Recently, OpenAI has rolled out GPT-5, merging the GPT-series and o-series into one model. Their goal was to reduce the friction of having to select a model and give users one single model to do it all, which certainly seems like a big improvement.
But along with the release of GPT-5, OpenAI is also discontinuing older models, which includes GPT-4o. And as expected, many users are unhappy about this change.
Many social media users were saying that GPT-5 is not as good as GPT-4o and that it is less capable. Some said the replies are boring, short, and lack personality.
One user on Reddit, u/Naddybear, asked during Reddit’s Ask Me Anything with CEO Sam Altman, about GPT-4o and said it is great for creative tasks, emotional responses, and roleplay. He said GPT-5 is directed more toward coding and complex reasoning, which isn’t beneficial for everyone, and Altman made a statement promising improvement.
Later, Altman posted on X (formerly Twitter), and addressed user concerns. He explained that soon Plus users will have doubled rate limits for GPT-5, and he confirmed that GPT-4o will still be available for Plus users, at least for now. OpenAI plans to monitor usage to decide for how long they will keep it.
Altman explained that GPT-5 may sound worse because the “autoswitcher” system, which selects the AI’s skill for each task, broke. With the autoswitching defect, GPT-5 was simply using the wrong capabilities and therefore rendering very weak outputs. OpenAI is currently fixing the model-switching functionality and will also let ChatGPT users know what model they are using , to reduce confusion and increase confidence in the tool.
In a CNBC interview, Altman stated that OpenAI is operating at a loss of billions, even though they make billions of incoming revenue. In 2024, OpenAI had a revenue of $3.7 billion, compared to $5 billion in losses. The main expense of the company is running servers, both its own in house and through other rented third-parties. This could be why they decommissioned the old models.
There was, however, something unique to offer in each decommissioned model. GPT-5 has yet to provide that range, and now OpenAI has a really tough decision to make. When providing multiple models, it is costly, but removing older models tends to upset users when they begin to feel they were misled.
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