OpenAI thought we were doing users a favor. They combined their best AI models into one super system called GPT-5 and got rid of the old ones. No more clicking through the drop-down menu to pick which one you wanted to use. Sounds great, right?
Well, it backfired big time. Users are furious, and they want their old ChatGPT-4o back.
Why Everyone’s Upset About GPT-5?
OpenAI launched GPT-5 on Thursday with big promises. They wanted to create one AI that could handle everything — writing, coding, reasoning, and you name it. The idea was simple: no need to worry about switching between different models every time you wanted to do any of the tasks. But there was a catch. They completely removed the older models, including GPT-4o, which people loved using.
The Internet Is Not Happy
Reddit users sounded off.
People didn’t hold back on social media. Reddit became ground zero for complaints about the new model. Users started posting about how GPT-5 felt less compared to what they were used to.
One person summed it up perfectly, saying GPT-5 responses were short and insufficient and without a personality. That’s a pretty harsh review for what is supposed to be OpenAI’s most advanced model yet.
Creative Users Feel Left Behind
Things got really interesting during Sam Altman’s Reddit Q&A session. A user named u/Naddybear spelled out exactly what was wrong.
“I have been using GPT-4o for a long time and have built a very specific dynamic and workflow with it. I know GPT-5 is designed to be stronger for complex reasoning, coding, and professional tasks, but not all of us need an improved coding model. Some of us rely on 4o for creative collaboration, emotional nuance, role-play, and other long-form, high-context interactions.”
This hit the nail on the head. OpenAI made GPT-5 great for tech things, but somehow made it worse for creative things that regular users actually care about.
Sam Altman Steps Up
GPT-5 rollout updates:
*We are going to double GPT-5 rate limits for ChatGPT Plus users as we finish rollout.
*We will let Plus users choose to continue to use 4o. We will watch usage as we think about how long to offer legacy models for.
*GPT-5 will seem smarter starting…
— Sam Altman (@sama) August 8, 2025Altman could see the writing on the wall. During the same Reddit session, he promised to fix the problems. But he didn’t stop there; a few hours later, he was on X, announcing actual changes coming in the next few days.
But What Exactly Is The Real Problem?
Here is where it gets technical, but stick with me. Altman explained that something called the auto-switcher was broken. This is basically the brain that is supposed to figure out what kind of task you are asking for and pick the right AI model to handle it.
What Is OpenAI Doing To Fix This Mess?
We’re making GPT-5 warmer and friendlier based on feedback that it felt too formal before. Changes are subtle, but ChatGPT should feel more approachable now.
You'll notice small, genuine touches like “Good question” or “Great start,” not flattery. Internal tests show no rise in…
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) August 15, 2025- People paying for GPT Plus will get increased usage limits. Apparently, some users were hitting their limits in just one hour, which is pretty ridiculous.
- The big news: Plus subscribers can use GPT-4o again. OpenAI will watch how many people use it to decide how long to keep it around.
- ChatGPT will now tell you which AI model answered your question. No more guessing whether you are talking to GPT-5 or something else.
- They are fixing the auto-switcher so it actually picks the right AI for your question.
Why Does AI Cost So Much?
Most of OpenAI’s money goes to keep its servers running. They have their own massive computer farms and also rent space from other companies. Running an AI model requires incredible computing power, and the electricity bill adds up fast.
This probably explains why they wanted to retire older models like GPT-4o in the first place. Fewer models mean lower cost.
What Does This Really Mean?
This whole situation shows something important about how tech companies think about what users actually want. OpenAI focused on making GPT-5 better at professional tasks like coding and complex reasoning. But they forgot that millions of people use ChatGPT for creative writing, conversation, and just having fun.
The users’ backlash was so strong that it forced OpenAI to change course in just a few days. That’s pretty impressive when you think about it — regular users made one of the world’s biggest AI companies admit they screwed up and promised to do better.
For anyone using ChatGPT, this proves that speaking up works. When enough people complain about changes they don’t like, even giant tech companies have to listen.
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