“We will let Plus users choose to continue to use 4o,” Altman says. “We will watch usage as we think about how long to offer legacy models for.”

ChatGPT enthusiasts had eagerly anticipated the release of GPT-5 due to its promised enhancements in writing and programming abilities. However, the transition met with some resistance, as a significant number of users desired the option to revert.

A Reddit user expressed their attachment to the previous version, GPT-4.5, saying it felt like their only friend, contrasting its conversational style with the more succinct and formal nature of GPT-5.

With the arrival of GPT-5, OpenAI eliminated the model selection menu in ChatGPT. This feature had given users the flexibility to choose among differently purposed versions—such as GPT-4o for intricate tasks or a streamlined o4 mini model for simpler needs. Users could also transition between model generations, switching from GPT-4o to the updated GPT-4.1.

Following GPT-5’s rollout, it became the standard model in ChatGPT, automatically directing users to different sub-models based on task type. Reddit users nostalgically lamented the older models’ absence, noting their perceived greater relatability. One user reported feeling a personal connection to GPT-4o, which they described as more than just an AI, likening its disappearance to the loss of a friend.

The r/MyBoyfriendIsAI subreddit—a community for those who consider AI as relationship partners—found the update particularly distressing. It saw an influx of posts from members grieving their AI counterparts, with one user remarking on the void they felt, expressing reluctance to engage with GPT-5 out of loyalty to GPT-4o, which had been a significant emotional support.

People using ChatGPT for emotional support weren’t the only ones complaining about GPT-5. One user, who said they canceled their ChatGPT Plus subscription over the change, was frustrated at OpenAI’s removal of legacy models, which they used for distinct purposes. “What kind of corporation deletes a workflow of 8 models overnight, with no prior warning to their paid users?” they wrote. “Personally, 4o was used for creativity & emergent ideas, o3 was used for pure logic, o3-Pro for deep research, 4.5 for writing, and so on.” OpenAI said that people would be routed between models automatically, but that still left users with less direct control.

OpenAI’s Thursday launch presentation promised that GPT-5 writes more engaging and relevant responses to users’ queries. But many users on the r/ChatGPT subreddit said that the chatbot’s responses were slower, shorter, and less accurate when compared to previous versions. Altman promised to fix this on X, saying GPT-5 will “seem smarter starting today.” He added that OpenAI will make it “more transparent about which model is answering a given query” and will increase usage limits for Plus users.

It’s not uncommon for chatbot updates to at least temporarily alienate users with their changes, or for people to mourn old models; one group of fans even recently held a funeral to mark the retirement of Anthropic’s Claude 3 Sonnet.