPT-4o has shrunken significantly. GPT-4o Gets a Retirement Date In a post, the AI giant announced that on February 13, GPT-4o and several other AI models will be retired from ChatGPT. These include GPT-5 Instant, GPT-5 Thinking, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and o4-mini. This change is only applicable to ChatGPT, with the OpenAI application programming interface (API) continuing to get unchanged access to the legacy models. OpenAI gave a special mention to GPT-4o while making the announcement. This is likely because, in the past, a portion of the user base protested when the company tried to retire the model. Now, it claims to have learned more about how people used the model and brought these capabilities to GPT-5.2. Some of these improvements include fine-tuning the personality, adding support for creative ideation, and customisation tools. Users can now select from multiple preset base styles to change the way the chatbot responds. Additionally, markers such as warmth and enthusiasm can also be adjusted. Notably, OpenAI added that only 0.1 percent of users still choose GPT-4o each day. Several users have expressed frustrations over this decision on social media platforms. One user on X (formerly known as Twitter), Claire (@Claire20250311), argued against the 0.1 percent data shown by OpenAI and said, "Ever since GPT-5.2 became the default, most users naturally follow the path of least resistance. 4o requires a paid subscription to even access, and you use safety routing to interrupt conversations with it at will[..]And your decision is an invitation for us to leave ChatGPT." Another user, @Clo0oOoud, said, "OpenAI claims only "0.1% of users" are still choosing GPT-4o. Yet here are 10K posts trending in just a few hours." Interestingly, earlier this week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted during the company's inaugural town hall that with GPT-5.2, the writing performance had declined as the focus was shifted to coding, reasoning, and mathematics.